From Gridlock to Crash

The debt ceiling debate is surely not Congress’s finest hour. But here are five times that the legislative branch has really gotten in the way of the White House’s foreign policy.

BY ROBERT ZELIGER | JULY 27, 2011

When George Washington visited the Senate in August 1789 to get approval to negotiate a treaty with the Creek Indians, he became the first president to throw up his hands in frustration at dealing with the legislative branch. Senators demanded additional documents and tried to refer the decision to a committee. To which Washington reportedly said, "This defeats every purpose of my coming here," and promptly left.

So, you see, Congress has always been a pain in the neck for American presidents. Some 222 years later, as Washington squabbles over the debt ceiling (which has led some to call this Congress the worst ever), a bit of context is in order. Here are five examples of times when congressional combativeness really screwed up White House foreign policy.

JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/Getty Images

 SUBJECTS:
 

Robert Zeliger is news editor of Foreign Policy.

NICOLAS19

2:07 AM ET

July 28, 2011

we have context alright

So the direct or indirect result of Congressional screw-ups are: WW II, Second Iraqi War, devastating war with Britain, broken immigration system that hasn't been fixed ever since.

So it is a wonderful context you provided, some might wonder what kind of disaster awaits the US now.

 

WADE73

9:10 AM ET

July 29, 2011

Weak

If this is the worst then kudos to Congress.

1) The idea that joining the League of Nations would have prevented WWII is as big a joke as the thought that the UN banning war would actually stop war.

2) Yes, if only Congress hadn't delayed the $900 million we might have gotten one more sanction on Saddam, he would have totally done everything we told him to then. We just needed that missing 18th resolution. "Bone-headed" indeed.

 

TEBUCKY

9:50 PM ET

July 29, 2011

President is wrong

Each of these examples presupposes that the President is always right in foreign policy, and that Congress should shut up. But it is usually presidents who lead us into fiascoes, in situations where a little more oversight from the legislative branch would have been nice.

I must heartily second Wade73's comment.

 

SHAN COOMBES

8:29 PM ET

August 17, 2011

From Gridlock to Crash

One woman was taken to hospital with minor whiplash injuries after the car she was in smashed into another vehicle at the junction of Hermon Hill, New sasha grey and the High Street just before 8am. The collision, between a grey Vauxhall Astra and a grey Peugeot 406, has been causing traffic jams in the area for the past two hours as police moved the wreckage, although these are expected to clear soon. Both Hermon Hill and New Wanstead were partly closed but have since reopened. No arrests have been made and the police said they would not be investigating further. The wreckage of another blue car at the scene was not involved in the crash. Police had been moving it from another incident elsewhere in the borough and decided to collect the Wanstead crashed cars on the way.....

 

AXELBROOK

5:09 AM ET

August 19, 2011

The same reason Clinton took

The same reason Clinton took the job after saying Obama had no experience in leading this country. RIO They do what they want regardless of what they said in the past..

 

HLBAKERNJ

10:48 AM ET

August 25, 2011

Stay tuned for the tragicomedy

There are plenty of individuals whining and moaning concerning the current and continuing economic crisis; however these same people still vote Democrat or Republican every year accepting exactly the same lies while expecting spun sentences. Is affliction of those an indication of ignorance, stupidity, out right insanity, or the suggestions above?

Stay tuned in for home solar that tragicomedy delivered to through the Fed, the very best banksters on Wall Street, and also the ruling corporate kleptocracy.