Posted on 11/14/2019 6:54:53 AM PST by Sir Napsalot
When diplomats enage (sic) in a quid pro quo, it's for the benefit of our national security, not the presidents political security.
My former diplomatic colleagues Bill Taylor and George Kent were put in a very unfamiliar, uncomfortable position on Capitol Hill on Wednesday. In contrast to their day jobs promoting American interests overseas, often through discrete conversations, Taylor, the top U.S. diplomat in Ukraine, and Kent, the deputy assistant secretary of state for Europe, were asked to publicly testify against an administration and a president they continue to serve.
Fundamentally, their role and the role of the many diplomatic officials slated to appear at the high-profile congressional hearings to determine whether President Donald Trump should be impeached is to help define what constitutes the legitimate practice of diplomacy and whether the president crossed the line into making demands for personal or political favors.
Id like to clear up some confusion. There are regular things that U.S. emissaries do that involve quid pro quos or conditions. The Trump administration alternately denies using such leverage with Ukraine or claims their actions were in keeping with normal diplomatic practices. The most important difference, though, is that when diplomats do so, it is for the benefit of our national security, not the presidents political security. (emphasis mine) And in fact, when there are signs that things are amiss, there are mechanisms in place for those same diplomats to act with no need for (or history of) the president getting involved.
(Excerpt) Read more at nbcnews.com ...
He means “Someone said he broke the rules of diplomacy”.
High crimes, misdemeanors, and breaking the rules of diplomacy.
I keep wondering about how the “Iran deal” was ok? Obama gave them billions - nothing appropriated by Congress. Was there no “quid pro quo”? There had BETTER have been.
We need to do away with career political employees, entirely. The civil service laws that protect them should be overturned. I would be in favor of even giving them a full pension now, but having them leave now. The only civil ‘servants’ whose jobs should be protected from political change should be postal workers, secretaries/assistants, custodial people, etc. NOT anyone who has a political agenda. In fact, maybe employment in government in a political capacity or politically-related capacity should be done with a requirement that you can never ever be part of a political hearing or be a material witness in one.
As innuendos, accusations and rampant falsehoods emerge surrounding the ongoing impeachment inquiry, I strongly recommend FReepers disseminate copies of the existing mutual assistance treaty between the US and Ukraine pertaining to criminal investigations. Pursuant to this treaty (link below), President Trump had not only the latitude, but the DUTY to ask Ukraine PM Zelensky to investigate possible wrongdoing by the Bidens and any matters pertaining to Russian/Ukrainian interference in the 2016 election. NOWHERE in this treaty rests any provision that Presidential candidates are to be excepted from such investigations.
Link to full text of treaty: (https://www.congress.gov/106/cdoc/tdoc16/CDOC-106tdoc16.pdf)
ARTICLE 5 -
EXECUTION OF REQUESTS
1. The Central Authority of the Requested State shall promptly execute the request or, when appropriate, shall transmit to the authority having jurisdiction to do so. The competent authorities of the Requested State shall do everything in their power to execute the request. The competent authorities of the Requested State shall have authority to issue subpoenas, search and arrest warrants, or other orders necessary to execute the request.
2. The Central Authority of the Requested State shall represent or make arrangements for representation of the interests of the Requesting State in the execution of in the Requested State of a request for assistance.
3. Requests shall be executed in accordance with the laws of the Requested State, except to the extent that this Treaty provides otherwise. However, the method of execution specified in the request shall be followed except insofar as it is prohibited by the laws of the Requested State.
4. If the Central Authority of the Requested State determines that execution of a request would interfere with an ongoing criminal investigation, prosecution, or proceeding in that State, it may postpone execution, or make execution subject to conditions determined to be necessary after consultations with the Central Authority of the Requesting State. If the Requesting State accepts the assistance subject to the conditions, it shall comply with the conditions.
5. The Requested State shall use its best efforts to keep confidential a request and its contents if such confidentiality is requested by the Central Authority of the Requesting State. If the request cannot be executed without breaching such confidentiality, the Central Authority of the Requested State shall so inform the Central Authority of the Requesting State, which shall then determine whether the request should nevertheless be executed.
6. The Central Authority of the Requested State shall respond to reasonable inquiries by the Central Authority of the Requesting State concerning progress toward execution of the request.
7. The Central Authority of the Requested State shall promptly inform the Central Authority of the Requesting State of the outcome of the execution of the request. If the execution of the request is denied, delayed, or postponed, the Central Authority of the Requested State shall inform the Central Authority of the Requesting State of the reasons for the denial, delay or postponement.
Article 7 - Limitations on Use
1. The Central Authority of the Requested State may require that the Requesting State not use any evidence or information obtained under this Treaty in any investigation, prosecution, or proceeding other than that described in the request without the prior consent of the Central Authority of the Requested State. In such situations, the Requesting State shall comply with the requirement.
2. The Central Authority of the Requested State may request that evidence or information furnished under this Treaty be kept confidential or be used only subject to terms and conditions that it may specify. If the Requesting State accepts the evidence or information subject to such conditions, the Requesting State shall use its best efforts to comply with the conditions.
3. Nothing in this article shall preclude the use or disclosure of evidence or information to the extent that there is an obligation to do so under the Constitution of the Requesting State in a criminal prosecution. The Requesting State shall notify the Requested State in advance of any such possible use or disclosure.
Rules, we don’t need no stinkin rules.
Face looks familiar. Did I see him in the group shot of the Obama staff day-after-election?
These bow tie wearing idiots can testify as private unemployed citizens. They were hired to do our biding and work for our elected President NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND.
How about the rules established by George W: avoid European entanglements.
Why are these anti American losers still drawing a government pay check? They should all be fired today.
These State Dept. conspiratory hacks should be fired today by Pompeo!
Agree. Unfortunately the rot has set so deep their parasites are protected like a mafia boss
Did ever occur to this guy that the Presidents political interest and the public interest arent always mutually exclusive?
And, certainly, Jim Jordan should be asking each and every witness how many electoral votes they received in 2016.
He broke the rules of diplomacy
Impeach him...with extreme farting and huffing
These people are silly
Pomeo should fire them immediately. Those State hacks do not think they are accountable to the President or the people of the USA. By not firing them now great damage is being done and the Deep State strengthened. I am so f-—ing pissed off.
The constitution puts the president in charge of diplomacy and denies the congress any authority other than declaring war and judging acts of treason. The Logan act exists to insure no one outside of the Administrative branch of government encroaches on diplomatic relations with foreign powers.
The title of this piece belies the mindset of the Deepstate Swamp. Donald Trump is upsetting their boat by daring to exercise his executive authority under the Constitution.
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