[Lanny_MacDonald]

Tranny outlined why Reagan and his contacts would not have been allowed to have any contact with the Iranians. There were no normalized diplomatic relations, so unless Reagan was given permission to contact the Iranians, he would have been breaking American law. Good lord, look at what happens when an American goes to Cuba, or even speaks to Cuba without permission. Now imagine that ramped up. Do you think that just anyone would be allowed to speak to leadership of a foreign entity the American government was in conflict with? Not a chance. Unless you work for the State Department, or have the blessing of the State Department, you are persona non-grata. And that would include the new President-elect until he was completely up to speed on all issues and where the negotiations were at that given time.

Ah, your quote says exactly what I am getting at.

Quote:
Though the Russian claims about Carter’s negotiations with Iran might cause embarrassment for Democrats, Carter, as President, possessed the constitutional authority to negotiate with a foreign power. The Republicans did not.