Just when I thought the whole flap over Congressional Republicans' (and I think we can dispose of any "bipartisan" figleafery by now) invitation to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to address Congress in March couldn't descend any further into inanity, I found the following in today's news:
(h/t Talking Points Memo)
Interviewed by Chris Wallace on "Fox News Sunday", the Speaker Of The House, after the usual boilerplate about "threats" had this to say about his decision to do an end-run around the White House and Department of State:
Wallace then pointed out that Boehner asked Ron Dermer, Israel's ambassador to the U.S., not to tell the White House about the joint meeting with Netanyahu.
"Why would you do that?" Wallace asked.
"Because I wanted to make sure that there was no interference. There’s no secret here in Washington about the animosity that this White House has for Prime Minister Netanyahu. I frankly didn’t want that getting in the way, quashing what I thought was a real opportunity," Boehner responded.
Now I can remember being interested in political matters for quite a long time now: my first "political" memory is that of seeing bubble-gum cigars on sale in a market urging customers to "Win with 'Jack' or 'Dick'" (Confession: I went GOP in that contest, I liked their red packaging: I've since learned better), and I cannot recall any comparable instance of pure arrogant disrespect for the office of the President (especially regarding vita; foreign affairs) by any elected official of the Legislative Branch ever. Maybe the Newt-Gingrich-led impeachment of Bill Clinton might come close - though as I recall, Congress and the White House still (as they had to under our system) work together in a number of things. But the Congressional GOP's attempt to undermine a major international initiative to control Iran's nuclear program (and the "international" aspect of the P5+1 talks seems to have been quite back-burnered by US media: as usual, it's Always All About Us) - based not so much on diplomatic/political grounds, but on
perceived personal animosities?
Even for Republicans, this is a new low in the National Disgrace contest: and I am going to inform my Representative and Senators of this opinion, and urge a boycott of the Netanyahu circus. However, as a constituent of Senator Schumer, I'm not optimistic about the outcome.