So - Eric Cantor has a private meeting with Netanyahu to tell him that the GOP will keep an eye on

[jillan]

things now. And this okay that this little twit undermines the President, and his administration - especially Hillary, who is trying once again to smooth relations between Israel and Palestine?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/11/12/eric-cantor-benjamin-netanyahu-israel_n_782738.html

NEW YORK -- Rep. Eric Cantor (R-Va.) told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday during a meeting in New York that the new GOP majority in the House will "serve as a check" on the Obama administration, a statement unusual for its blunt disagreement with U.S. policy delivered directly to a foreign leader.

"Eric stressed that the new Republican majority will serve as a check on the Administration and what has been, up until this point, one party rule in Washington," read a statement from Cantor's office on the one-on-one meeting. "He made clear that the Republican majority understands the special relationship between Israel and the United States, and that the security of each nation is reliant upon the other." ....

....
Ron Kampeas from the Jewish Telegraphic Agency news agency found Cantor's comments extremely surprising, writing, "I can't remember an opposition leader telling a foreign leader, in a personal meeting, that he would side, as a policy, with that leader against the president. Certainly, in statements on one specific issue or another -- building in Jerusalem, or somesuch -- lawmakers have taken the sides of other nations. But to have-a-face to face and say, in general, we will take your side against the White House -- that sounds to me extraordinary."
............

In the past, Republicans have been sharply critical of Democratic trips abroad that could be seen as undermining the official foreign policies of the U.S. president. For example, in 2007, both the Bush White House and its Republican supporters lashed out at House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Cali.) for visiting Syria, saying that she was trying to circumvent President Bush (never mind that Republican lawmakers were also in Syria and Pelosi didn't criticize the Bush administration).

"It has long been the established principle of this country that the president of the United States leads our foreign policy," said former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney. "And if you don't like the president, then you change him. But you don't have the two parties each conducting foreign policy in the way they think it ought to be conducted."

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What an ass!

[pnorman]

1. Logan Act

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Logan_Act

[jillan]

2. Do you think our spineless dems will do anything about it, just as Sensenbrenner tried

to do when Nancy went to Syria? Not that anything ever came of it....

but I remember that the rw machine went ballistic over that.

It's time we fight back - an eye for an eye.

[pnorman]

5. IMO, it's a poor law.

It was originally passed during the administration of John Adams, and was part of the partisan attacks against his anti-federalist opponents, primarily Thomas Jefferson. The other legislation included the notorious Alien & Sedition Laws.

I do NOT think that we (or Obama) should seriously "rally around it". Rather, we should use it to point out the utter HYPOCRISY of the Reptilicans.

[Fruittree]

11. I think the reason Democratic leaders don't fight back sometimes

has less to do with "spine" and more to do with media. They recognize that any controversy is immediately going to be controlled by those who control the media and will serve only as a distraction to getting anything done. It's a no-win situation..

[SkyDaddy7]

12. You are 1000% correct!

With FOX "News", Talk Radio, many FM morning shows, WSJ, NY Post, Washington Times and the rest all together control the message in this country...Once all these media outlets start the MSM falls in line & the message is what they want it to be. I honestly do not see how Obama & the Democratic Party are not more hated then they are.

The next two years are going to be brutal! The fiture of America is dark in my eyes...I hope I am wrong but I can't see how our message gets out in a positive light considering what we are up against.

[Fruittree]

13. Thank you for your response.

I agree with everything you say! Really, Fox News Corp. has all but created a new political party and unless Democrats and rational Republicans wake up, then the election of 2010 will turn out to only have been a dry run for 2012 and we may have our first of many corporation as president.

[molly77]

14. fruittree

Excellent observation. i.e. No coverage of Iraq war protests. Massive coverage of little tea party events.

[katanalori]

3. thanks.

From Wikipedia

"The Logan Act is a United States federal law that forbids unauthorized citizens from negotiating with foreign governments. It was passed in 1799 and last amended in 1994. Violation of the Logan Act is a felony, punishable under federal law with imprisonment of up to three years."

[Scruffy1]

19. No news-the Logan act is a joke

[jillan]

4. I'm surprised there's not more outrage over this.

Just sayin'

[Blue_Tires]

6. they've gotten away with it too many times

Like last year, when those RW congresscritters defied the white house to fly down to Honduras and gave their official stamp of approval to the coup no one hardly said anything...

And that was actually a serious offence compared to Cantor's pseudo-macho posturing....

[pa28]

7. Poor Netanyahu. Poor Cantor.

It speaks poorly of both of them to think they could pull a stunt like this with impunity. In general the next month is going to be depressing but it will be fun to watch Hillary turn these two into hamburger.

[gateley]

8. Unfuckingbelievable! What balls! Maybe the admin won't do anything, but

Obama should call him into the office and give him hell. Or maybe Joe -- I bet Joe would be furious!

Good for HuffPo, and good for you, P! (I hadn't seen this!)

[leveymg]

9. Divided loyalties? What loyalties?

As far as I can see, Cantor and Netanyahu are doing neither Israel nor the United States any good, at all. They are both allied with each other and the rest of the international Right-wing. Like the Fascists of the 1930s, they know no loyalties but to themselves and their ideological fellows. To the rest of humanity, they are a real menace to peace and security, and should be dealt with as such.

[LittleBlue]

10. Cantor R- Israel

No loyalty.

[msanthrope]

15. In the 90s, the Repukes met with the Taliban in Texas--thumbing their noses at Pres. Clinton.

Look how well that turned out.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/west_asia/37021.stm

[The Wizard]

16. Netanyahu may be many things

but fool isn't one of them. He has Cantor sized up and will pull his strings until Cantor is spinning like debris in a tornado. Cantor is really nothing more than an idiot savant who can parrot talking points. After that he's a stuffed shirt.

[Supersedeas]

17. watch how the Sunday Media soft pedals this

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

18. It's OK if you're a Republican

and Bibi's a Fox News regular, so Logan act can be ignored in this case

[and-justice-for-all]

20. how tresonist of Cantor...nt