President Obama accused the Republicans of making “common cause” with the Iranian hardliners who also opposed the deal. What they should have said is: President Obama signed legislation that gives Congress a voice on any deal with Iran.
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The editorial noted that the president’s attacks against some Republicans was disingenuous, as he had warmly praised Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Corker (R-TN) just a few months back for being “sincerely concerned about this issue”, calling him a “good and decent man”.
“Under the bipartisan Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act, Congress and the American people will now have an opportunity to rigorously review this agreement and make an objective evaluation of it merits”, said the senator.
So, why should members who voted for the Corker bill that authorized the Iran deal, including Schumer, now get any credit for “opposing” the Iran deal?
However, if either had backed the deal, it could have tipped the balance strongly in favor of approval, Democratic aides said.
Marine Gen. James Cartwright, former Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; Joseph P. Hoar, former head of the U.S. Central Command; and Gen. Merrill McPeak and Gen. Lloyd W. Newton of the Air Force are among signatories to the letter which includes other retired general and flag officers from every branch of service.
This state of “schizophrenia” is justified by the need to differentiate the “deal”, which focused exclusively on the nuclear problem, from Iran’s other “bad behavior”. “Military action would be less effective than the deal, assuming it is fully implemented”.
Last week, Schumer announced he would vote against the deal, which he said would let Iran achieve its “dual goals” of eliminating sanctions while retaining nuclear and non-nuclear power. If Iran does not comply, the sanctions can be re-imposed. On each question, Democrats were significantly more optimistic than Republicans.
Schumer, the highest-ranking Jewish U.S. Senator, said he had concerns about how the inspections of Iran’s nuclear facilities would work or if they would happen at all. “If this is what counts as “leadership” among Democrats in the Senate, Senate Democrats should be prepared to find a new leader or few followers”.
In a speech last week, President Barack Obama warned that the alternative to the Iran agreement was war.
“Iran would effectively argue to the world that it had been willing to negotiate an agreement, only to have that agreement rejected by a recalcitrant America”, they wrote.
“I think it will be a decision of conscience for my colleagues, ” he said.
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His endorsement follows that of his brother, Rep. Sander Levin, D-Royal Oak, and comes as the White House is working to convince Michigan’s two undecided senators, Debbie Stabenow of Lansing and Gary Peters of Bloomfield Township, to endorse the seven-nation deal.
