A Sense of History

People other than the president undertaking diplomacy with foreign nations? Not the first time.

The right-wing media and wing-nut blogosphere has been up in arms over whether U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi did or didn't violate the Logan Act, the law that makes foreign policy the president's sole purview, when she visited Syria.

Quick question: What's the statute of limitations on that? After all, there's some very serious questions about whether the staff of a former governor intervened in negotiations with a foreign nation to undercut his opponent in an election. That governor? Ronald Reagan, whom consistent rumors from all parties say had his people negotiate with Iran to delay the release of hostages until after the 1980 presidential elections, to make then-President Jimmy Carter look weak. At the center of the rumors has always been his running mate George H. W. Bush. Why isn't anyone at State asking about that? Oh, yeah, silly us.

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KEYWORDS FOR THIS POST

Politics, White House, Syria, Iran, Pelosi, Reagan, Iran Hostage Crisis

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