As your constituent, I want to voice my concern over your open letter to Iran. I find it troubling on several fronts. First and foremost, interjecting yourself into a very delicate and complex negotiation seems fool-hardy at best; arrogant, self-serving, and detrimental to America at the worst.
There has been much discussion about the Constitutionality of your actions. I would argue that the more important question is not whether your actions were legal, but whether they were beneficial or wise. I would like to direct your attention to a quote from Dick Cheney, circa 1989:
“Congressional overreaching has systematic policy effects. It is important to be clear at the outset that my argument is about systematic effects, not individual policy disagreements. For example, congress’ efforts to dictate diplomatic bargaining tactics, as well as the efforts by individual members to conduct back channel negotiations on their own, make it extremely difficult for the country to sustain a consistent bargaining posture for an extended time period, whomever the President and whatever the policy.”
I cannot imagine any benefit that this letter can produce: instead it seriously compromises the world’s view of America and our role in it. It makes America seem petty, weak, and divided (as, with stunts such as this, I fear that we are becoming).
Secondly, when you say that you are merely “speaking for my Arkansas constituents and speaking for America,” I want to go on record clearly that you are NOT speaking for me. As support for your actions, you state that 71% of Americans do not believe that the President’s negotiations with Iran will keep them from ultimately attaining a nuclear weapon. That statistic is misleading. I would count myself in that 71%; however, it is not because of my lack of faith in the President’s negotiating skills, but my skepticism that America has any power to stop Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. Had the polling question substituted “congress” for “President,” I don’t think the numbers would be much different. To take that one statistic as a mandate to disrespect the office of President and to undermine the negotiations process is preposterous.
And lastly, the fact that you spoke to the National Defense Industrial Association one day after releasing this letter, is deeply troubling. Do they have such deep pockets and such power that you aren’t even concerned about appearances? It’s as if you’re daring people to NOT make the connection. It certainly looks like you just played fast and loose with America’s national security to ensure that your Senate seat is bought for the foreseeable future.
I am not just disappointed, but deeply disturbed by your actions. I would urge you, Senator, to put the good of your country before your politics and personal gain, and do the job that you were hired to do. Unless you consider yourself to have been hired by the defense lobby and not by we, the people of Arkansas. In that case, please don’t.
An Open Letter to Senator Cotton
Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton
As your constituent, I want to voice my concern over your open letter to Iran. I find it troubling on several fronts. First and foremost, interjecting yourself into a very delicate and complex negotiation seems fool-hardy at best; arrogant, self-serving, and detrimental to America at the worst.
There has been much discussion about the Constitutionality of your actions. I would argue that the more important question is not whether your actions were legal, but whether they were beneficial or wise. I would like to direct your attention to a quote from Dick Cheney, circa 1989:
“Congressional overreaching has systematic policy effects. It is important to be clear at the outset that my argument is about systematic effects, not individual policy disagreements. For example, congress’ efforts to dictate diplomatic bargaining tactics, as well as the efforts by individual members to conduct back channel negotiations on their own, make it extremely difficult for the country to sustain a consistent bargaining posture for an extended time period, whomever the President and whatever the policy.”
I cannot imagine any benefit that this letter can produce: instead it seriously compromises the world’s view of America and our role in it. It makes America seem petty, weak, and divided (as, with stunts such as this, I fear that we are becoming).
Secondly, when you say that you are merely “speaking for my Arkansas constituents and speaking for America,” I want to go on record clearly that you are NOT speaking for me. As support for your actions, you state that 71% of Americans do not believe that the President’s negotiations with Iran will keep them from ultimately attaining a nuclear weapon. That statistic is misleading. I would count myself in that 71%; however, it is not because of my lack of faith in the President’s negotiating skills, but my skepticism that America has any power to stop Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. Had the polling question substituted “congress” for “President,” I don’t think the numbers would be much different. To take that one statistic as a mandate to disrespect the office of President and to undermine the negotiations process is preposterous.
And lastly, the fact that you spoke to the National Defense Industrial Association one day after releasing this letter, is deeply troubling. Do they have such deep pockets and such power that you aren’t even concerned about appearances? It’s as if you’re daring people to NOT make the connection. It certainly looks like you just played fast and loose with America’s national security to ensure that your Senate seat is bought for the foreseeable future.
I am not just disappointed, but deeply disturbed by your actions. I would urge you, Senator, to put the good of your country before your politics and personal gain, and do the job that you were hired to do. Unless you consider yourself to have been hired by the defense lobby and not by we, the people of Arkansas. In that case, please don’t.
— Heather Hansberger