Jeffrey’s “take is way better”:http://www.armscontrolwonk.com/1385/poor-mans-bob-joseph, though I disagree with his policy suggestion, which is to make the administration comply fully with certain sections of the 2007 National Defense Authorization Act:

bq. That’s the deal. Either the country gets a North Korea Policy Coordinator and a report on the Administration’s strategery in Iran, or Rood stays as Assistant Secretary.

I’d like to hope that Biden would “hold out for a lot more”:http://www.totalwonkerr.net/1343/j-rood-to-replace-b-joseph. Compliance with a law is hardly a concession.

And, as much as I hate correcting Jeffrey, I think he names the wrong sections of the NDAA. According to Thomas, “H.R.5122…became Public Law 109-364 on 10/17/2006.”

According to the text of HR 5122, the relevant sections are 1211 and 1213. Jeffrey named sections 1214 and 1216.

This doesn’t change the substance of his argument at all, but it’s important for understanding the relevant portion of Bush’s “signing statement”:http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2006/10/20061017-9.html from this past October:

A number of provisions in the Act call for the executive branch to furnish information to the Congress or other entities on various subjects. These provisions include sections 219, 313, 360, *1211,* 1212, *1213*, 1227, 1402, and 3116 of the Act, section 427 of title 10, United States Code, as amended by section 932 of the Act, and section 1093 of the Ronald W. Reagan National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2005 (Public Law 108-375) as amended by section 1061 of the Act. The executive branch shall construe such provisions in a manner consistent with the President’s constitutional authority to withhold information the disclosure of which could impair foreign relations, the national security, the deliberative processes of the Executive, or the performance of the Executive’s constitutional duties.

*snip*

The executive branch shall construe section *1211*, which purports to require the executive branch to undertake certain consultations with foreign governments and follow certain steps in formulating and executing U.S. foreign policy, in a manner consistent with the President’s constitutional authorities to conduct the Nation’s foreign affairs and to supervise the unitary executive branch.

Adult supervision (of the administration, not Jeffrey) is truly needed…