Iran Letter Backlash Grows As Bernie Sanders Accuses Senate Republicans Of Sabotage

[babylonsister]

http://www.politicususa.com/2015/03/09/iran-letter-backlash-grows-bernie-sanders-accuses-senate-republicans-sabotage.html

Iran Letter Backlash Grows As Bernie Sanders Accuses Senate Republicans Of Sabotage
By: Jason Easley
Monday, March, 9th, 2015, 6:29 pm


Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) hit Senate Republicans right between the eyes by accusing them of an act sabotage in an attempt to start a new war in Iran.

In a statement, Sen. Sanders said:

It appears that for most of my Republican colleagues in the Senate, a war in Afghanistan and a war in Iraq were not enough. They now apparently want a war in Iran as well. President Obama is working with the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Russia and China to try to negotiate a peaceful means to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon. These negotiations must be allowed to continue and, hopefully, will succeed. It is an outrage that my Republican colleagues are trying to sabotage that effort.

Sen. Sanders’s statement came after White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest accused Senate Republicans of trying to undermine President Obama, “I think the other thing that is notable here is that when you have a letter that is signed by forty-seven senators of the same party being sent to a leader of a foreign country, it raises some legitimate questions about the intent of the letter…It’s surprising to me there are some Republican senators who are seeking to establish a backchannel with hardliners in Iran to undermine an agreement with Iran and the international community.”

The Republicans have so grossly miscalculated the public reaction to their letter that even Iran’s Foreign Minister called it propaganda. Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif said, “In our view, this letter has no legal value and is mostly a propaganda ploy. It is very interesting that while negotiations are still in progress and while no agreement has been reached, some political pressure groups are so afraid even of the prospect of an agreement that they resort to unconventional methods, unprecedented in diplomatic history.”

The Senate Republican letter revealed how far they are willing to go in order to sabotage their own government. Republicans may have crossed the line into treasonous territory with their letter, but Sen. Sanders was correct. The letter was a definite act of sabotage.

Senate Republicans demonstrated that they were unwilling to support this president in foreign or domestic affairs. Republicans went far beyond having a difference of opinion with the president. They are now actively trying to jeopardize the foreign policy of their own country.

This sort of behavior is unprecedented in American history. Republicans are sabotaging their own country because they despise the president and are lusting for a new war in the Middle East. Republicans have once again brought shame to their country and embarrassed every American on the world stage. The Senate Republican saboteurs deserve to be punished.

[Wounded Bear]

1. K & R...nt

[a kennedy]

2. Bout time someone did.....thanks Bernie.....

[kacekwl]

41. Funny how come

Bernie Sanders is the only political voice I have heard condemning this crime.

[Aerows]

68. Because he has never given a shit

about speaking his mind, does it regularly and gets reelected because he says what a huge percentage of Americans, not just in his district, think.

I love him.

[tecelote]

95. Probably one of the few to be elected for his moral and ethical viewpoint.

He speaks his mind instead of that of corporate sponsors.

[Aerows]

96. He is consistently one of the most

amazing people in the Senate. Thank you everyone in Vermont that elects this man.

[NoRWNJ]

97. VP Biden condemned it too!

[peacebird]

3. Please call your senators and Reps in DC to express outrage over the Repubs undermining diplomacy

We NEED to pile on and make our voices heard. this is completely outraceous. Can you imagine the response had every Dem Senator and member of leadership did this when GWB was beating the drums of war and trying to rev up international support? In this case Obama is trying to PREVENT another war.
Please call.

[kacekwl]

39. Forget outrage criminal charges are in order.

Where are the Democrats and sane Republicans demanding an investigation , removal from office , holding news conference after news conference making this known to everyone . We can hold investigations on e-mails, bengazzzzzieeeee endlessly but this is serious.

[markmyword]

61. Treason!

These Republicans should be ARRESTED for TREASON!

I can't believe in the year 2015 that these men and women hate this president because he's an African American!

This Congress has undermined our President and invited a foreign leader to speak before the Congress WITHOUT the White House knowing and now they have written to a foreign leader with their own foreign policy plans!
This is TREASON!!!

You can't have a legislative body going around and making its own foreign policy without our President knowing it.

It's time for these CRAZY Republicans in the red states to secede from the United States and create their OWN country.

In the meantime, they should be ARRESTED for TREASON!!! And put in JAIL!!!!!!

[dixiegrrrrl]

94. Petition here to prosecute Repub. Senator' clear violation of the Logan Act by their letter to Iran

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10026342385

[spanone]

4. k&r...

[Takket]

5. .

"Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif said, “In our view, this letter has no legal value and is mostly a propaganda ploy. It is very interesting that while negotiations are still in progress and while no agreement has been reached, some political pressure groups are so afraid even of the prospect of an agreement that they resort to unconventional methods, unprecedented in diplomatic history.”

The voice of reason. The GOP effed up big time on this one. They are getting torched.

[George II]

34. Interesting that the Iranian Foreign Minister has more common sense than republican senators.

[DFW]

71. That shouldn't surprise you

Most insects have more common sense than Republican Senators.

[CincyDem]

80. For the record...

Iran's foreign minister attended a competitive private secondary school in San Francisco, graduated from San Francisco State and went on to get a PhD in International Policy from the University of Denver.

I don't agree with their politics but for us to think they're a bunch of guys that hang around at night staring up at the stars wondering where the sun goes at night...that's a big mistake. While is it true that insects have more common sense than the Iranian 47, the way this post reads (in context of the thread) seems to make a bridge between the Iranian Foreign Minister and an insect. I hoping that's not how it was intended.

[DFW]

91. On the contrary

It was meant to imply that insects have more common sense than 47 of our Senators.

I was in college in the States in the 70s. The Iranian Students Association was large and active. Both their English and their familiarity with their host country were well honed.

[CincyDem]

92. Thanks. :-)

That was my underlying assumption but, hey...what the heck...never hurts to check, eh?

And yes - you are right about the insects versus our Iranian 47. (Kind of like the Keating Five or the Chicago Seven).

Have a good one.

[DFW]

99. I've made my views on our disloyal opposition clear over the years. These are two of mine:

[kacekwl]

42. We'll see. I have heard nothing on msm news today.

This is a crime and they will get away with it again. Talk about a scandal

[Aerows]

69. You have to be kidding.

The MSM (Corporate Media) set this all in motion. They have empowered idiots that think they are the leaders of the United States while they work at undermining everything we stand for!

The talking heads we have are part of a deep, abiding problem we have. What happened in this instance, though, is that the GOP took them seriously, violated the Logan Act, and generally grabbed so much rope they decided to ... well, you know how it goes.

[Hutzpa]

6. K&R

[sadoldgirl]

7. Does anyone have a list of

those Republican Senators, who did NOT sign
the letter? It would be shorter than the other way
around. If my Senator signed it, I will write as well
as call to complain.

[starroute]

30. Here you go

Lamar Alexander, Susan Collins, Bob Corker, Dan Coats, Jeff Flake, Lisa Murkowski, and Thad Cochran.

[3catwoman3]

45. Just last week, or so, I commented that...

...on occasion, the Republican senator from IL, Mark Kirk, does the right thing. Not this time.

[Fred Sanders]

8. The logical response for now is a complete withholding from the GOP of any negotiation details.

For starters.

[cui bono]

57. Yes, and remove security clearances, and remove all involved from any committees

dealing with security and foreign affairs, and maybe more.

[Hekate]

9. Every time you think the GOP Congress can sink no lower, somehow they do.

I hope there is a backlash that will make the Fukushima tidal wave look like a ripple.

[mindwalker_i]

10. Consider this:

If Obama is able to negotiate a way to keep Iran from getting nukes, that would show the country that Republicans aren't better at foreign policy (even more so than now). It would show that the preferred repuvlican methodology of, essentially, waving its dick around doesn't produce results while diplomacy does - under a Democrat. It would be destructive to the republicans' image.

[world wide wally]

15. If people have't figured this out by now, I don't have much faith that they ever will

[Cha]

11. Mahalo Sen Sanders! Pertinent quote from Sen Reid regarding gop and the President..

Sahil Kapur ✔ @sahilkapur
Follow
.@SenatorReid says Republicans refuse to accept that Obama, “this man with the unusual name, was elected twice.” http://bit.ly/1aXUHea
9:24 AM - 9 Mar 2015 81 Retweets 43 favorites

http://theobamadiary.com/2015/03/09/how-hate-can-lead-to-destruction/

Thank you, babylonsistah!

[jaysunb]

36. Those 9 words about says it all. n/t

[Gman]

12. They didn't miscalculate anything about public opinion

In fact it never crossed their minds. The only public they know is their blind followers in the right wing alternate reality.

[calimary]

13. Use the "T-word," Bernie!

We all should. Put them on defense. Make 'em deny it. Make 'em have to explain it and parse it and dance around it. And then hit 'em with it again.

And AGAIN. Do NOT play nice.

[kacekwl]

43. Democrats in congress should DEMAND

their resignations on every news program across the U.S.

[calimary]

70. Welcome to DU, The Real Deal!

Glad you're here! I wouldn't miss a one of 'em. And you're correct - they should indeed tender their resignations. They won't. They think they're being both "right" and righteous. But that's absolutely what they should do.

[zeemike]

19. Well they would not shrink from doing it if it were a Democrat doing it.

They know how that game is played, always attack and make them defend...and when they defend increase the attack.

Our leaders ether don't know the game or are too afraid to play it with winning in mind...and some may not want to win at all.

[world wide wally]

14. If only we could see some kind of actual punishment for these cowardly, war mongering saboteurs

[monmouth4]

16. Exactly!! Until some sort of punishment is meted out they will continue....n/t

[monmouth4]

26. I agree..n/t

[kacekwl]

44. Don't leave it up to Obama

the members of congress should join with the president on this action or it's just Obama getting all uppity again.

[JanMichael]

17. conservatives are great at taking any perceived discretion and making it a big legal case

Wrong doesnt matter. They just run with it. perjury? Hell yes. Why can we not do that here? Maybe there is some law from 1917 that could be invoked???

[hifiguy]

21. KICK and REC!!

[stupidicus]

22. This is why I've long thought and argued

that civility is way overrated, and nothing more these days -- and in many, many days long past --- than a safe harbor for rightwingnuts from being justifiably and properly called what they are in the public arena by people of intellect and far greater integrity.

I question whether shaming has lost all behavior modification value or whether there simply isn't and long hasn't been, enough of it coming from those it should be.

[Caretha]

32. I agree with everything you said

Shaming...oh Fa. Where we messed up was not prosecuting the prior administration for all the treasons they committed. Unfortunately Nancy Pelosi and Obama took it off the table & "the look forward" rhetoric was the meme of the day. Bad Bad move.

This is where it has got us. Now we have a total of 47 Republicans tip toeing the line of treason, and orgasming for a 3rd world war.

We, the citizens must finally stand up. If you live in a state represented by any of these Republicans, go to google right now and find their DC or state phone numbers and tell them you see what they did, and that you call it TREASON and will tell all your neighbors. You will shout it from your roof tops, you will call all your family members and you will be the loudest voice around the water cooler tomorrow morning!

I've already called Tom Cotton from AR..his DC phone mail is already flooded but I was able to call a state office & leave a message.

[NBachers]

50. Don't do phone calls; send faxes

[stupidicus]

100. as I do with you

I also like the advice given by the other poster about using their fax --- that could get costlier.

[Beartracks]

23. Why do Republicans hate America? n/t

[betsuni]

27. They see themselves as the 47 samurai, no doubt.

[gordianot]

67. May they seek the honorable solution to their treachery.

[mcar]

28. Well said Senator

[Moostache]

29. At what point do the treason trials and hangings start?

I'm not trying to be hyperbolic with this...these sons of bitches have been sliding down the slippery slope to outright treason for years and I think they are there.

Imagine the outrage and rending of garments if a Democrat or god forbid President Obama did anything 1/1000th as blatant...

I got the rope...someone give them a trial and bring them to the nearest yardarm...

[C_U_L8R]

31. Indict the whole rotten bunch

and frog march them to court.
No really... do it ! Now !

[Rover1]

33. Deja-vu

Reagen pioneered this!

[riderinthestorm]

35. I just emailed my senator Mark Kirk and expressed my disgust.

I encourage everyone else to do the same.

[George II]

37. What is really curious is that the letter pretended to give the Iranians a lesson about....

...our Constitution, yet they overlook the part of the Constitution that THEY violated. How stupid can they be?

[SCVDem]

38. If I were President

I would tell America that we are bringing back the draft.

Screw volunteer, fair is fair! Now let's see how much we want to go to war!

Indict these treasonous bastards! For some reason I'm actually pissed!

[kacekwl]

46. Me too. so pissed.

This is so blatant it is sickening.

[Dark n Stormy Knight]

64. How about we bring back the draft just for those who vote to elect the warmongers?

That seems more fair.

[blkmusclmachine]

40. ,

,

[JDPriestly]

47. Well said:

"Republicans are . . . lusting for a new war in the Middle East."

That needs to be part of our message to voters in 2016.

[3catwoman3]

48. Remember how one couldn't even wear a Kerry T-shirt...

...anywhere near a Bush rally without the RWNJs howling about lack of respect for the president?

This is completely reprehensible.

[niyad]

49. k and r

[Purveyor]

51. I don't think I can remember anything like this in my lifetime. eom

[Thespian2]

52. Just saying the word

"Republican" should be enough to make any thinking American gag. There seems to be no end to how low these troglodytes will go. Isn't there some legal way to make these 47 pay for their treasonous letter? Oops. Forgot how the DoJ sees criminality.

[dflprincess]

53. I suppose this will be another one of those things that goes unpunished "for the good of the country

Because, how it could possibly be good for the country if the system actually worked and real traitors were punished?

Better to just go after the whistleblowers.

[Depaysement]

54. I see Senator Sanders standing up

Where are the Democrats? Cowering somewhere?

[Fumesucker]

55. It's good to see the Democrats stand up to the Republicans for once..

[zentrum]

56. How punish them?

I agree but how do we do anything about this?

I signed the petition to the WH to prosecute them but I think that's a non-starter. How do we recall them?

[kiranon]

58. Arrest all 47 Senators for sedition and violation of the Logan Act.

Let them all go to trial and prove they did not intend to undermine the U.S. Government their flag pins not withstanding

[Vinca]

78. That's exactly what should happen.

[stevenleser]

59. But the real question is, will Greenwald accuse Sanders of being Cheney like for this?

Because he accused Senator Reid of being Cheneylike or, excuse me, reading from the Cheney book of political rhetoric (isn't that the same thing as "Cheneylike&quot for a similar missive.

[nikto]

60. What? Does ISIS not exist any more?

ISIS = Enemy of Iran

But ofcourse, that wouldn't matter if the real goal
was to take Iran's oil in a war.





I just love it when ISIS is an important (i.e. useful) issue.
Until it's not.

[samsingh]

62. kick

[Chipper Chat]

63. I am over seventy and this alarms me.

If the republicans get away with this what could stop then from just marching in to the White House and physically removing the first family and installing Boehner as President. Biden would be ignored and removed as VP What would the country "do" if this happened?

[gordianot]

66. Even though the Secret Service fell down on their duties...

There is a fury of protection surrounding the President that defies description even prior to recent Secret Service indiscretions. May no one have to see it unleashed. I would strongly make a wager that the Secret Service has over compensated on their past lapse in judgement.

To this day no one is quite sure what Truman had built below the White House.

[C Moon]

65. Tea Party. The fools voted them into office, and they are hell bent on fucking up the country.

[Joe Johns]

72. More blatant disrespect for our first black President

Disgusting!

[Enthusiast]

73. K&R! This post deserves hundreds of recommendations!

"The Republicans have so grossly miscalculated the public reaction to their letter that even Iran’s Foreign Minister called it propaganda."

What do you expect from idiots?

[Android3.14]

74. Callin' it like it is

Bastards

[SmittynMo]

75. So I read all the accusations of treason and sabotage,,,,

and I see nothing about what will happen next? So, what is the U.S. going to do? This is serious shit in my book.

Are we going to scold them, and tell them never to do this again? Slap them on the wrist? Spank their behinds and make then stand in the corner?

I certainly hope someone takes this serious, and throws the book at each and every one of these non patriotic assholes. Prison time would be fine by me. What a shameful and embarrassing representation of our government!!!

I am shocked. The GOP just keeps getting worse and worse. I hope people remember this next year.

[Cosmocat]

79. This is a moment

Since the early 90s,the democratic party has hid a corner - more and more so as time has gone by.

This is why the republicans are so bad, they have had absolutely NO pushback, outside of the the Iraq debacle ONLY AFTER it was clearly failed.

They have spent nearly a quarter century now saying and doing anythhing they want with no repercussions because democrats, frankly has lost any nerve or spin to fight against it.

This is THAT bad, clearly and unequivicably, and something that really can't be defended on even a marginally reasonable level.

Take the fight to them on this NOW, in a big way.

And, this means, if there is legitimate grounds, the Obama administration bringing these gapping assholess up on charges.

[Gothmog]

76. This letter was stupid and wrong on the law

These 47 senators are idiots and traitors

[cantbeserious]

77. When Snowden Exposes The NSA It's Treason - When Republicans Subvert The President It's Patriotism

eom

[riqster]

81. Sadly, not unprecedented.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10026341232

[BlancheSplanchnik]

82. K and fucking R.

Weren't we all sick of the fucking pukes a long time ago?

If I say any more, I'll get tombstoned....just let them get what they so richly deserve....

[SmittynMo]

84. Just let them get what they so richly deserve....

Yep!!! Minimum jail time.

This act was definitely over the line. To me, it just shows how much worse their racist hatred has become for the first black man in the White House.

Yep, putting 47 of these KOCH suckers behind bars is fine by me.

[BlancheSplanchnik]

85. hell yes.

And may the repercussions overflow onto the Kochs and the rest of the corporate "Titans".

[samsingh]

83. kick

[RVN VET]

86. Strange that it's always 47%

You know: Romney heartless reference to 47% of the voters who are moochers and, therefore, Obama supporters; 47% of the actual vote going to Romney; now 47% of the goddam Senate signing on to treason.

I'll leave the meaning of 47% to numerologists. What I know is that 47% of the American voters (47 in a hundred) thought even Romney, with his automobile elevator and draft dodging background, was a better choice for President than black man with a strange name. It means that 47 out of a hundred voters believe that 47 out of 100 voters (excusing themselves, of course) are black moochers. It also means that 47 out of 100 US senators think the US Constitution is toilet paper, and that Clinton's use of non-government e-mail is treasonous while, on the other hand, deliberately and overtly attempting to scuttle international negotiations regarding nuclear weaponry is just poking the black president in the eye.

I'm not surprised. Valerie Plame and her husband learned, years ago, that the GOP is nothing more than a nest of power and money grabbing traitors, loyal to nothing but their engorged bank accounts, and willing to make the entire nation suffer -- even to its destruction -- if it meant an extra buck in their wallets. A CIA Case Officer responsible for developing and maintaining a network of agents and informants on the ground in Iran to keep the US alert to that nation's nuclear program? Only the GOP would "out" such a person and ruin the work she had already accomplished, and jeopardize the lives of dozens of foreign informants who were, after all, only guilty of trying to help the US. "Out her" for what reason? Her husband wrote an honest and truthful attack on the GOP's lies about yellow cake uranium, Niger, and Saddam Hussein.

Take that, America! (Ironically, both Plame and Wilson were -- emphasis on past tense -- Republicans. But Republicans who simply did not notice the morphing of their Party into the treasonous Party of Cheney Bush, McConnell, and Boehner -- until it was too late.)

Sorry for the rant. It's difficult to maintain ones composure over issues like this. I feel like a kindergarten teacher might, walking into a classroom of monstrously spiteful 5 year olds (named McConnell, Cotton, etc.) who have wiped their feces on the newly whitewashed walls because teacher wouldn't give them an extra 5 minutes of recess.

[L0oniX]

87. ...and people thought Snowden was bad.

[Efilroft Sul]

88. I agree with everything in your post except for one thing.

This is not an unprecedented act by the GOP. Not if you consider what the Nixon and Reagan campaigns were doing behind the backs of the Johnson and Carter administrations in 1968 and 1980.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

89. IT'S NOT SABOTAGE!! CALL IT WHAT IT REALLY IS--TREASON!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[PatrynXX]

90. reminds me of the line in the movie Elizabeth

all Norfolk need do is sign this letter and treason would have been committed

we have 47 senators now who have openly committed treason they should be charged as such and hung. or beheaded. (as the movie Elizabeth put it)

[deutsey]

93. Idiots...they should've followed Reagan's playbook

and sent envoys to meet secretly with Iranian mullahs. Toss in a few illegal arms deals to sweeten the pot.

[sanatanadharma]

98. It takes 47 republiCons to equal One Jane Fonda whom Cons are so fond of...

What to make of these Republicans essentially telling the world that the USA can not be trusted and that this country may reverse any international agreement if the next elected officials are as duplicitous and unscrupulous as these 47 republiCON Jane Fonda wannabes.

[blackspade]

101. Traitors and criminals

[Rex]

102. Bernie! Bernie! Bernie!

GET EM!