Halfway through Congress’ 60-day review of the nuclear deal with Iran, Secretary of State John Kerry is trying to sway members who have not made up their minds, including PA Sen. Bob Casey.
Congress will vote on the deal – trumpeted by Pres. Barack Obama as the only way to avert military intervention in Iran – when they return to Washington in September, making the next several weeks critical for the future of the deal.
“We’re talking to everybody,” Kerry said, according to a Morning Call report. “We’re talking to Republicans. We’re talking to Democrats. Anybody who wants to be briefed, we’re briefing, and anybody who wants a question answered, we’ll answer it. Over the next few weeks, we’ll be having on-going conversations with a huge number of members.”
Casey has said he is still reviewing the entire deal and has held “multiple classified intelligence briefings,” while also talking with officials at the Departments of State, Energy and Treasury.
Sen. Pat Toomey was quick out of the gates to voice his opposition to the deal – which would stall Iran’s nuclear weapons program for 10 to 15 years – as he believes “allowing hundreds of billions of dollars in economic relief for the Iranian government would be a dangerous step.”
Congress is expected to pass a resolution to stop the nuclear deal in its tracks, though Obama has vowed to veto it. If Republicans all vote against the deal, just 44 Democrats in the House and 13 Democrats in the Senate would need to reject the deal to override Obama’s veto.
Seven Democratic senators have already declared their intention to vote no on the Iran deal, making Casey’s support almost invaluable to the president.
A large group of Republican Congressman are currently in Israel slamming the deal, including PA Rep. Keith Rothfus – who was harassed by Muslims on the Temple Mount today, according to The Jerusalem Post.
“When you say no to something today, you’re not taking them to no program, you’re actually taking them back to the very dangerous place where we’ve tried to move them away from,” Kerry said from Washington.
Loading ...
20 Responses
He’ll vote for it. Obama told him to. He is not his own man.
Why trust the liars pushing this deal? ANOTHER 3 Pinocchios for Kerry: https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/fact-checker/wp/2015/08/13/kerrys-claim-that-bush-offered-iran-way-beyond-what-obama-negotiated/?tid=hybrid_collaborative_1_na
A yea vote is in Israel’s best interests. The nay proponents are acting in their own interests, including Netanyahu
True or false? Casey should know if the people giving him advice to vote Yea don’t care if Israel is on the map?
Sounds like the democrats coming out against the deal are the ones who know the most about it.
http://www.jewishpress.com/uncategorized/clinton-ignores-question-on-schumers-no-to-iran-deal/2015/08/12/
Unsanctioned R
I’ve made it quite clear that Iran is not even remotely capable of destroying Israel, nor willing to face Israel’s hundreds of nukes. The Ayatollah cannot rule over ashes (especially if he is ashes himself).
Iran needs this deal to lift the civil unrest and use the freed up funds for long overdue infrastructure projects and employment of the masses.
Yeah. Casey needs to stop equivocating and support this enhancement to our national security. Unless he wants Iran to have nuclear weapons next year.
Who are these other 6 Democrat Senators? Schumer looks like the courageous one in the caucus.
Paging Sklaroff…
Doesn’t the Ayatollah’s elimination of Israel align with our liberal commenters’ desires?
Senator Casey….GROW A SET. PLEASE… vote for the diplomatic solution. You have a reputation as the weakest Senator in the US.. Number 100 out of 100.. finally….please…do SOMETHING.
Yes. Chuck is afraid of AIPAC
I always thought there was something wrong with Chuck Schumer’s brain. Thanks for confirming it.
Unsanctioned R:
I get that they have to talk tough, but it’s just talk. Our sanctions are crushing them and they had to cut a deal (a deal that’s worth a lot more to them than having a bomb they couldn’t ever use without getting wiped off the earth).
Their rhetoric is even less realistic than Trump saying he’ll build a wall and get Mexico to pay for it.
But, I get it. There are some people who are paranoid and easily seduced by fearmongering. Republicans tend to have over developed amygdalas that make them more susceptible to irrational decisions in these situations.
“Amygdala size has been correlated with cognitive styles with regard to political thinking. More specifically, political conservatism has been associated with increased volume of the right amygdala.”
Maybe, some day they’ll find a cure or treatment for you guys.
You’ve just described Opposite World. It’s all reverse psychology? Convenient rationalization for a crap deal.
The liberal press won’t even report the Iran government’s official stance on the agreement just to give Senators cover. History will judge them though.
Unsanctioned R
The book is described as: “a 416-page book and a detailed plan to wipe out Israel and destroy the United States”
Well, gee, he wrote a book with a plan. I didn’t realize you thought that Israel and the US could be destroyed out so easily, that you would take a book so seriously.
Wow, it must be some plan if he can publish the details and still expect to pull it off.
There are plenty of kooks who write plans that will destroy the US. The RNC platform comes to mind, but we can stop that plan at the ballot box.
Please get your mommy or some other adult to explain to you how and why the Ayatollah’s book is a work of fiction designed to make him appear tough while dropping his pants and bending over to accept the treaty and inspections.
Some more the lefties get shielded from: http://freebeacon.com/national-security/iran-we-will-trample-upon-america/
I know they don’t report on such things in the NYT, but for one, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has a new best seller. You should check it out. Hopefully Casey’s staff know about such things, but then again if it’s not on MSNBC…
Unsanctioned R
What intel?
Intel pulled from your @ss is not from Tehran
Intel out of Tehran since it’s signing is all you need to know before voting NAY.
Senator Casey-
I’m sure you, or at least your staffers, will be reading this.
Please stick with Kerry and the President and support the deal.
A look at the people opposing it and their motivations is as illuminating as the deal itself.
1) Toomey and the rest of the GOP was against the deal before they even saw it:
A) Their party doesn’t believe in diplomacy over military action.
B) They are opposed to it because they just don’t like Obama and oppose everything he does.
C) They have an ignorant/simplistic view of the Iranians and don’t believe they will honor their end of a treaty.
D) Iran is not a Christian nation, therefore they are evil
E) Netanyahu is against any peace deal
2) look at the motivations:
A) drumbeat to go to war
B) desire to make Obama look bad
C & D) anti Muslim and Arab bias
E) desire to stay in power and lead through fear (and hefty defense contracts)
3) on the merits
A) the scientists and nuclear proliferation experts are behind the deal. Listen to them.
B) our allies (well, besides Israel) are for it, and were partners in the negotiations
C) Israel regularly tries to undermine peace deals and has leaked info to sabotage it, because they just want to bomb or have us do it. They’ve been engaged in state terrorism themselves by assassinating Iranian nuclear scientists.
D) listen to J-Street, which is a pro Jewish/Israel organization that realizes this deal is in Israel’s interests, even if the leadership refuses to admit it.
E) Netanyahu has been trying to gag Israeli intelligence officials who support the deal.
F) the sanctions brought Iran to the table, but the sanctions won’t hold much longer if the US passes up on a good treaty.
G) monitoring them is relatively easy because they have only two locations to mine uranium.
H) there is no other deal and this “best we can get” turns out to be pretty good deal, and better than we thought we could do
I) Israel and AIPAC are dropping any pretense of bipartisanship with the US, and directly trying to interfere with the US political process.
J) last but not least, this deal is good for the US, not only getting inspectors in and stopping nuclear weapons development, but also giving pro-western forces in Iran ammo against the hardliners, by showing that the US is not looking for war.
Casey is a coward! This deal stinks- it shames our Nation. If Casey had integrity and courage he would have already denounced this deal. Sad as a democrat to see we have gone from JFK RFK Henry Jackson Casey Sr- to crap like Obama and Kerry. Casey Jr lacks the class and integrity of his father. He is afraid of standing up to a political thug named Obama,
Please, Senator Casey. Hold your ground. I think you know what a sham this deal is and so do the people of PA.