Posted on 08/18/2015 10:13:52 AM PDT by Dave346
Sen. Bob Menendez (D., N.J.) came out against the recently inked Iran deal on Tuesday and said he would vote to reject it, dealing a major blow to the White House, which has been aggressively lobbying key Democrats to support the accord.
“I have looked into my own soul and my devotion to principle may once again lead me to an unpopular course, but if Iran is to acquire a nuclear bomb, it will not have my name on it,” Menendez said in a major address Tuesday afternoon, according to an advance copy of the text obtained by the Washington Free Beacon.
“It is for these reasons that I will vote to disapprove the agreement and, if called upon, would vote to override a veto,” Menendez said.
Menendez joins a growing list of Democratic lawmakers expressing opposition to the deal. Sen. Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) also has come out against the deal.
The senator, who has led the charge to impose harsh economic sanctions on Iran, said the deal would do little to rein in Iran’s nuclear weapons program and went on to lash out at President Barack Obama’s portrayal of the deal.
“President Obama continues to erroneously say that this agreement permanently stops Iran from having a nuclear bomb,” he said. “Let’s be clear, what the agreement does is to recommit Iran not to pursue a nuclear bomb, a promise they have already violated in the past. It recommits them to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT), an agreement they have already violated in the past. It commits them to a new Security Council Resolution outlining their obligations, but they have violated those in the past as well.”
The deal “leaves Iran with the core element of a robust nuclear infrastructure,” Menendez said, contradicting remarks by senior Obama administration officials.
Menendez also pushed back against Obama’s claim that those who oppose the deal favor war with Iran.
“The president and Secretary Kerry have repeatedly said that the choice is between this agreement or war,” he said. “I reject that proposition, as have most witnesses, including past and present administration members involved in the Iran nuclear issue, who have testified before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and who support the deal but reject the binary choice between the agreement or war.”
After outlining the conditions required for a good deal, Menendez flatly declared that the deal fails to stop Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon at any time it chooses.
“The agreement that has been reached failed to achieve the one thing it set out to achieve—it failed to stop Iran from becoming a nuclear weapons state at a time of its choosing. In fact, it authorizes and supports the very road map Iran will need to arrive at its target,” he said.
Ok, what gives?
2nd Democrat in Senate to oppose. At least 11 in House also.
The WH blackmail department must not have come back from vacation yet...
The liberal Jewish vote in NY/NJ
Any Democrat...whether in the Senate or in the House that supports “Traitors” Obama, Kerry, Biden, Clinton, etc. in their quest to insure that Iran becomes a nuclear power, is also a “Turncoat” to the American people and nation!!! Yep...them Democrat types are headed for political suicide with Hillary Clinton, Barack Hussein Obama and their votes to help destroy the American Republic!!! they ar either smoking reefer or insane!!! Or, maybe they just hate America, like Obama does!!!
My cynical guess is that Schumer and Menendez have both done nose counts in the Senate and found that the opponents of the Iran deal are going to be a few votes short. They are looking for political cover and have tipped Obama in advance they’re going to vote with against the treaty, wink, wink, nudge, nudge.
Very simple: There are enough yeah votes to approve the Iran deal and still give a few Democrats in heavily Jewish districts the ability to vote no.
My cynical guess is that Schumer and Menendez have both done nose counts in the Senate and found that the opponents of the Iran deal are going to be a few votes short. They are looking for political cover and have tipped Obama in advance they’re going to vote with against the treaty, wink, wink, nudge, nudge.
I agree but wonder why they both went into such detail on why they are opposed? They could have come out with simple statements.
Zero must not need his vote either. There’s probably more than enough RINOs to push this abomination through.
The fix is in, ladies and gentlemen. The fix is in.
Liberal Jews could give a rats behind about Israel so I doubt that’s it.
Liberal Jews only forget about Israel when they get those marching orders from the DNC.....which has not happened yet!
I think Manchin makes 3 but it will not be enough
From WAPO whip count
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2015/07/14/whip-count-where-the-senate-stands-on-the-iran-deal/
Current state of play
(Updated 8:30 a.m. on Aug. 18)
Yes or leaning yes (34 needed to uphold veto, keep the deal): 30
No or leaning no (67 needed to override veto, kill the deal): 57
Unknown/unclear: 13
Also, why would Menendez give a rip about pissing off Obama? His Justice Dept. wants to throw him in jail.
The sky is falling.
Nailed it!
When Chuck Schumer announced he would not support the Iran Treaty, Obama erupted in fury, not only against Chuck Schumer himself, but also against Jewish organizations, Israel, etc., and words like ‘’traitor’’ and ‘’dual-citizenship’’ were part of his angry tirades.
So what will happen now that Senator Menendez has also come out against the treaty? Will he get the same treatment as Chuck Schumer even though he’s not Jewish? Or will there be silence because, in Obama’s world, only Jews arouse fury and get blamed for whatever is not to their liking?
As for the theory that Senators Schumer and Menendez oppose the treaty because they are dependent on Jewish campaign donations, that doesn’t make sense. ALL Democratic Senators are dependent on Jewish contributions, especially the other Jewish Senators — eight of them besides Chuck Schumer — who are supporting the treaty.
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