Tuesday, January 31, 2017

Diplomat Jim Patterson Writes House Committee on Foreign Affairs Chair Ed Royce on Misleading HCFA Letter on White House Spokesperson Sean Spicer

James E. Patterson
Life Member American Foreign Service Association
Washington DC 20037

February 1, 2017

Congressman Ed Royce 
2310 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515

Dear Congressman Royce,

As a member of the California State Society and a foreign service professional, I want to call to your kind attention a recent email from my professional union, the American Foreign Service Association (AFSA). See transmitted Page Two of the email with the last paragraph circled.

The email to me states: “It is important to note that friends of the Foreign Service on Capitol Hill are showing their support in action (of AFSA dissent to President Trump’s immigration EO). Click here to read a letter to the President from members of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.” See transmitted Page Three of the letter.

The letter address to “The President” and not to “President Donald J. Trump,” is signed by Ranking Members of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs and Democratic Rep. Alan Lowenthal, who is not a Committee Member. As an AFSA member and a Life Member of the AFSA who voted for President Donald J. Trump and Vice President Mike Pence, the AFSA email is inaccurate and offensive to me.

The Committee letter, dated January 31, 2017, should be address to President Donald J. Trump so as not to be divisive and fuel politically partisan charges President Trump was illegitimately elected President of the United States. Secondly, the email is inaccurate because Lowenthal is not a member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs. Further, since the letterhead states “Committee on Foreign Affairs” Lowenthal is misleading readers, as is AFSA, that he is a Committee member.

It is disturbing to me AFSA has taken a partisan political position in violation of its mission. I urge you to call this matter to the attention of AFSA President Barbara J. Stephenson. Ambassador Stephenson needs to read and accurately describe these emails and stop distributing partisan political material in violation of the Hatch Act and other federal laws.

Please contact me if I can answer any questions on this very serious matter. Thank you for your service to California, the Nation and the World.

Sincerely,
James Patterson

-xxx-

"History is a vast early warning system." Norman Cousins

January 31 in American Foreign Relations History 

In 1968, the North Vietnamese Tet Offensive began in South Vietnam. Jim Patterson Notes: Magazines are now on sale that document this important historical event in American Foreign Relations History. 

Birthday of Note: 
Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands, the former queen regent, is 79. 

Quote: 
"Happiness is not having what you want, but wanting what you have." - Rabbi Hyman Judah Schachtel, Jim Patterson Note: True for material things and foreign policy accomplishments.  

Announcing:

Explaining the History of American Foreign Relations, 3rd edition 

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