"Fred Dehl" wrote in message
...
"Doug Kanter" wrote in
:

"Fred Dehl" wrote in message
...

The Constitution is a "piece of paper"... do you have as much
contempt for it as for the Joint Communique on the Establishment of
Diplomatic Relations Between the United States of America and the
People's Republic of China?

I don't have any contempt for the diplomatic document you're
describing. But, I'd like to learn from you, so perhaps you can
explain where you got the idea that I have contempt for that document.

You're dismissing it and trivializing it by referring to it (more than
once) as "that piece of paper", in a manner recalling your idol's referral
to "that woman, Miss Lewinsky".

The document was just a formality. Let me ask you this: Before the document,
how many years' of effort went into making it happen? I'm guessing you'll
say 2, but I could be wrong.



Nixon *needed* to do it, to put some kind of
positive spin on his work at the time.

So you're saying it's OK for a President to bypass Congress and the
Constitution and take unilateral action with regards to foreign
policy in order to prop up flagging poll numbers?

In order to properly answer your question, I'm going to need a list of
the types of activities which, in your opinion, are OK for a president
to undertake secretly, and which are not.

No, in order to properly answer my question, you're going to need the
ability to think.

Every president we've ever had has either used unilateral and/or secretive
tactics, or authorized (in writing) others to do so in his place. If you
don't believe this, back up your belief with facts.