Posted on 08/28/2015 2:35:12 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
White House spokesman Josh Earnest said Friday that those who oppose the Iran nuclear agreement, like former Vice President Dick Cheney and presidential candidates Donald Trump and Ted Cruz, are "pro-war" and are some of the same people who got the U.S. into a war with Iraq in 2003.
"There's no doubt that we've seen forceful advocacy to kill this deal," Earnest said. "It's the same forceful advocacy we've seen in the run up to the Iraq war in 2003. In fact it's many of the same people making the same arguments."
Cheney is scheduled to appear Sept. 8 at the conservative American Enterprise Institute to make a major address concerning the Iran deal's national security consequences for the United States and Middle East. Earnest said Cheney is going to "take up the mantel" and "assume a familiar role" in "advocating against diplomacy and in favor of war."
"It's not the first time he's made that argument, it's not even the first time he's made that argument in the context of decisions like this," he added.
Earnest then targeted Trump and Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, for participating in what he called a "pro-war" rally on the steps of the United States Capitol Sept. 9.
Cruz organized a similar rally against the Iran deal in front of the White House earlier this summer, and Earnest labeled it a "pro-war" rally at the time.
Asked whether Cheney's opposition is a blessing in disguise, he said he would leave it up to political analysts to decide.
"But there's no denying that shortly after Labor Day, we'll see Vice President Cheney, Sen. Ted Cruz and Donald Trump emerge as the leading voices of opposition to the Iran deal – that's just a fact," he said.
Pressed on why he considers them pro-war because they oppose the deal, Earnest said Cruz has supported Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker's position that on the first day at the White House as president, he would revoke the Iran deal and would be ready to take military action against Iran.
"It's not too hard to imagine that we're going to go the same path that led us to war in Iraq," he said.
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