Lindsey Graham Blows A Gasket Over Iran Deal, Accuses Obama Of ‘Declaring War On Israel’

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South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham (R) overreacted to the historic Iran deal on Tuesday morning, accusing President Barack Obama and the nations of China, France, Russia, Great Britain and Germany, of waging war against Israel.  Graham reacted to the deal by saying it was “akin to declaring war on Israel and the Sunni Arabs”. He went on to imply that the agreement would jeopardize U.S. national security, adding:

My initial impression is that this deal is far worse than I ever dreamed it could be and will be a nightmare for the region, our national security and eventually the world at large.

He also used the opportunity to take a gratuitous jab at Hillary Clinton, by stating:

Hillary Clinton’s reaction to this deal is the first real test of her ability to be president and her judgment. If she believes it’s a good idea to lift the arms embargo without first seeing a behavior change by the Iranians, then her judgment as commander in chief will be very much in question.

In reality, however, it is Senator Graham’s judgement that should be called into question. The saber-rattling South Carolina Senator who has never met a war he didn’t like, has a long track record of supporting disastrous foreign policy decisions.

Lindsey Graham was one of the leading cheerleaders for the Iraq War, insisting repeatedly that Saddam Hussein was stockpiling weapons of mass destruction. With his characteristic fear-mongering, apocalyptic rhetoric, Senator Graham called Hussein “a threat to our way of life”. He also promised that the Iraq War would be short and that removing Saddam Hussein would bring democracy to the Middle East.

Throughout his Senate career, Graham has always found a bogeyman in the Middle East that he used to justify partisan attacks against Democrats for being weak, while he could beat the drums of war to present himself as strong. He has argued for sending ground troops to Iraq, Libya and Syria, all on the premise that failing to do so would present an existential threat to the survival of Israel, or America, or both.

In 2013, a fearful Senator Graham told Fox News’ Greta Van Susteren, “we live in the most dangerous times imaginable”. Lindsey Graham has cried wolf too many times, however. The war thirsty Senator is upset with lifting sanctions on Iran, because such an agreement makes a military confrontation less likely. For China, France, Russia, Great Britain, Germany and the United States, as well as for Israel and Iran, averting war is a good thing.

The only reason Lindsey Graham opposes the deal is because he has spent over a decade trying to convince the American people that he is a tough guy who deserves to be president. Fortunately, while the Sunday morning news talk shows still treat Senator Graham like he is relevant, the American people, by in large, do not. His foreign policy ideas are simplistic and dangerous. The fact that Lindsey Graham is against the Iran deal is as good an indication as any, that the agreement actually makes sense. Its not a declaration of war against Israel, its a declaration of sanity against the crazy saber-rattling of militaristic buffoons like Senator Graham.

Keith Brekhus

Keith Brekhus is a progressive American who currently resides in Red Lodge, Montana. He is co-host for the Liberal Fix radio show. He holds a Master’s Degree in Sociology from the University of Missouri. In 2002, he ran for Congress as a Green Party candidate in the state of Missouri. In 2014, he worked as a field organizer for Democrat Ann Kirkpatrick’s successful re-election bid in Arizona’s 1st Congressional District. He can be followed on Twitter @keithbrekhus or on Facebook.