Re: The Bigger, Badder, Even More Serious Thread [4]

[Pettytyrant101]

Idiocy, oh yes, theres plenty of that here, but I can think of nothing to compare to this, to undermining your own countries negotiating position on the international stage, embarrass your own country with its allies and undermine their word all in discussions with the potential if they go wrong to lead only to a one way road to war, and all whilst the negotiations are still ongoing.
Apart from all the above these things take years to get to this stage, I am willing to bet the diplomacy for this started under Bush, a career politician should be aware of that.

[David H]

I wouldn't call Tom Cotton a career politician in the usual sense, though he's definitely started down that path. Here's a couple clips from his wikipedia page:

As an infantry officer and platoon leader with the 101st Airborne Division, he was deployed to Baghdad as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom on May 19, 2006. In Iraq, Cotton was responsible for a 41 man air assault infantry platoon in the 506th Infantry Regiment,[9] and planned and led daily combat patrols. He completed his first combat tour in Iraq on November 20, 2006, and was awarded the Army Commendation Medal, the Combat Infantryman Badge, the Iraq Campaign Medal, and various campaign/service medals.[3]

In June 2006, Cotton gained public attention after he wrote an open letter to The New York Times criticizing the paper's publication of an article detailing a Bush administration secret program monitoring terrorists' finances in which he called for three journalists, including the Times' editor, Bill Keller, to be imprisoned for espionage.[10] The article was widely circulated online and reprinted in full in several newspapers.[11]

Cotton ran for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives as a Republican in Arkansas' 4th congressional district in the 2012 election, vacant as a result of Democratic U.S. Congressman Mike Ross' retirement.[15]

During the primary, in September 2011, the Democratic Party of Arkansas attacked Cotton for an article written 13 years earlier in his school newspaper, in which he questioned the value of the Internet as a teaching tool in the classroom.[16] Cotton has since stated that he believes the Internet has matured significantly over the past decade and has become a "vital tool for education and daily life" unlike the Internet of 1998.[17]

Cotton was supported by and has close ties to both the Tea Party movement and the Republican establishment

In 2013 Cotton introduced legislative language to punish relatives of those convicted of violating U.S. sanctions against Iran. According to Cotton, this would include "a spouse and any relative to the third degree," such as, "parents, children, aunts, uncles, nephews, nieces, grandparents, great grandparents, grandkids, great grandkids," [35] When Cotton's amendment came under harsh criticism, he withdrew it.

Do you see a pattern?

[Pettytyrant101]

Yes. He's an idiot. (Though that doesnt excuse the other 46 that signed up o it)

[David H]

I agree completely. But honestly, is it a surprise to anybody in the World that we have some idiots in our government? I'd bet the Iranians just rolled their eyes and laughed.

[Pettytyrant101]

Yes, and when they had finished laughing they would have worked out how best to use this to their own advantage in negotiations. Its doesn't only make Obama's job here harder, it makes all the other countries positions harder if whatever deal we agree the Iranians can just turn round and say, 'yeah but its not binding, Congress says so. You'll need to give us more.'

[Pettytyrant101]

I see Netanyahu has finally dropped any pretence he thinks the Palestinians should have their own state, or that the land illegally occupied should be returned to help form it-

'Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stepped up the nationalist rhetoric on the eve of parliamentary elections, vowing a Palestinian state will not be established on his watch if he’s re-elected.
Netahyahu said withdrawing from occupied areas to make way for a Palestinian state would only ensure that territory will be taken over by Islamic extremists. When asked if that means a Palestinian state will not be established if he is elected, Netanyahu said "indeed."
It was the latest -- and clearest -- attempt by Netanyahu to disavow his earlier support for Palestinian independence, which he first laid out in a landmark 2009 speech.'

And if thats not bad enough he is vowing to make things worse by breaking more international laws-

'In a further attempt to appeal to hard-line voters, the Israeli leader also vowed Monday to strengthen construction in east Jerusalem settlements.
"We will preserve Jerusalem's unity in all its parts. We will continue to build and fortify Jerusalem so that its division won't be possible and it will stay united forever."

He sounds just as crazy as any Islamic extremist to me.

[Mrs Figg]

its like he and Putin are having a competition to find out who can out nut job the other

[Pettytyrant101]

If thats what they are doing Im not sure who is winning!

[David H]

Bush left some big shoes to fill in that department

[chris63]

[Pettytyrant101]

[Pettytyrant101]

Interview this morning with the PM on GMTV. Proving why Susanna Reid moving from the BBC was no loss. Her interviews have all the depth of a dehydrated puddle. Her entire interview style is just to outrageously flirt.
Right before an election and she gets unfettered access to interview the PM and out of the 14 questions she got to ask him 11 were about his family, none on policy.
Described by one body language expert as 'less Paxman and more 50 Shades'.

This snapshot rather sums up the content well-



They probably had to hose that chair down when she left!

[azriel]

Dippy cow ! she was a dippy cow on BBC & now shes a dippy cow on ITV. Cameron must have been smiling in his sleep when he knew he had HER interview him ! You dont send a French poodle in with the lions ! you send in a Bull mastiff ! {{{ or Jeremy Paxman, or maybe Jeremy Clarkson ! )

[Pettytyrant101]

Yup- no wonder the PM's office agreed to be interviewed by her! Dont see them in a rush to let him be interviewed by a real female political commentator like Kirsty Wark or Emily Matliss.

[Bluebottle]

Ah, yes. The hard hitting political interview.

[Bluebottle]

Though, correct me if I'm wrong. Wasn't it Blair who started that trend?

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