General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsRight uncomfortable with its Iran deal bedfellows
Posted with permission. And bravo, President Obama!!
http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/right-uncomfortable-its-iran-deal-bedfellows?cid=sm_fb_maddow
Right uncomfortable with its Iran deal bedfellows
08/07/15 01:05 PM
By Steve Benen
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) conceded yesterday that hes not altogether comfortable with the rhetorical volume surrounding the debate over the Iran deal. Is McConnell troubled by Ted Cruzs insistence that the White House is a state-sponsor of terrorism? Maybe the Majority Leader balked at Mike Huckabees repulsive Holocaust rhetoric?
Actually, McConnell told reporters, What is not helpful is rhetoric like the president has been using.
Thats right, in Republican circles, its President Obama whose language has gone too far. At issue were these presidential remarks at American University this week:
In fact, its those hardliners who are most comfortable with the status quo. Its those hardliners chanting Death to America who have been most opposed to the deal. Theyre making common cause with the Republican caucus.
Listening carefully to the presidents tone, my guess is that the final phrase was ad-libbed, but whether it was in the prepared text or not, it quickly struck a nerve with Republicans. McConnell obviously didnt appreciate the comment, and it came up in last nights debate, too.
So, will the White House backtrack after hurting GOP officials feelings? So far, not even a little.
The subject came up at yesterdays press briefing, and White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest made no effort to walk back the presidents comments.
I think it was a statement of fact, Earnest said after being asked if Obamas line was over the top. That you have in Iran a group of hardliners who are strongly opposed to the deal and advocating for its defeat. And here in the United States you have Republicans in Congress who are advocating against the deal and urging its defeat. And in fact, you saw some of those same Republicans in Congress actually write a letter to the Supreme Leader of Iran advocating for the defeat of the deal, or at least promising to do so. So the fact is theyve taken the same position.
Obama himself was pressed on this point by CNNs Fareed Zakaria yesterday, and once again, the president responded, What I said is absolutely true, factually . The truth of the matter is, inside of Iran, the people most opposed to the deal are the Revolutionary Guard, the Quds Force, hardliners who are implacably opposed to any cooperation with the international community.
The White Houses argument has the benefit of accuracy. Most of the world supports the international nuclear agreement with Iran, including the vast majority of U.S. allies. Congressional Republicans havent partnered with Iranian hardliners, but the two groups find themselves on the same side of this fight: they both want the deal to collapse.
GOP officials dont have to like this fact, but in this case, theyre found themselves with some unsavory bedfellows.
1StrongBlackMan
(31,849 posts)They're upset about what President Obama said ... which is pretty much what they said about the Islamic (extremists) response to the "Draw Muhammad Cartoon Contest."