Hours after Sen. Pat Toomey and former Gov. Tom Ridge called on the Obama Administration to re-impose sanctions on Iran, Democratic Senate candidate Joe Sestak again threw his full support behind the Iran nuclear deal.
The two Republican heavyweights accused Secretary of State John Kerry of living in a “delusion” for telling the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that Iran is in full compliance with the deal, and called on Pres. Obama to suspend more than $100 billion in sanctions relief.
On Tuesday, former three-star Navy Admiral Sestak acknowledged that Iran had violated U.N. Resolution 1929 by test-firing ballistic missiles last fall and urged Pres. Obama to apply appropriate sanctions for the violation.
However, Sestak called it a separate issue from the nuclear deal and criticized his Republican opponent for “exploiting this violation to undermine another agreement – an agreement we have that increases American and Israeli security.”
“Iran has met its end of the deal,” Sestak said. “For us not to meet our end, or word, of the deal to unfreeze assets will harm American and Israeli security.”
In September, Toomey voted against the nuclear accord between the U.S. and Iran – along with the United Kingdom, China, Germany, Russia and the European Union, which is designed to prevent Iran from acquiring and maintaining materials and equipment needed to create nuclear weapons.
Sestak said the nuclear deal is already a success, to a certain extent, with nuclear centrifuges being dismantled and placed into storage ahead of schedule and the U.S. shipping out 25,000 pounds of nuclear material by the end of 2015.
Iran no longer has the ability to create a nuclear bomb within 60 days, with assembly now likely to take over a year, Sestak said. If sanctions relief for Iran is suspended, the only option will be to send our military to another war in the Middle East, Sestak said.
Though he is an ardent supporter of the Iran nuclear deal, Sestak emphasized that the U.S. should not take them on their word.
“Ronald Reagan said trust and verify. I say verify before you trust,” Sestak stated. “I trust the Iranians as far as I can throw them.”
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29 Responses
All I care about is “truth, justice, and the American way.”
http://www.jpost.com/Opinion/The-House-must-sue-to-block-illegal-Iran-pact-440942
The House must sue to block illegal Iran pact
By ROBERT B. SKLAROFF \ 01/09/2016 22:34
True Blue Lifelong D-
All rsklaroff cares about is Israel being able to commit unrestricted genocide on perceived enemies.
Whatever you say doc. Just stay down there in your bunker with your tinfoil yarmulka and enjoy your unrelenting hatred while we all try and solve problems like adults. I’ll drop off some canned goods.
@ True Blue Lifelong D:
Your “surrender”-posting is accepted, graciously.
Dr. Sklaroff,
I was not responding to you, because you are a loony toon.
@ True Blue Lifelong D:
Each sentence is both incorrect and a typical party-oriented talking-point; as an exercise, defend the Iran-Nuke Capitulation by refuting my article or rescind your encomiums.
Hahaha you don’t get out much bud. Obama has resurrected an economy that was on the brink of collapse and brought it back stronger than ever. He managed to do this while facing the most vitriolic opposition that any president has ever faced. R’s plotted his downfall beginning the day after he was elected, and not only has he survived, but he has thrived in his second term. Obamacare is still a wait and see, but I know others on here have pointed out before that premiums are increasing at the slowest rate in a couple dozen years. Either way, granting millions with access to healthcare, will not only save our country significant amounts of money through preventative care, but is good for the soul for those of us who actually have them and understand the consequences of true poverty.
And since I assume the only traveling you do outside the states is on Breitbart sponsored cruises, those of us who traveled to Europe in the early 2000s were berated for the embarassment of the Bush years, but now, our president is largely beloved and has brought dignity back to an office that lost it all to an embracing of profound ignorance.
Don’t be a megaphone for a media that is driven on human suffering.
Y’all appear to have forgotten to check-out the “answer-sheet” regarding the Iran-Nuke capitulation; know that a follow-up will be published on Sunday in the Jerusalem Post.
http://www.israpundit.org/archives/63611926
The House Must Sue to Block the Illegal Iranian-Nuke Pact:
Endless Lamentation Betrays Cowardice
By Robert B. Sklaroff, M.D.
Guzzardi mistakenly claims Toomey has abandoned the GOP-base; despite the fact that I share his stated-credentials, I note that he has [1]–NOT channeled Santorum, and [2]–easily complied with Reagan’s “80% Rule.”
This explains why the Dem-field is so weak; it’s no accident, for example, that he was selected to be on the bipartisan reconciliation-committee, for he knows D.C. and how far he can stretch the “Buckley Rule.”
I guess ignorance is bliss and A “tru blue” dem. You failed to note that Jackson was consistently recognized as one of our best Senators by both sides of the aisle,
While I wont vote for Trump- your weak response doesn’t change the fact that Obama is incompetent , divisive & corrupt -who shames our Nation and the Office he holds. So called
Progressive dems have weakened both our Party and our Country. Anyone who travels outside the USA border can’t help but notice what low esteem Obama is held in-his poor judgements and weakness deserve no more
Wow Jpaul. Henry Jackson? A war-hawk who supported japanese internment during ww2? That’s the best you can do? Go join your boy Trump and we can all enjoy as degenerates like you are forgotten as an embarrassing chapter of our history.
steventodd-
I’m pretty sure that McGinty and Fetterman both support the Iran deal and have already spoken on it at some point. I’ll defer to TommyT.
Sestak just likes to keep bringing it up so he can brag about his military career (Hey! I was an Admiral, and I still have a giant stick up my @ss, and nothing new to say after 10 years of leaving the Navy and running for office).
bobguzzardi –
I realize that you are a tea-party loon who values ideological purity over reality and common sense.
In the real world, Pennsylvania is won by capturing the moderate/independent vote. Toomey is plenty right-wing for the conservatives, and is far too conservative for PA. However, he has managed the trick of being ultra-conservative while masking himself as more moderate (by not shooting off his mouth saying stupid sh*t). The R’s aren’t going to go for Sestak, and he is too unappealing on the stump (and disorganized), and incoherent to attract enough moderates to overcome Toomey’s incumbency.
TommyT-
Yes. Many who’ve seen the Sestak behind the scenes/closed-doors feel is he is mentally unbalanced with rage/anger/control issues and a sadistic streak when it comes to berating underlings. The scene in The Caine Mutiny where Queeg berates a sailor for an untucked shirt (while the ship circles around to cut its tow line an Queeg ignored the warning of his officers) is pure Sestak.
Hey “TruBlue”- Bibi isn’t issue- it’s moral degenerates like Obama. We were the party of Kennedy, Humphrey, Henry Jackson and Truman. Not moral wastes like Obama and the filth around him. Don’t blame
Bibi – Obama stinks/ doesn’t matter who is pm in Israel. Dems would be better party without so called progressive left.
Jpaul
Your claim of being a lifelong dem is comical as you basically act like Netanyahu’s neo-con echo. Join your psycho party on the right and stand in the way of any progress. Don’t act like your are one of the good guys.
Billy
McCord and Schwartz, both well known candidates with double her budget, didn’t crack 20% as Wolf stormed the field by buying the election and running the only good ads. People usually lose their first election if it is contested by known candidates or has a big self-funder. Hell, Mike Stack lost like 4 times running in his dad’s ward. She got some name recognition in that race. And if support from Rendell and gang gets the most money and all of the major endorsements, it will turn into voters. Being a giant or walking everywhere doesn’t drive people to the polls.
Guzzardi
While I agree Toomey is vulnerable, I don’t think he has abandoned his base. The Manchin-Toomey gun bill was a smoke screen to appear moderate and Toomey did nothing to move the bill, knowing it would fail and telling the NRA as much when they got mad at him. Other than that, his votes in congress have been almost completely in line with the psycho party doctrine, he just paints himself as being more tempered and thoughtful then nutjobs like Cruz in an effort to appeal to some moderates in the philly area.
Only one Senator voted against Corker Menendez Iran Nuclear agreement bill. This set the stage for the Iran deal.
I am a Rush Limbaugh RedState Ted Cruz Republican and my point was that Pat Toomey has lost his base as did Rick Santorum in 2006 and Tom Corbett in 2014. Pat Senator Pat Toomey is following their model and, in my view, this is not good politics (not to mention ungrateful) and he will lose.
As to which Democrat can beat him, I do not know the internal dynamics. I only pointed out that Rendell is not an outsider, to emphasize my point by understating the case. Rendell/McGinty will have the highly competent Democratic state party and the MontCo party with them.
Hard to see Sestak winning but Steve Todd made a salient point. Sestak runs as an outsider, anti-Establishment candidate in the year of Sanders and Trump. Who knows? I am not a fortune teller.:-)
Sestak is mistaken. While some of us will vote for him rather than a lightweight like McGinty – who isn’t qualified to be dog catcher let alone senator- his support for Iran deal is a loser. As a lifelong dem- will vote against him as protest of the anti semetic, incompetent and gutless Obama. Obama Shames our Nation and his office- he has violated our Constitution – just imagine if Trump acted like Obama.
bobguzzardi, have you forgotten that McGinty took 7% of the Dem Gov primary. Nobody I’ve ever met particularly likes her and her closet is full of skeletons that Toomey will have no problem pulling out. She can’t beat Toomey.
Sestak already lost when Toomey wasn’t an incumbent and didn’t have $10MM in the bank to show everyone what a strange little man he really is. His family doesn’t even live in the state, and I’ve never heard anyone who has any dealings with him say a good thing about him. I’ve heard he is an odd little man obsessed with winning an election. The fact that he thinks walking across the state is a good use of his time should tell you something.
I don’t know if Fetterman can beat Toomey, but I do know that Sestak and McGinty can’t. Fetterman is the only candidate who actually inspires people. McGinty only gets support because Rendell and the party tell them too. That doesn’t get voters out.
Steven, Fetterman has acknowledged that he had learning to do on the Iran deal, but McGinty had a long statement on her position out months ago. Just because the other two candidates actually run real campaigns and don’t try and rush to shoot off on every single issue from the hip the way that Sestak does, doesn’t mean they are silent on these matters. I imagine you are from somewhere in central pa and Sestak has given you the love you want despite the horrible waste of resources it is for him to do all the work he does outside the major metropolitan areas.
Until one of our own is in office, this is still politics. We need a candidate that can beat Toomey. People point out that Sestak only lost by 2-points in an off year. But he also had significantly more name recognition in the southeast as a sitting Congressman from DelCo than Toomey did as a former Rep from outside the 5 county area. Now Toomey is the incumbent and Sestak is undesirable #1 to the party with an ever eroding fundraising base. Diano frequently points out the way Sestak treats staff and the ridiculous turnover rate he has. I heard the same about his office in Congress. The more I learn, the less balanced the man seems and the less viable he is as a good challenger in a tough race.
steventodd, you know that Joe’s family doesn’t even live in PA, right? I know for a fact his daughter was enrolled in VA as recently as 2014 and probably still is. His wife is employed in VA as well. Very shady stuff there to try and pass himself off as a resident of PA.
How can you consider a man who thinks walking across the state of PA is a good use of one’s time, and then has the audacity to claim that he has now “walked in our shoes”??
The fact that he has the time to walk across the state shows that he’s not walking in anyone’s shoes except the 1%.
In my opinion, Pat Toomey will be defeated in November because Sen. Toomey walked away from the base who elected him. Pat Toomey squeaked by with 75,000 votes. I think Katie McGinty is probably a better candidate but either Sestak or McGinty beat Toomey. Do not abandon those who supported you.
In the year of the anti-Establishment, Joe Sestak may gain. Katie McGinty is a Rendell Democrat and Rendell is as Establishment as one can be.
It is not nice to spurn those who helped you because you think you don’t need them or are embarrassed by them.
Bravo Joe Sestak.
What say his opponents, Katie McGinty and John Fetterman? Both are strangely silent on most specific issues of the day, even as they campaign as a better choice than Joe. I don’t get that.
Typo: “UNSC Resolution 1929”
While Sestak is right that we should continue with the Iran deal, he is terrible when trying to coin phrases.
The Reagan quote is: trust BUT verify. (not “and”)
That means to verify compliance at each step. It’s actually the translation of Russian proverb “doveryai no proveryai” that was taught to Reagan during the negotiations.
Sestak’s “verify before trust” makes absolutely no logical sense, as once you’ve verified, trust is irrelevant.
From Wikipedia:
The similar phrase “Trust and Verify” was also the motto of the Defense Threat Reduction Agency.
Lou-
Sestak has been a frequent critic of Obama since Obama backed Specter. There was no love lost when Sestak pulled his job gate stunt. Sestak pretended he’d been bribed with offer to be appointed Secretary of Navy, through coy “no comment” statements. However, Sestak full well knew (and the reporters didn’t) that Sestak was ineligible to serve as Secretary because he had not been out of the service long enough. He could have pointed out his ineligibility, but instead chose to create a political scandal for the White House.
@ gulagPittsburgh:
You haven’t read what I’ve written, and this includes explicit reference to UNSC Resolution 1901 which encompasses missiles; it remains operational until the deal has been implemented.
http://www.israpundit.org/archives/63611926
The House Must Sue to Block the Illegal Iranian-Nuke Pact:
Endless Lamentation Betrays Cowardice
By Robert B. Sklaroff, M.D.
Sestake is typical dem liar…he backed Barry 500% when he was in office…oh no and now….
Oh redneck…we’re gonna take you guys out behind the woodshed again! 😉
Oh democrack…you’r really going to miss Barry …wow
They will, literally, stop at nothing. They care not about the country. Just their agenda.
From what I have read, the missle test has no connection to the nuclear agreement, so Ridge and Toomey are being deceptive in linking the two separate issues. Imagine that, GOP being untruthful to attack Obama.