Re: Politics OT-Re: Books Banned in Utah.

On Thu, 22 Aug 2024 15:34:03 -0400, Cryptoengineer
<petertrei@gmail.com> wrote:

On 8/22/2024 1:58 PM, Scott Lurndal wrote:

Cryptoengineer <petertrei@gmail.com> writes:

On 8/21/2024 11:27 PM, James Nicoll wrote:

In article <va68qr$6u1l$1@dont-email.me>,

 

>
Bush I was a private citizen during Clinton's presidency,
and could not legally engage in diplomacy.

>
I believe you may have confused Bill Clinton (POTUS 1993 - 2000)
Jimmy Carter (POTUS 1977 to 1980).

>
Yup. Major brain fart.
>
But it doesn't change the point. How do you get Bush I (who
did a lot of diplomatic work when the GOP were in power),
negotiating with Iran over the hostage deal, when he was
a private citizen? What quid pro quo could he offer to the
Iranians?

 
He (GHWB) had been the director of the Central Intelligence Agency
during the previous (Ford) republican administration.
 

>
...which means that he certainly aware of the Logan Act, which
forbids private citizens from negotiating like that. Prior to
Reagan's inauguration, Bush was a private citizen.

IIRC, he was the Republican Candidate for Vice-President. Not quite
what the term "private citizen" calls to mind. OTOH, this was
pre-election, so the term would apply unless he was doing it
officially.

Does anything /really/ leave the CIA? Could the CIA have approved the
(entirely hypothetical) mission?

Frankly, I think this more tantalizing than likely, as he would have
to either ditch his Secret Service detail or take them with him on a
clandestine operation, both rather unlikely.
--
"Here lies the Tuscan poet Aretino,
Who evil spoke of everyone but God,
Giving as his excuse, 'I never knew him.'"