Washington and Genet (Library of Congress)
After yesterday's blog slamming Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu for airing alleged differences in Iranian related policy between Israel and the United States in an effort to interfere with our presidential electoral process, I sat down to think about whether other foreign dignitaries ever made such preposterous demands and dictates on our presidents. I mean, who in their right mind would ever even remotely think that any president would grovel at the beck and call of a foreign power represented by their designated leader? What kind of American would demand a president alter established United States foreign policy so that it complies with another nation's goals and objectives if they are not completely in compliance with our own nation's stated goals and objectives?
Apparently, 128 Republican members of Congress and Fox News think President Obama should jump when Benyamin Netanyahu calls. The party that has repeatedly attempted to paint Obama as "Apologizer in Chief" or "Appeaser in Chief" has not one iota of a problem having Obama bow to Netanyahu and heed his demands as they relate to Iran. Do Republicans expect Romney and his foreign policy if elected, to take a back seat to Netanyahu? Do Republicans think we should just hand the reins of "Commander In Chief" under Article II of the Constitution to Israel's Prime Minister?
Which brings me to my point. Is Obama the first president to be used by a foreign dignitary in an attempt to sway American policy and opinion? The Republicans would probably say the first was Jimmy Carter since they already have the "Failed Presidency" label on him. But who was the first president to be "called out" by a foreign country in an effort to incite his opposition? That first president was indeed George Washington!
Back in 1793, a gentlemen by the name of Edmond-Charles Genet attempted to change American foreign policy while inciting political opposition in America. At the time, Genet was serving as a Minister to the U.S. for the new French Republic which was at war with Spain and England. While in the U.S., Genet attempted to recruit American sailors to join forces with France in an effort to draw America into a potential World War. Sound familiar? Although Washington had proclaimed our neutrality (we were ill-prepared for another war so close to our own revolution), Genet publicly lambasted Washington as being "weak" and for not acting in the best interest of the nascent United States. Through academic research, it has been discovered that "Citizen Genet" was not only an emissary for the new French government, he was a paid agent working to disrupt the presidency of George Washington. The man responsible for paying Mr. Genet? None other than Thomas Jefferson! When Genet was called to meet Washington, he found himself on the wrong end of a very stern rebuke. When the new French Republic began cutting the heads off of intellectuals and religious leaders, Genet found he could not return home. Despite his rhetoric and the sinister efforts (paid for by Francophile Jefferson), Genet sought and was granted asylum by President Washington. Despite the best efforts of a foreign nation to dictate United States foreign policy, and despite moneyed interests in creating political opposition (Jefferson), the President of the United States stood strong in upholding American interests without a hint of accommodation to any other nation, despite the public exposure and demands of his political opponents. Sound familiar folks?
There are other instances, but you get the main point. No American president will be dictated to by a leader or representative of any other nation, nor will the best efforts of an oppositional party or their supporting media force him to act in any way that is not in the primary best interest of the United States. So all I can say to Prime Minister Netanyahu, Mitt Romney, Paul Ryan, the 127 Republican members of Congress and Fox News is..."Diplomacy Anyone?"
Apparently, 128 Republican members of Congress and Fox News think President Obama should jump when Benyamin Netanyahu calls. The party that has repeatedly attempted to paint Obama as "Apologizer in Chief" or "Appeaser in Chief" has not one iota of a problem having Obama bow to Netanyahu and heed his demands as they relate to Iran. Do Republicans expect Romney and his foreign policy if elected, to take a back seat to Netanyahu? Do Republicans think we should just hand the reins of "Commander In Chief" under Article II of the Constitution to Israel's Prime Minister?
Which brings me to my point. Is Obama the first president to be used by a foreign dignitary in an attempt to sway American policy and opinion? The Republicans would probably say the first was Jimmy Carter since they already have the "Failed Presidency" label on him. But who was the first president to be "called out" by a foreign country in an effort to incite his opposition? That first president was indeed George Washington!
Back in 1793, a gentlemen by the name of Edmond-Charles Genet attempted to change American foreign policy while inciting political opposition in America. At the time, Genet was serving as a Minister to the U.S. for the new French Republic which was at war with Spain and England. While in the U.S., Genet attempted to recruit American sailors to join forces with France in an effort to draw America into a potential World War. Sound familiar? Although Washington had proclaimed our neutrality (we were ill-prepared for another war so close to our own revolution), Genet publicly lambasted Washington as being "weak" and for not acting in the best interest of the nascent United States. Through academic research, it has been discovered that "Citizen Genet" was not only an emissary for the new French government, he was a paid agent working to disrupt the presidency of George Washington. The man responsible for paying Mr. Genet? None other than Thomas Jefferson! When Genet was called to meet Washington, he found himself on the wrong end of a very stern rebuke. When the new French Republic began cutting the heads off of intellectuals and religious leaders, Genet found he could not return home. Despite his rhetoric and the sinister efforts (paid for by Francophile Jefferson), Genet sought and was granted asylum by President Washington. Despite the best efforts of a foreign nation to dictate United States foreign policy, and despite moneyed interests in creating political opposition (Jefferson), the President of the United States stood strong in upholding American interests without a hint of accommodation to any other nation, despite the public exposure and demands of his political opponents. Sound familiar folks?
There are other instances, but you get the main point. No American president will be dictated to by a leader or representative of any other nation, nor will the best efforts of an oppositional party or their supporting media force him to act in any way that is not in the primary best interest of the United States. So all I can say to Prime Minister Netanyahu, Mitt Romney, Paul Ryan, the 127 Republican members of Congress and Fox News is..."Diplomacy Anyone?"
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