I read the newspaper editorial on March 17, “Return to sender,” chastising the 47 Republicans who sent a letter to Iran opposing President Barack Obama’s nuclear negotiations. MSNBC, the least-watched cable news outlet, and the most unrealiable, had a fit about it and thought it unconscionable. It thought the letter was underhanded and a traitorous thing to do. It actually called it a scandal by the Republicans and topped that off by saying it had never been done before.

On the subject that it has never been done before, let’s go back in time.

In 1983, Democratic Sen. Ted Kennedy sent a message through a friend to Yuri Andropov, the Soviet Union’s top man, in a blatant attempt to undermine President Ronald Reagan’s arms negotiations with that communist nation.

There’s more.

In 1984, several congressional Democrats sent a letter to Nicaragua communist leader Daniel Noriega letting him know that they opposed Reagan’s policies. In addition, Democratic House Speaker Jim Wright met personally with leaders of the Contras.

In 2002, Congressman Jim McDermott went to Iraq and met with officials there to criticize President Bush and his plans regarding Iraq.

House leader Nancy Pelosi went to Syria in 2007 with others and met with Bashar Assad opposing Bush and his policies regarding that country. Interesting to know that both Vice President Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton criticized the letter, but they applauded Pelosi actions when she went to Syria.

All these countries were communist or run by dictators, so let’s put that to bed that it had never been done before.

I’m not writing to oppose or to support the letter. I just wanted to present a little more information on the subject.

Roland Preble

Gardiner

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