Congressman Joe Pitts: ‘It is incumbent on Ariel Sharon and Yasir Arafat to restart a peace process’

[Scurrilous]

<snip>

"Apparently, my congressman believes that the solution for peace in the Middle East will be reached by encouraging negotiations between a vegetable and a dead man.

My father recently received a form letter response from Joe Pitts (Pennsylvania’s 16th district). A year ago, after visiting me in Ramallah, my father contacted Pitts’ office, expressing his opposition to House Resolution 268, a one-sided resolution that condemned Palestinians and reaffirmed the US “commitment to a negotiated settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict”. The incredibly baffling, much-delayed response from Pitts included this gem:

[div class="excerpt" style="border-left: 1px solid #bfbfbf; border-bottom: 1px solid #bfbfbf; border-right: 1px solid #bfbfbf; border-radius: 0em 0em 0.3077em 0.3077em; background-color: #f4f4f4; box-shadow: 2px 2px 6px #bfbfbf;"]With the global war against terrorism, it is now incumbent on Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Palestinian Authority (PA) Chairman Yasir Arafat to clamp down on Palestinian extremists that have perpetuated violence and to restart a peace process that has collapsed.

This response was dated April 20, 2012. I realize that members of Congress use form letters to communicate quickly with their constituents, but when they are as outdated as this on an issue that is so central to US foreign policy, one might question the intelligence or efficacy of such a politician. I wonder to whom Pitts thought he was giving those standing ovations when Netanyahu spoke to Congress?"

http://mondoweiss.net/2012/05/congressman-joe-pitts-it-is-incumbent-on-ariel-sharon-and-yasir-arafat-to-restart-a-peace-process.html



Outdated form letter from Rep. Pitts calls for deceased Arafat, comatose Sharon to negotiate

<snip>

"An outdated form letter sent by the office of Rep. Joe Pitts (R-Pa.) is causing some embarrassment for his congressional office and a fundraising opportunity for his Democratic challenger.

The letter, sent in April and published to the blog Mondoweiss, was in response to a constituent inquiry about a resolution on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. But the message suggests that Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat — who has been deceased since 2004 — and former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon — who has been in a coma since 2006 — need to come back to the negotiating table.

"With the global war against terrorism, it is now incumbent on Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Palestinian Authority (PA) Chairman Yasir Arafat to clamp down on Palestinian extremists that have perpetuated violence and to restart a peace process that has collapsed," the response reads.

Congressional offices routinely use form letters to reply to constituent inquiries, but that the response was so dramatically out of date it's causing some embarrassment. On Tuesday, Pitts's office said mistakes were made and that that it had reached out to the constituent to apologize."

http://thehill.com/component/content/article/160-news/227503-outdated-form-letter-from-rep-pitts-calls-for-deceased-arafat-comatose-sharon-to-return-to-the-table

[Scurrilous]

1. Pitts hit for letter error

Cites dead Arafat, comatose Sharon as part of Middle East solution; staff apologizes for error

<snip>

"A local Congressman is taking hits for having a decidedly retro take on Middle East politics in a letter sent to a constituent last month.

According to Ian Rhodewalt, writer for the Middle East Web news site MondoWeiss, U.S. Rep. Joe Pitts (R-16) responded to a letter from his father, a resident of the 16th Congressional District and referenced the late Palestine Liberation Organization leader Yasir Arafat and former Israeli prime minister Arial Sharon."

<snip>

"Democrat Aryanna Strader, of Kennett Square, running against Pitts in the fall election, chimed in an email to her supporters.

“Being this completely out of touch with such a major foreign policy matter is inexcusable,” Strader wrote in an email to supporters this week, seeking to raise money from the issue. “If we are ever going to change Congress, we must change who we send there.”

Strader issued a further statement, Wednesday:

“While mistakes do happen, it is troubling to think that our congressman is out of touch to such a degree,” she said. “Whether Congressman Pitts is unaware of foreign leaders or he is blaming a staff member for a clerical error, the fact is that constituents depend upon their elected officials to provide them with timely and accurate information.”

http://www.unionvilletimes.com/?p=9067

[Ken Burch]

2. Does he also want Chairman Mao to mediate between the U.S. and North Korea?

[aranthus]

3. This makes sense.

Both Sharon and Arafat are no longer beholden to their constituencies. Both are more likely to be guided by a higher power. Both may be open to a greater calling than simply feathering their own nest. Both are more likely to see the big picture. Neither has to worry about being killed for betraying their own side. If they can't bring peace to the region, then no one can.