U.S. Senate GOP throws USA under bus and aligns with Iran

Pretty sad that Iran is looking more sane that the GOP.

 

Well, at least we know that Iran wants to hurt the US. With the GOP... well, we're not as certain?

 

No, I'm sure the GOP has inflicted much more damage to the US than Iran ever could.

 

i wish we could give some type of IQ tests to congress and see what happens along party lines.

 

I finally got around to reading this thread. I wish I hadn't. With perishingly few exceptions, not only are there the usual knee-jerk supporting posts for the unprecedented action of 47 Republican senators, we also have otherwise sane members of the BBS searching for ways to say, "What's the big deal? They all suck." How incredibly depressing. I think I'll go back to the GARM, which looks sane in comparison, and that's a hell of a thing.

 

James Harden is overrated D-Mo is the real Rockets MVP!

 

It's fine to have a difference in opinion on foreign policy or any other issue. However, it is not very smart of these Senators if they really think that people will take this "open letter" signed by 47 U.S. Senators to be some sort of "light hearted" way to communicate their disagreement and just "have a sense of humor" about it and laugh it off.


The whole tone of their messaging is just off. If they are telling us that this agreement will allow Iran to continue growing into an existential threat to Israel and the United State. it would seem that it's not something about which you should write a "light-hearted" letter. The tone of this letter makes it seem that they are not taking the issue all that seriously and just want to take a cheap jab at Obama and have a laugh about alll this.

 

Have you been watching what the GOP has been doing the last 6 plus years.

 

Can a group of people elected to office really be this stupid?

 

http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/mccain-second-guesses-his-support-sabotage-letter

McCain second guesses his support for sabotage letter

One of the striking aspects of the letter to Iran from Senate Republicans this week was the scale of the GOP support. The effort to undermine American foreign policy and sabotage international nuclear talks wasn’t simply limited to a few fringe, right-wing figures known for their ridiculous antics.

On the contrary, though the letter may have originated with Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), it ended up receiving the endorsement of 87% of the Senate GOP conference, including the entirety of the Senate Republican leadership, as well as some of the party’s most vocal figures on matters of foreign policy, including Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John McCain (R-Ariz.).

By last night, the longtime Arizona senator seemed to realize this may not have been wise. He told Fox News the letter may not have been “the best way” for his party to achieve its goals, adding that partisan divisions sometimes lead Republicans “to react maybe in not the most effective fashion.”

As for why McCain put his name on the sabotage letter, the senator’s explanation to Politico was not reassuring.

“I saw the letter, I saw that it looked reasonable to me and I signed it, that’s all. I sign lots of letters.”

OK, but that’s clearly not an argument. I can imagine a U.S. senator being confronted with a lot of paperwork on a daily basis, much of which requires a signature, but it’s not unreasonable to think a 28-year veteran of the Senate and the chairman of the Armed Services Committee might pause before signing a letter to Iranian officials, urging them not to work constructively on nuclear issues with the United States, our allies, and our negotiating partners.

Amanda Taub makes a persuasive case that McCain’s explanation for his conduct arguably makes matters worse.

In many ways, McCain’s decision to sign the letter is more disturbing if he thinks it was merely a minor act. It’s one thing to decide to actively and publicly undermine the president’s conduct of foreign affairs, not just in this treaty negotiation but potentially in all other future negotiations, with all other countries, who will now also be able to point to this same letter as evidence that the president cannot be trusted to negotiate agreements on behalf of the United States.

But at least take that seriously. At least treat it as a weighty decision that carries significant, far-reaching consequences.

McCain complained on Fox News last night that there’s a “total lack of trust” between the White House and GOP lawmakers.

Yeah, I wonder why that is.

 

GOP leadership must have known that this would (or at least had the high potential to) backlash... hence they put the schmuck they did out in front of this letter, as opposed to someone with more (any) gravitas. Which if anything, shows how calculating GOP leadership is... sacrificing one of its own to toss this hand grenade at the President.

 

Coincidence? Shortly after the 47 damned fools make public their idiotic letter, a new head of the Assembly of Experts is elected to a 7 year term in Iran. So who is "elected?" Ayatollah Mohammad Yazdi, somewhere to the right of Attilla the Hun. Many within Iran expected a more moderate person to be elected to head the council, moderate being a relative term, of course, but it matters. Why is this a big deal? The council picks the Supreme Leader, who's the real head of Iran, and has authority over the "elected" President. I put elected in quotes, since the majority of candidates popular with the general public are disqualified from running for one trumped up reason or another.

Again, coincidence? Actions tend to have consequences. When children pretend to be adults and are also US Senators, yes, you get consequences.

http://touch.latimes.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-83022597/

 

it's still hard to believe that the GOP did this. it's a damn shame the lengths they will go to to appeal to the most right-leaning, polarizing base of their party. they've allowed themselves to be hijacked by baffoons.

 

Obama disagrees with you.

actions and policies of the Government of Iran continue to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States. For this reason, the national emergency declared on March 15, 1995, must continue in effect beyond March 15, 2015. Therefore, in accordance with section 202(d) of the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1622(d)), I am continuing for 1 year the national emergency with respect to Iran declared in Executive Order 12957.

http://m.whitehouse.gov/the-press-o...-continuation-national-emergency-respect-iran

 

Do you not think it is at all possible that Cotton and others are genuinely concerned that Obama's deal is bad for this country and the security and stability of the Middle East?

Just as recently as yesterday Iran made comments about whipping Israel off the face of the map. They have made similar comments about the "greater Satan," America in recent weeks too.

Yet we are to assume this is all rhetoric and they are not all dangerous? Sorry, I don't buy it. Iran is sponsoring terrorism in many countries across the world. Have you heard of Hizballah? What about the recent controversy in Argentina? Hamas? Iraq? Kenya? Their involvement with al-Qaeda following the invasion of Afghanistan?

Iran is no weak country spitting rhetoric to fire up their base. Their government is hell-bent on expanding their influence and eliminating Israel, our number one ally in the Mid East.

Many of us genuinely believe that Obama is being far too lenient on Iran and it's not just Republicans.

Another partisan thread pissed off about perceived partisan actions. It never gets old here in the D&D.

 

Meh. The government uses that excuse for everything these days. It's kind of played out.

 

It's more than that. I think that give the executive branch the power to act alone w/o congressional oversight on many things such as no trade, no busn transaction with Iran, etcs. There is no way any President does not continue this while negotiating a deal with Iran.

 

Sorry, I don't agree with this. Sure, the GOP senators may have been sincere in their concern over Obama's planned interaction and agreements with Iran. And they have the right and responsibility to communicate that concern.

But reaching out directly to Iran with the express intent to undermine negotiations between the President and Iran? Agreeing to this sets up such a dangerous precedence. Don't agree with the President, ANY President negotiating with a foreign government? Just form a group and send a letter, suggesting that President won't be there in a few years... and that government better negotiate with Congress instead.

Wrong. Simply wrong. And thinking otherwise simply demonstrates partisan bias.