Posted on by Jason Easley

Even Republicans Are Calling Their Sabotage Of Obama With Iran Letter A Disaster

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Republicans are admitting anonymously that the Senate GOP attempt to sabotage President Obama with a letter to Iran has turned into a disaster.

Politico talked to insiders within both parties about the letter, and some Republicans are realizing that they are in trouble:

One-third of Republican insiders believe that Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton and his GOP colleagues — including several potential presidential candidates — crossed the line when they published an open letter to Iranian leaders warning about a possible nuclear deal.

….

“The GOP letter — while sound in substance — caused the debate to shift from the administration’s wrongheadedness to the GOP’s tactics,” said a New Hampshire Republican, who — like all 92 respondents this week — completed the survey anonymously in order to speak candidly. “That’s not helpful.”

“Policy wise, the deal Obama is trying to cut is a bad one,” said another. “Politically speaking, however, the letter has been a disaster. The Democrats have totally framed and owned the debate, and our GOP senators are getting pummeled.”

The letter has turned into an unrelenting disaster of a story that is following Republicans wherever they go. Republican presidential candidates are being asked about it on the campaign trail. Republicans who didn’t have anything to do with the letter are being questioned about it. There is no escape for Republicans.

Sen. Tom Cotton’s letter created an issue where one didn’t exist. It is a self-inflicted wound that is not healing. There is nothing that Republicans can say that will explain or excuse the letter. The excuse making has been so feeble that John McCain tried to blame the weather for his decision to sign the letter.

The Republican opposition to any deal with Iran will now look partisan and petty. Republicans also shot themselves in the feet with Democrats by sending this letter. Senate Republicans were building a bipartisan consensus for passage of legislation that would have required any agreement to be reviewed and approved by the Senate, but that’s gone.

The level of disrespect in the letter has shocked people who don’t follow politics on a daily basis, but who vote in a presidential election. The behavior of the Senate Republicans can’t be undone. There is no way to repair the damage, and Republicans might have cost themselves their Senate majority with this blatant act of sabotage.

56 Replies to “Even Republicans Are Calling Their Sabotage Of Obama With Iran Letter A Disaster”

  1. I was watching up this morning and the discussion was about the letter…

    I was really disappointed that Joan Walsh and Shahil Shapur allowed the Republican lady to continue the talking point that the Senate somehow has a voice in this negotiation and that it will have to be ‘ratified’ by the Senate…

    this is a multi-lateral negotiation between five UN Security Council countries plus Germany being done under international law…

    this is not a bi-lateral border/security/trade agreement between the US and Iran…

    even if the Republicans could somehow scuttle this agreement on the US side it would still have force with the other countries…

    I got so disgusted with how the discussion was allowed to proceed I turned on an old NCIS re-run…

    I used to think that UP was maybe the one program left worth watching on MSNBC, besides Rachel, but no more…

  2. Only in bagger land can they get away saying its a bad deal when no deal has been agreed too. Funny how that works

    Meanwhile that so called liberal paper, the Washington post has published just about the craziest editorial ever.

    Writer Joshua Muravchik is a fellow at the Foreign Policy Institute at Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS).

    Muravchik argues that we ought to just go ahead and declare war on Iran and get it over with, already. Why? Because it’s really the best option we have.
    http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/war-with-iran-is-probably-our-best-option/2015/03/13/fb112eb0-c725-11e4-a199-6cb5e63819d2_story.html

  3. Republicans might have cost themselves their Senate majority with this blatant act of sabotage.

    Doubtful. The same people who elected these jokers will vote for them again, and the same people who couldn’t be arsed to vote will stay away from the polls again.

    Jim at Stonekettle Station
    has a searing essay.

    There was one comment from the sort of ignorant racist Republicans (OK, that is indeed an oxymoron) who will vote to re-elect these traitors:

    The senators had every right to demend to be involved in the process. Obama is intentionally trying to ensure that Iran gets nuclear weapons. How much planer must it get that Obama sides with the Muslim at every turn. I’m proud of the Senators, finally they are speaking up against this absolutely atrocious president we have that wants to destroy America as we know it. [misspellings left intact]

  5. Sure they think that if 5 countries are trying to come together for peace talks how will they ever make more money for their owners in the Military Industrial Complex again?
    They want this war with Iran bad!! Obviously!
    Too late.. The damage is already done!

  6. I am 68 years old and I have never seen in my life the kind of disrespect for a President as I have this one. This letter is a prime example. The harm they may have caused is yet to be seen. They should be ashamed but I know that they are a pious bunch of idiots that don’t and may never see the wrong in what they did. The lamest excuse in the world is the one from McCain. A snow storm! Incredible!!!!!!!!

  7. One of the very few things Republicans have accomplished since taking over Congress. Fortunately, for us, they can not even agree with each other on anything.

  8. All voters will remember is letter = traitor. They may not have any idea what that means except vote against a traitor, and it isn’t the dyed-in-the-wool baggers the gopers have to worry about, it is the loss of independents, and in a presidential election year the independents are the crucial swing vote even in the red states.

    All the dems have to do is to keep pounding the traitor labeling. The voters will do the rest. The gopers lost the senate majority with this stunt, and boner is going to lose more house seats. The pendulum is swinging left and the GOP is helping push it left.

  9. My main concern is that these Congressmen will go on unpunished for this and all the other sedition, sabotage and traitorous acts of the last 6 + years. What is as if not more worrisome is that they (the Republican dirty 47 and their cronies) and STILL following their credo to undermine the President is everything. And it isn’t only Republicans but also a few TURNCOAT Dems like my States very on Dem Senator who is currently running ads Condemning the President for his EO on Immigration; Calling it an illegal move on the part of The President and whining on how it is the Congress who is supposed to do these things (then why didn’t they do so, after all they’ve had a bipartisan plan in front of them for what 2 years, or more? Donnelly is a TRAITOR as well as all the other Democrats who have joined the Republican counter-parts in their attempts to totally undermine the President.

    I’m sorry, wait, I am NOT sorry but these Republicans and Turncoat Dems MUST BE PUNISHED.

  12. Republicans overplay their hand every single time. They try to embarrass President Obama and it’s always backfired, making them look like the petty, petulant children that they are. They are so firmly ensconced inside their little bagger bubble that they think everyone hates the President as much as they do and are shocked when they discover that’s not the case. They never learn. It’s beyond tiresome, and there’s another year and a half of the nonsense yet to go. Thank goodness the 2016 elections are in states that tend to elect Democrats.

  13. But of course he wouldn’t be going to war in Iran, would he?

    He wouldn’t suffer from post-traumatic stress syndrome.

    He wouldn’t be killed or, worse yet, so wounded that he would be alive but incapable of a normal life.

    No, no, just go to war. He’ll pay to expose your sons and daughters to destructions.

    Nice going Repubes and dumb folks.

  14. Yes, there was ONE COMMENT out of 90 who is a RWNJ. So why highlight this ONE comment? The article is great and 99.9% of the comments are spot on. I suggested on another thread that people should read Jim Wright’s article over at Stonekettle.

  15. The Washington Post is part of the “librul media” myth. I unsubscribed to the Post years ago. It’s a right wing rag who allows a liberal point of view (within limits) from a very few of it’s writers.

  16. If anyone else has seen the clip from Bill Maher last night, when it was said that republicans have shown that they are not able to govern, the reaction from the audience was deafening, it seems like a lot of people get it.
    (clip on crooks and liars)

  17. Unfreakingbelievable isn’t it. Not only have they thoroughly disrespected President Obama, but read this quote from Jim Wright’s article at Stonekettle:

    “At this point, there is absolutely no reason whatsoever for any nation, friend or foe, to trust the United States of America. Republicans have made it clear that when you deal with America, you’re not dealing with a country or a government but with whoever happens to answer the goddamned phone. You’d have to be crazy to enter into any agreement with us.”

    This is one of the consequences of their treasonous actions.

  18. repubs will get no sympathy. That’s what they get for following a TEA BAGGER. They deserve all the fall out that happens.

  19. Well, there is certainly no shortage of idiots on their side that they can follow. I imagined them all clapping their hands, and being excited about the reactions to their letter, then realizing it was NOT such a good idea. One page, and McCain could not take time to read it becuse of hurrying to get out of town? They have been out of town more than at their jobs ever since President Obama showed them how elections are WON.

  20. By what standards is the “administrations wrongheadedness” based on????

    What has happened to civility, co-operation, and not airing dirty laundry for the betterment of a civilization????

  21. Well they not finish with stupid yet. Netanyahu is in a very tight race (where he losing). So what dose he do? He (Bibi), does a radio interview which accuse Scandinavia of meddling in Israel election. To try an topple him. :http://rt.com/news/240697-netanyahu-scandinavia-accuse-elections/#.VQRKiALknJY.twitter

    Fox news pick it up and accuse Obama admin. of being envolved. So the senate are doing a investigation with both repub. and dem. consent. http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/03/14/senate-committee-probes-whether-obama-administration-funded-effort-to-oust/

    You can’t make this shit up no matter how hard you tried.
    Thanks Obamadiary.com for the heads-up. Now let see if the dead brain media run with this.

  22. These are the democrats on the committee
    Claire McCaskill MO Ranking Member
    Jon Tester MT
    Tammy Baldwin Wisconsin
    Heidi Heitkamp North Dakota

    Now I wonder which one of these turncoat dummycrats signed off on this witch hunt?

  23. The 47 Republican Senatorial Sabateurs are running and looking for places to hide. While giving all kinds of ridiculous excuses for why they signed: McCain ” I was in a HURRY to get outta D.C. because the Snow was coming! The snow was Coming!” Yeah and he believed that the Iranians are coming, the Iranians are coming too. That’s why he said not too long ago: Bomb-bomb-bomb Iran. Remember that? Tom Cotton certainly looks as though he is afraid of his own shadow, no wonder he keeps blabbering about going to war with Iran. What a bunch of losers, lead by a pack of misfit, crazy loons.

  24. Been around the Air Force my whole adult life and to a person they want Lyndsey Graham and Ernst from Iowa brought up on charges of the UCMJ for violating their oaths with this letter. Graham is a Col in Reserves who teaches law – ironic isn’t it, and she is part of the Iowa National Guard. Was told the oath carries on when they are not active and this is a total violation. Graham should have been charged a long time ago when he brought his politics into a classroom.

    Everyone we know has signed the WH petition and sent webmails to the 47 traitors to get the _ out of office as they are not fit to be a US Senator violating their oath and putting the United States National Security and full faith in our Government at risk. Going into this about half of our friends were GOP or Indy and now they have joined us recent converts as Democrats and are pledging to never vote for a GOP scumbag again. Hearing it all over GOP is dead to people who put America first!

  25. I Senator from Arkansas? Doesn’t he know he’s only there because we feel sorry for that that state. Dude your not really supposed to engage in REAL politics.

  26. I sort of can’t wait to see the next thing they do to shoot themselves in the foot. It likely will not be more than two weeks or so.

  27. The Highway bill will need to be funded then CHIP(Children’s Health Insurance Program) and the big enchilada, Raising the debt ceiling

  28. The point being that even an essay as compelling as Jim’s will not convince the fanatical racist Republican base.

    They loved, loved, loved the Traitors’ Letter, want an excuse to bomb Iran because violence is what they admire most, and will continue to elect the Traitors until we’re all dead.

  30. There should be a rule, any elected official that votes for war HAS TO enlist their children first. No excuses.

  32. I look at Tom Cotton, a young man with no experience in Government. So, Arkansas sees him as a US Senator. They send someone this totally unprepared to Washington and chuckle. The rest of the country is far from amused. 47 Senators and 3 full of crap pretenders running for President. I will Never, ever,vote for another Republican for any office. The 50 Traitors never belonged in our Government. They are people who ran campaigns built on fear, racism ,Gay Marriage, hatred they could harvest vote due more to ignorance then brains. People who would rather kiss a billionaires ass then do a days work for the people. The enemy is us, we really don’t demand the best so we get the worst. These people, we need to fire them all.

  33. I don’t trust Heitkamp, McCaskill they side with the republicans to quick for me (KXL, comprehenvies gun regulation, Cuba & Iran). They are very shaky. Tester, I don’t know much about him, just that he come from a very purple state Montana. Reid is back and so far he’s keeping the democrats in-check.

  35. You may have a point
    NPR’S TOM COTTON TONGUE BATH
    You want to know why Republicans have a “deep bench” going into the 2016 presidential election, while Democrats don’t? It’s because for years the press — and I mean the so-called liberal media, not just the right-wing press — has cooperated fully with right-wing efforts to portray certain Republican politicians as important, serious, fascinating rising stars, in a way that rarely happens for Democrats. Paul Ryan? Marco Rubio? Rand Paul? In recent years, all have received a great deal of fawning coverage in the non-conservative press.
    Read More
    http://nomoremister.blogspot.com/2015/03/nprs-tom-cotton-tongue-bath.html

  38. Look how long it took to realize Palin is a mouth without a brain. They refuse to think strategically primarily because they don’t have to. Their base is not impressed with intelligence, therefore, why should they try to be productive with proactive issues. Their circular firing squad is their greatest achievement.

  40. If there was any justice bloody bill would be dragged from his home and hung from the nearest lamppost. And just to make sure his idiocy wasn’t passed down also any seed he produced.

  41. Jim Wright at Stonekettle is VERY good. Every time my Newsletter comes I grab it and devour it like a hungry dawg. This last one I started sending to friends and relatives.

  42. Basically all Republicans are racists and hatred of this President has been at the forefront of very GOP action and inaction since his first election. Barack Obama did not come into the Oval Office as a Senate insider or a Wash Post society figure. He came in to office to do what the voters wanted done: fix the economy, get us out of the fouled up mess of Bush Cheney wars, and put some decency back in American life. None of those things were what the Republicans wanted to see happen. They support the 1% premium life for the high and mighty with no concern for the struggling working and middle classes, they support endless war and turmoil and the enormous burden of the MIC, and they have a mean spirited social agenda that denigrates women and minorities and immigrants. Americans twice by huge margins chose a black man with a different agenda and the Republicans have never forgiven either Obama or the American voters. They have been punishing us ever since.

  44. First Netanyahu and his speech to Congress. Then the lies trying to justify that.
    Straight on the heels Tom Cotton the total tool of Bill Kristol, and the war machine traitors for Israel. Total traitors against anything good for America. Every one should save the site with just how Cotton was paid and schooled by those Jews. We all should read it every day until every American has it memorised. And never be able to forget just who the real enemies of America are. We send the Israel war machine billions, we will never know how much. The numbers we see is just the tip of the iceberg. And Netanyu DEMANDS more. The real taxpayers that pays for it all should DEMAND not another penny or another drop of blood. Let the people spend the money they buy our governments and pay for it themselves. If Israelis had to do their own dying Netanyahu would be out of business in a heartbeat. Easy enough for unending wars and profit if WE do it.

  45. Dj I can not understand why a nation would use the nuclear bomb on a nation next door? Knowing it would affect their own people. The fall out would affect the whole region not just the ones considered an enemy. The rethugs who want this war had better be the troops who are sitting in the danger zone, not anyone who did not want war. Those who do not want this war should have the option to stay out.
    The rethugs want this war so bad because others fight it while THEY make more money. When, are the people who swallow all this garbage, going to vomit it out?

  47. John McCain:

    McCain’s infamous selfie with ISIS fighters.
    However McCain, having met intimately with ISIS in his trip to Syria, thinks we should send them arms anyway. He says that reports about Rebels joining forces with ISIS to fight Assad are not true because he met them and is in contact with them on a regular basis. Why in the hell would John McCain be in contact with ISIS?

    18 U.S.C. 2339B of the US Patriot Act prohibits,

    “providing material support or resources” to an organization the Secretary of State has designated as a “foreign terrorist organization.” The material support ban was first passed as part of the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996 (AEDPA). The provision’s purpose is to deny terrorist groups the ingredients necessary for planning and carrying out attacks. Congress was concerned that terrorist organizations with charitable or humanitarian arms were raising funds within the United States that could then be used to further …

  48. they complain that Obama won’t TELL them what the deal is, and then complain that it’s a BAD DEAL…..Which is it, it can’t be BOTH idiots.

  51. The P5+1 deal is about peace. That’s all the GOPTea needs to know to be against it. There’s no money in peace.

  52. Cotton is a JAG – an ancillary corps of non-combatants, like Medical and chaplains. Their rank is a courtesy for billeting, messing and POW treatment. They do not compete with line officers for promotion. So any team that Cotton may had led would have been in an office in a safe zone.

  53. …point 1: It ain’t the foot where the Teatards shot themselves…
    …Point 2: Jim Wright over at Stonekettle Station should be on all Liberals reading list…;he was on mine, but I lost him when I deleted Yahoo…
    …Point 3:Anybody who don’t like my syntax, it evolved this way because too many things I typed got spammed, and I have a neural condition that makes it hard to type accurately…thank God for spell-check…
    …and when did they start taxing THAT anyway??? LOL!!!

  54. Read the Tea Leaves…..NOT the American Tea Party’s tea leaves. What you are going to find out is that the Israeli’s are fed up with Netanyahu. His arrogant style, with the fact that he is all about strife and war….is NOT the way the world is leaning. We are FED UP with these leaders who are constantly creating the atmosphere of WAR against perceived enemies. Once we can face to face with perceived “enemies” and find out WHAT FUCK IS YOUR PROBLEM? Will be the only way we can sit down and straighten things out. In other words: What bugs you about us? What are we doing that pisses us of? Amd While we are at it….let us tell YOU what pisses US about you! THEN, we take time to correct and remove the irritating dogmas or cultural differences that keep us apart, and looking in each other’s eyes with intentions of striking out. Worse, telling our citizens that “They” are out to kill us. Really?

  56. Netanyahu is very much like John Boehner,
    or John Boehner is like Netanyahu, both have issues with President Obama’s Presidency

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