47 GOP Senators send letter to Iran

Senators Lamar Alexander (TN), Susan Collins (ME), Bob Corker (TN), Dan Coats (IN), Jeff Flake (AZ), Lisa Murkowski (AK), and Rob Portman (OH) did not sign the letter. The other 47 Republican Senators did.
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I have to give credit to Senators Lamar Alexander, Susan Collins, Bob Corker, Dan Coats, Jeff Flake, Lisa Murkowski and Rob Portman for having the backbone not to go along with this scheme. Kudos to them for exercising common sense and responsibility.
 

I also contacted Flakes office and told him as a Democrat but also a constituent I am proud of his position in not lending his signature to that treasonous piece of trash.
 
Still reading. This is an extract from The Guardian:

The accusations that the letter-signers committed “treason”, as the New York Daily News put it, or that the letter is a criminal violation of the constitutionally dubious Logan Act are a bit much. The Republican move is inappropriate, clownish and, above all, dangerous, but no one should go to prison for signing on.

The letter is also evasive and, by extension, so are its signatories. What they and their allies really want is a war. The deal they purport to want – Cotton told MSNBC he wants “complete nuclear disarmament,” though Iran has no nuclear arms – is impossible to achieve. Cotton, for his part, knows this: he has said that his aim is to thwart any agreement whatsoever.

If no deal is reached, what does the Senate GOP think will happen? Peace on earth and goodwill to men? Iran will continue to build up its nuclear program, and the world will eventually face a stark choice between Iran being a screwdriver’s turn away from a nuclear bomb, or using its own traditional bombs in Iran and starting a disastrous war.

It was left to Iran’s Foreign Minister Javad Zarif to explain to the Senate Republicans, in an epic bit of trolling, that though a deal may be struck without Congressional approval, it would still carry the force of international law. Under US law, designated “treaties” need Senate approval. But under international law, agreements between two states – irrespective of internal national laws – are binding.

More here: http://www.theguardian.com/commenti...blican-letter-nuclear-deal-iran-obama-success
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So, if Obama does secure an agreement, that agreement will be a binding one under international law. This would explain why the Republicans are trying to sabotage the negotiations before they are signed.

However, will it be a good thing to have this and future presidents hamstrung by hostile congress members every time they seek to negotiate a treaty? Short term gain versus long term pain?
 

Fortunately we are the foremost economic and military power in the world as our government looks like it is unraveling...
 
SeaBreeze said:
That was fast, I think it was less than 7,000 this morning when I signed! :applause2:
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Well it's WAY over the necessary signatures this morning.

You know what irks me the most about Democrats? All the top Dems don't want to "go there" about treason and prosecution for it.. OR the Logan Act. It pees me off.. when you KNOW that if it were the Democrats who pulled this stunt on a Republican president, the GOP would have about 47 separate "investigations" and hearings.. and whatever else they could do to punish the perpetrators.. Not the Dems.. it's always the "high road".. and Republicans take advantage of it like petulant children.
 
The Repubs clearly are causing this dysfunction but Obama does lack the oratorical skills, until the Selma speech, that allowed this opening with the American people in regard to policy...
 
Ralphy1 said:
The Repubs clearly are causing this dysfunction but Obama does lack the oratorical skills, until the Selma speech, that allowed this opening with the American people in regard to policy...
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Obama LACKS oratorical skills? Seriously? Where have you been for the last 8 years?
 
This has been mentioned by many observers as his biggest weakness as prez. Naturally, true believers think that every word he drops is a pearl...
 
Ralphy1 said:
This has been mentioned by many observers as his biggest weakness as prez. Naturally, true believers think that every word he drops is a pearl...
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Funny I've always heard his critics praise his speeches, but add that that is his ONLY strength... everything else about him sucks.. lol!!
 
QuickSilver said:
and whose fault would THAT be?
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You responded to Ralph's comment: " Fortunately we are the foremost economic and military power in the world as our government looks like it is unraveling..."



From all the reading that I've done, I would say that the blame for a floundering economy and the continual over-activity (can't think of a better word) of your military can be blamed on both parties. The kinds of problems that you see today began long ago (the 1991 decision by the Pentagon to destabilize the Middle East is an 'event' to remember and a specific example) and even before 1991 the attitudes behind that decision began and in that time, the two parties have simply changed places periodically. And each time a party gets it's turn to kick at the can, they have to either deal with changes made by the previous government or they work with those changes or they've made their own changes that have all culminated in the political/foreign scene that you're saddled with today.

The biggest problem that has made all of the difficulties possible is the move away from the gold standard and the ability to print money as desired. This has been an absolute God-send for the military machine. At least when your dollar was tied to the price of gold, you couldn't print more money than you had gold. No government could increase the budget just because they had a new war to start or a new pet project. America had to live within its means. The way it stands now, every time there's an upcoming budget crisis, America get's 'a new credit card' to run up so to speak.

The other thing that has made all of this possible is the fact that America is the worlds reserve currency. This means you can borrow lower than any other country and trade happens in American dollars (so you earn a premium from that use). Libya was going to move away from the dollar to a gold currency (so Gaddafi had to go), Iraq was going to begin trading oil for Euro's (so Hussein had to go), Russia is moving away from the American dollar (so they have to be crushed).......it's all about protection of the dollar. Because if you lose your status as the holder of the worlds reserve currency, the interest rates on the trillions owed will go up, there will be no money coming in because other countries have quit using your dollar......and then what will America do? Broke, in debt and with a military machine that feels it has to be in almost every country in the world.

List of parties in the WH each year http://uspolitics.about.com/od/usgovernment/l/bl_party_division_2.htm

FDR(D) took Americans personal gold away and began the elimination of the gold standard in 1933 - http://useconomy.about.com/od/monetarypolicy/p/gold_history.htm

Nixon (R) completed the severance of the gold standard in 1973 and the promise was made that you could print money to 'achieve a lasting balance'. http://www.forbes.com/sites/charles...al-monetary-error-the-verdict-40-years-later/

George Bush Sr. (R) was President in 1991 when the Pentagon decided to destabilize the ME https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5q9PYy1NoA


I think it can be safely said that neither party is soley to blame nor is either party innocent.
 

Here are some "pearls" from the nutcase that started this..........


Arkansas Republican Senator Tom Cotton has been in the news for spearheading a coalition of 47 Senators who are trying to kill any deal with Iran by warning its leadership that Obama is only in office for another 21 months.

But long before Cotton had fame and his seat in the Senate, he was a little-known member of the House of Representatives. On November 23rd, 2013, he held a town hall meeting in his district in Hot Springs, Arkansas at the Clarion Lake Resort. The meeting was organized primarily to discuss the Affordable Care Act, most specifically the mishaps with the websites governing the health insurance exchanges.

At one point, a constituent submitted a question mentioning that her insurance plan had been cancelled and she refuses to utilize the exchanges that Obama, who she calls a liar, set up.

Rather than telling her that she has an obligation for her own health to seek insurance, Cotton goaded her on, telling her that he himself wouldn’t use the exchange website because “Russian mobsters” may steal his identity.


http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2015/03/...se-russian-mobsters-would-steal-her-identity/





B_vBpSkUgAEDMnm.jpg
 
Debby said:
You responded to Ralph's comment: " Fortunately we are the foremost economic and military power in the world as our government looks like it is unraveling..."



From all the reading that I've done, I would say that the blame for a floundering economy and the continual over-activity (can't think of a better word) of your military can be blamed on both parties. The kinds of problems that you see today began long ago (the 1991 decision by the Pentagon to destabilize the Middle East is an 'event' to remember and a specific example) and even before 1991 the attitudes behind that decision began and in that time, the two parties have simply changed places periodically. And each time a party gets it's turn to kick at the can, they have to either deal with changes made by the previous government or they work with those changes or they've made their own changes that have all culminated in the political/foreign scene that you're saddled with today.

The biggest problem that has made all of the difficulties possible is the move away from the gold standard and the ability to print money as desired. This has been an absolute God-send for the military machine. At least when your dollar was tied to the price of gold, you couldn't print more money than you had gold. No government could increase the budget just because they had a new war to start or a new pet project. America had to live within its means. The way it stands now, every time there's an upcoming budget crisis, America get's 'a new credit card' to run up so to speak.

The other thing that has made all of this possible is the fact that America is the worlds reserve currency. This means you can borrow lower than any other country and trade happens in American dollars (so you earn a premium from that use). Libya was going to move away from the dollar to a gold currency (so Gaddafi had to go), Iraq was going to begin trading oil for Euro's (so Hussein had to go), Russia is moving away from the American dollar (so they have to be crushed).......it's all about protection of the dollar. Because if you lose your status as the holder of the worlds reserve currency, the interest rates on the trillions owed will go up, there will be no money coming in because other countries have quit using your dollar......and then what will America do? Broke, in debt and with a military machine that feels it has to be in almost every country in the world.

List of parties in the WH each year http://uspolitics.about.com/od/usgovernment/l/bl_party_division_2.htm

FDR(D) took Americans personal gold away and began the elimination of the gold standard in 1933 - http://useconomy.about.com/od/monetarypolicy/p/gold_history.htm

Nixon (R) completed the severance of the gold standard in 1973 and the promise was made that you could print money to 'achieve a lasting balance'. http://www.forbes.com/sites/charles...al-monetary-error-the-verdict-40-years-later/

George Bush Sr. (R) was President in 1991 when the Pentagon decided to destabilize the ME https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5q9PYy1NoA


I think it can be safely said that neither party is soley to blame nor is either party innocent.
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And I believe I can safely say you are wrong.
 
Debby... rather than Hijack the thread any further I should add that I wasn't speaking about the economy.. I was referring to the dysfunction in Washington and how nothing at all... no matter how trivial can seem to get done.. AND how because of this Americans are polarized an hold animosity toward one another. I truly believe that the hatred of our President is the sole cause of this and this certainly doesn't come from the Democrats. THAT is what I believe Ralphy meant also.
 
Well when you're talking about the relational dysfunction between the two parties, that is an entirely different matter and I have no opinion on that. That is all about people and when humans are involved, I guess all bets are off so I understand your point. Thanks for clarifying your perspective.

In Canada, I think we have sort of the same problem (i.e. main parties not wanting to work with each other) but I think at the voter level the loyalty isn't quite as pronounced as you folks because we have four (used to have five) parties. So if you get PO'd at one party, you can always vote for another even if it is only a protest vote. Although many people adhere to one of the three main through habit or ? Personally, in federal elections, I've changed my vote over the years at least three times between two of the main parties and one of the newer parties whose entire platform mirrors my own feelings, but it will be years for them to ever get to where they are a real force to be reckoned with.
 
This has all backfired on the GOP anyway... weakening their position rather than strengthening it.

http://thehill.com/policy/defense/235301-gop-letter-to-tehran-backfires

A letter from Senate Republicans to Iran’s leadership has divided the GOP and forced it to play defense, endangering the party’s chances of passing a new round of sanctions that would kill President Obama’s nuclear talks with Tehran.
The talks have long divided Democrats, and just last month it appeared nearly certain that Republicans would have enough votes in the Senate to override a presidential veto of new sanctions.


That has quickly changed, and the outrage over the letter from 47 Republicans to Tehran is threatening to scuttle Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s (R-Ky.) hopes of winning Senate approval of two bills that would hem in Obama’s talks with Iran.The White House on Tuesday seized on the letter for a second day, lashing out at the Republicans who sent it and calling it a “reckless” and “misguided” stunt.
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Guess the little hot shot Freshman Senator from Arkansas didn't quite think things through.. He hasn't learned the game yet.. but this is certainly a great first lesson.
 
QuickSilver said:
This has all backfired on the GOP anyway... weakening their position rather than strengthening it.

http://thehill.com/policy/defense/235301-gop-letter-to-tehran-backfires



Guess the little hot shot Freshman Senator from Arkansas didn't quite think things through.. He hasn't learned the game yet.. but this is certainly a great first lesson.
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You know, he reminds me of Cruz when he was first in office....remember the crazy stunts he pulled?

You'd think that the older senators would have been smart enough to turn this down....but not so.
 
Jackie22 said:
You know, he reminds me of Cruz when he was first in office....remember the crazy stunts he pulled?

You'd think that the older senators would have been smart enough to turn this down....but not so.
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Well I posted above why MY Senator... Mark Kirk... Signed this stupid thing. He has always been pretty much of a moderate.. However, Joe Walsh had been making noise about a primary challenge against Kirk.. Joes Walsh is a Crazy A$$ Teabagger. A real nut job, who was only able to hold on to one term in the House before being defeated by Democrat Tammy Duckworth. This is the guy that was found to owe a hundred thousand in back child support and had that nasty temper against any constituent that said something he didn't like. ANYWAY... he is going to try to primary Kirk.. so now Kirk has to go far to the Right to beat him. It wouldn't have gone over well for Kirk if he didn't sign that letter.. so he has to please the Teaparty voters.. Not that there are that many in Illinois.. but it's a primary and they all crawl out of the woodwork for that.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/02/17/joe-walsh-senate_n_6698092.html

I have learned that if you want to find the rational of why a politician does what he/she does... look no farther than the next election. 24 Republican senate seats are up for grabs next year.. They are ALL afraid of a primary.. The rest that signed probably are not up next year and feel pretty safe.
 
Ralphy1, You know pal it would be very hard to be more wrong than you are on this issue of the Presidents ability to fashion words. Even the harshest of his adversaries comment on his oratory skills. You say you've heard many criticize his speaking ability, but I am a news junkie and I have not seen that anywhere, The opposite, yes, but not that.
 
AZ Jim said:
Ralphy1, You know pal it would be very hard to be more wrong than you are on this issue of the Presidents ability to fashion words. Even the harshest of his adversaries comment on his oratory skills. You say you've heard many criticize his speaking ability, but I am a news junkie and I have not seen that anywhere, The opposite, yes, but not that.
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I think Ralphy just pulled that out of his hoo-hoo
 
Tehran Tom Cotton was Bribed almost a Million Bucks to Send the Iran Letter.

https://bluntandcranky.wordpress.co...most-a-million-bucks-to-send-the-iran-letter/

Source info at the link.
Yep. Tehran Tom got a ton of “contributions” from agents of a foreign power to betray his country. He and the rest of the Teapublican Treason Team all took Israel’s side against America’s, but Tehran Tom the Traitor Tot got paid nearly a million dollars to do so. Perhaps the other Teapubbies got such bribes as well, but we have the goods on Tommie:

Kristol’s Emergency Committee for Israel gave Tom Cotton nearly $1 million in his race for the Senate just five months ago, Eli Clifton reported. “Cotton received $960,250 in supportive campaign advertising in the last month".
Cotton also got $165,000 from Elliott ManagementPaul Singer’s hedge fund. Singer is the billionaire who is trying to stop Obama’s Iran talks (Clifton’s reporting again).

Notice the pattern, Gentle Reader: money comes in, and a letter goes out. It is bribery, plain and simple.

Perhaps the other 46 Senators who tried to kneecap the Prexy with their illegal letter weren’t likewise bought by agents of a foreign nation, which is scant mitigation for their crimes. Scant but something. Tehran Tom was bought and paid for by another government than ours: and their interests are not the same as ours.



....does this surprise anyone?​
 

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