Republicans openly undermine Obama on foreign policy overseas

Actually, they are counterproductive and petty, but not stupid. Obama ran on a platform of change. If things do not markedly change during his first term, anybody who runs against him can use his failure to effectuate change as their central theme.

It is crappy, but it is not stupid.

 

the stuff i mentioned seems pretty far right/authoritarian to me. and obama is for it, so i dont know how liberal he really is.

 

If there's no line you can't cross, that doesn't lead to good places.

We'll always have disagreements in this country, but if every disagreement can now ignore boundaries... let's just say nobody really wins in a real knife fight. (Interested parties should read the end of Cities of the Plain for a good, detailed version, set in Jaurez no less.)

 

It's stupid because they are now setting a precedent that every future president will have to face. And that's what we are seeing. Countries will no longer think the president has any power as future congress members - republican or dems will go out there and contradict the president.

 

You are thinking bigger picture, which is good.

Members of Congress, on both sides of the aisle, think much shorter term...like to the next election in which they hope to perpetuate their power and keep their elected position.

 

I don't believe this is the first time that US Reps of either party have gone on their own diplomatic trips so I think the precedent was already established.

I have mixed views of this. While I think it might not be a good idea to have seemingly separate foriegn policies at the same time as citizens they still have freedom of speech and travel. I think the compromise should be that they are free to travel and speak as long as they make it clear they aren't acting in an official capacity.

 

Surely you understand this isn't about just going on a separate diplomatic trip.

It's about GOP officials going to foreign leaders and telling them not to trust Obama, or his policy. They are following Obama around, and after Obama talks about his poicy, they are saying that what Obama said isn't really the way it is.

I do believe that this is the first time something like this has happened.

 

As citizens that is their right to do so. Many citizens such as Jesse Jackson and Jimmy Carter have met with foriegn leaders and criticized the Admin. in power.

I might not agree with what they said but that is a consequence of allowing those rights.

 

They aren't lawmakers who played a role in making and approving policy. These are law makers who have the power to ratify trearties, and fund policy. If they are going and telling other leaders that that Obama can't be trusted in what he claims the policy will be. it's a little more serious.

I'm not saying it shouldn't be allowed, but that doesn't make it right, and it is counterproductive.

 

The following is instructive...