Posted on 09/25/2007 11:12:13 AM PDT by MNJohnnie
WASHINGTON (AP) - Congress signaled its disapproval of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad with a vote Tuesday to tighten sanctions against his government and a call to designate his army a terrorist group.
The swift rebuke was a rare display of bipartisan cooperation in a Congress bitterly divided on the Iraq war. It reflected lawmakers' long-standing nervousness about Tehran's intentions in the region, particularly toward Israel—a sentiment fueled by the pro-Israeli lobby whose influence reaches across party lines in Congress.
"Iran faces a choice between a very big carrot and a very sharp stick," said Rep. Tom Lantos, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. "It is my hope that they will take the carrot. But today, we are putting the stick in place."
The House passed, by a 397-16 vote, a proposal by Lantos, D-Calif., aimed at blocking foreign investment in Iran, in particular its lucrative energy sector. The bill would specifically bar the president from waiving U.S. sanctions.
Current law imposes sanctions against any foreign company that invests $20 million or more in Iran's energy industry, although the U.S. has waived or ignored sanction laws in exchange for European support on nonproliferation issues.
In the Senate, Joseph Lieberman, I-Conn., and Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., proposed a nonbinding resolution urging the State Department to label Iran's military—the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps—a terrorist organization.
The Bush administration had already been planning to blacklist a unit within the Revolutionary Guard, subjecting part of the vast military operation to financial sanctions.
The legislative push came a day after Ahmadinejad defended Holocaust revisionists, questioned who carried out the Sept. 11 attacks and declared homosexuals didn't exist in Iran in a tense question-and- answer session at Columbia University.
The Iranian president planned to speak Tuesday at the U.N. General Assembly.
Lantos' bill was expected to draw criticism from U.S. allies in Europe. During a visit to Washington last week, French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner told lawmakers that France opposes any U.S. legislation that would target European countries operating in Iran. He argued that such sanctions could undermine cooperation on dealing with Iran.
You win the thread, sir.
Over!
It’s never over!
Was it over when the German’s bombed Pearl Harbor!
NO!
Yet Dr Paul has defended earmarks “as a necessary tool of the Congress”.
So it seems your “Strict Constitutionalists” is a fraud who merely mouths nice sounding rhetoric the political fringe wants to hear while being just another good old boy Politician in DC.
Should have seen what was removed....;)
Congress voted to take money from his constituents for things they weren’t authorized to do. He used the only means available to try and get some of it back for them.
Exactly...
As misguided as he was he thought he was helping his country, many of these people think they are acting in our best interest.
Being misguided isn't restricted to one party, let's hope history doesn't show how convoluted they are.
Tom Lantos escaped from a Nazi forced labor camp in World War II.
By denying the holocaust, in effect, Imanutjob is calling Lantos a liar.
I wish Hunter would display better political skills, on paper he'd be my choice.
Here is a link to Ron Paul’s “Issues” page
Go read it. Notice something. Not a word about HOW or WHAT he would do. There is nothing there but just a bunch of nice sounding rhetoric and slogans crafted to fool the naive and the foolish into donating their money to Dr Paul’s retirement fund.
Did not realize that did you? He gets to pocket all the money people donate to him.
Oh, I bet...
BTW I joined in 04...
Bring it here, Mr. Driveby shooter......I'm bored..
Uh huh, I hear ya...
You’ll find I’m not going to be very entertaining.
Sorry anyone over the age of 18 who still doesn’t grasp the fact that you don’t listen to what a politician SAYS you watch what he DOES, is so mentally incompetent they probably shouldn’t be voting at all. Paul is a demagogue and a fraud who merely found his niche of suckers and is milking it for every dime he can. Notice Dr Paul hasn't sworn off Federal Matching funds? Why is that? IF he is such a staunch defender of Limited Govt. why is it he never walks the walk just talks the talk? And spare me the absurdity of claiming he votes against Appropriation bills. It really simple for him to vote against a bill he knows full well is going to pass no matter WHAT he does.
You’ll find I’m not going to be very entertaining.
You’ll find I’m not going to be very entertaining.
I've done that. I'm familiar with his record, his voting habits and his opinions. His record be damned! The man is a wacko both on the WOT and his embracing of the 911 Truthers. No one, I repeat no one, who frames these issues as he has, has anything to expect from the GOP, from true conservatives, or from me in particular, except revulsion.
HE has marginalized himself. That's the point, and it's the last I'll discuss it.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.