Republicans Warn Iran -- and Obama -- That Deal Won't Last

[ashling]

Source: Bloomberg

A group of 47 Republican senators has written an open letter to Iran's leaders warning them that any nuclear deal they sign with President Barack Obama's administration won’t last after Obama leaves office.

Organized by freshman Senator Tom Cotton and signed by the chamber's entire party leadership as well as potential 2016 presidential contenders Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz and Rand Paul, the letter is meant not just to discourage the Iranian regime from signing a deal but also to pressure the White House into giving Congress some authority over the process.

“It has come to our attention while observing your nuclear negotiations with our government that you may not fully understand our constitutional system … Anything not approved by Congress is a mere executive agreement,” the senators wrote. “The next president could revoke such an executive agreement with the stroke of a pen and future Congresses could modify the terms of the agreement at any time.”

***

Republicans also have a new argument to make in asserting their role in the diplomatic process: Vice President Joe Biden similarly insisted -- in a letter to then-Secretary of State Colin Powell -- on congressional approval for the Moscow Treaty on strategic nuclear weapons with Russia in 2002, when he was head of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.


Read more: http://www.bloombergview.com/articles/2015-03-09/republicans-warn-iran-and-obama-that-deal-won-t-last

---

This goes way beyond what that little stunt wit Bebe N. - in my opinion

[BumRushDaShow]

1. They think people are stupid

Pure theatrics. They know what our system of government is and that the President can potentially change every 4 years.

[nruthie]

3. People ARE stupid.

These freaks were all elected, weren't they?

[Scarsdale]

11. Sunday talkers

Take a look at who signed this piece of feces. Looks like the list the Sunday talk shows look at to pick their "guests" All rabid, President Obama hating republicans. I can already see Schieffer trying to look shocked, and asking "Why would you do this?" and actually expecting the TRUTH from lumpy little Johnny McCain or Miss Lindsey. Then, back to expounding on what a "failure" this President is, since he has not invaded anyone in 6 years.

[BumRushDaShow]

15. Agree although

I was referring to the Iranians and damn near the rest of the world! They know about our system of government and the stupid people we elect in Congress.

[nruthie]

2. They are really determined to go to war, aren't they?

[RKP5637]

26. They want MIC profits, lives and a better world don't matter to them, just $$$$$. n/t

[Scarsdale]

4. Treason?

How does this not amount to treason? In all my years on this earth, I have NEVER seen so much disrespect thrown at a President. What do the republicans have against EDUCATED, INTELLIGENT people? They all clustered around the dumb Dubya, pretending he actually knew what he was doing. We all could see how stupid he was, yet they pretended he was their "leader" Along comes the well educated, intelligent President Obama, and they can not stand it because he happens to be part BLACK.

[leftynyc]

28. Educated and intelligent

people know this is not treason.

[still_one]

5. This is as close to treason as it comes. What they are doing is trying to sabotage negotiations.

At the very minimum every Democrat should be calling out these 47 republicans. The media won't do it. I don't consider Bloomberg part of the MSM. They actual try to provide all sides to a story.

Let's be honest, if it was a republican president, and 47 Democrats did this, not only would the media be all over this, but those Democrats would be called every name in the book

If this country elects a republican president in 2016, they deserve everything they get, including destruction of the middle class, trashing of women's rights and civil rights, along with social security, medicare, and healthcare.

If the republicans have their way we will become another third world country

[Scarsdale]

8. Fix

They seem pretty sure that they will be taking over after President Obama is done. Are the Koch's going to buy up votes, or "fix" the voting machines? Are they trying to intimidate voters, making everyone think there is no need to vote, since the repubs. will win next time?

[procon]

6. These agents provocateur are acting more like foreign lobbyists than US senators. nt

[RKP5637]

27. They really are. Frankly, IMO, they are now bordering on treason and IMO they are

a risk to national security.

[yikes1]

7. repulicans are just obeying there great leader bibi the baby killer.

[warrant46]

14. Your use of English needs some work

[Botany]

9. As per the US Constitution ....

.... Foreign Policy and Diplomacy are powers granted to the executive branch.

This seems to me more like sediton then treason.

Great Post .... the Logan Act

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=6335656

BTW do these people want Iran to build a bomb?

[former9thward]

12. The Constitution gives shared responsibility.

Article I, Section 8 and Article II, Section 2 define the roles of Congress in Foreign Policy and Diplomacy.

[SunSeeker]

22. So you're fine with the GOP sending this letter?

[former9thward]

23. I am not fine with people distorting the Constitution.

That is why I posted. The letter is a political letter and will have no effect in the negotiations. Countries act in their own interests and I expect both the U.S and Iran will do so in this case.

[SunSeeker]

31. I knew you wouldn't answer my question. nt

[former9thward]

32. I did.

I knew you would not read my post.

[SunSeeker]

33. Bullshit. So you're fine with the letter? You like that the GOP did that?

I didn't ask if you thought the GOP was empowered to send such a letter. I read your post, it is you who chose to ignore what I asked.

[former9thward]

34. I don't like or don't things I don't care about.

The letter has no importance.

[SunSeeker]

35. I see you refuse to answer. So noted.

And bullshit that you "don't care" about the letter. You went to the trouble to shit on this thread about the letter.

[jwirr]

10. This is exactly why Rs do nothing when it comes to the 21st Century problems that face us. If there

is no guarantee they will not act. They have no faith.

Faith is that assurance that if we get out of bed in the morning we will still find the floor underneath out feet. So every morning we get out of bed. The Rs stay in bed because they do not believe in taking a chance - that leap of faith.

[Grins]

13. "you may not fully understand our constitutional system"; i.e., "...it's a goddamn piece of paper!"

Do these idiots know that it is NOT just the United States negotiating with Iran, but there are actually six nations doing the negotiating with Iran?

[BumRushDaShow]

18. FACT: "there are actually six nations doing the negotiating with Iran"

But the M$M doesn't want "facts" to get out there because the "discord" between the branches of government makes for much more interesting television theater. Since they don't do "news" anymore, but are part of entertainment divisions that promote commentary reporting rather than fact reporting, they need the ratings booster that might result in promoting the appearance of a coup d'etat.

[aka-chmeee]

16. Gosh! you'd think that if Ronald Reagan could negotiate with Iran before he was elected,

It would be permissible for Obama to do so in his second term.

[muriel_volestrangler]

17. The Biden letter from 2002 looks like a red herring

It says "clearly, any such agreement would most likely include significant obligations by the United States regarding deployed strategic U.S. nuclear warheads ... the Senate stated its intent to consider for approval all international agreements obligating the United States to reduce or limit its military power in a significant manner".

Since the Iran talks are not about the USA reducing its arms in any way, that does not set a precedent. As others state above, the USA is one of several countries negotiating with Iran, and the question is whether sanctions are lifted, and to what extent.

[CanonRay]

19. If negotiations fail, and we wind up in a war

we need to remember this...any blood will be on their hands.

[sinkingfeeling]

20. Dear Senator Cotton, There exists under the US Constitution and

approved by the SCOTUS something called an executive agreement.

An executive agreement is one of three mechanisms by which the United States enters into binding international agreements. They are considered treaties by some authors as the term is used under international law in that they bind both the United States and a foreign sovereign state. However, they are not considered treaties as the term is used under United States Constitutional law, because the United States Constitution's treaty procedure requires the advice and consent of two-thirds of the Senate, and these agreements are made solely by the President of the United States.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Executive_agreement

[red dog 1]

36. + 1000

But would such an executive agreement be approved by the current Supreme Court?

They've already shown that they couldn't care less about previous SCOTUS decisions

[karynnj]

21. This ignores that it is an agreement with 6 powerful nations - not just the US

If we are lucky and an agreement is reached, many things will change including the sanctions of the rest of the world ending.

Now, imagine that Iran does not violate the agreement, what reason would the rest of the world (other than Israel and the Sunni states) have for THEM to go back on this. The US alone can't restart INTERNATIONAL sanctions. Not to mention, assuming Iran does nothing to cause a reaction, I would even bet that even a Republican administration will not take this on.

What is sad is that the letter assumes that diplomacy is more ephemeral than a war - which when started is tricky to conclude.

[geretogo]

24. Why aren't the spineless democrats calling out these 48 traitors . This is not the first time the GOP

has committed treason against this country .

[RKP5637]

29. Exactly! The democrats really need to learn to kick ass. Smiling and nods of disapproval do

nothing with the republican assholes in congress now.

[leftynyc]

30. Because they have all

obviously read the constitution and know this is not treason. What enemy are they aiding or abetting? Which enemy are they conspiring with?

[GliderGuider]

25. Sedition?

Sedition!

[Thor_MN]

37. Hmmm...

Sedition, sedition! Sedition!
Sedition, sedition! Seddition!

Who, day and night, must scramble with the lying,
Take bribes from corporations, promote doubt and fear?
And who isn't right, the senate and the house,
To babble nonsense words at home?

Republicans, Republicans! Sedition.
Republicans, Republicans! Sedition.

[GliderGuider]

38. Very nice! That's the song I was humming as I posted.

Well done!

[Marthe48]

39. President Obama outthinks

out-leads and outmaneuvers repugs on every level. They have finally realized they can't get the best of him, because they don't have any smarts, any talent, any leadership, so they are trying to undercut him with BS like this. They pretend he isn't the legally elected President of the United States and pretend he doesn't have the power under the Constitution of the U.S. to make the decisions he makes. Repugs are not even one-trick ponies. They are broken down jackasses.

[riversedge]

40. also see..... GOP tries to undercut nuclear deal with a warning to Iran; White House denounces 'rush

GOP tries to undercut nuclear deal with a warning to Iran; White House denounces 'rush to war'

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10141034809#post3

[ashling]

41. It was just insulting all the way around

* nt *