Obama tells Americans it is ‘abrogation of my constitutional duty’ to defer to Israel on Iran Deal

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

http://mondoweiss.net/2015/08/americans-abrogation-constitutional


President Obama just gave his strongest speech yet in support of the Iran deal. At the end, he called on the public to call up your representatives and tell them what kind of America we want to be. And he both honored the role of the Israel lobby in our politics and then defied it.

Don’t succumb to “political concerns,” he told the Congress, in implicit reference to the power of the Israel lobby, the millions marshaled by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, AIPAC. And he boldly defined an American national interest that is different from the Israeli one. Israel is the only country in the world that is against this deal, he said. Europe and the Security Council are behind it all the way. And while Benjamin Netanyahu is completely “sincere” in his opposition, Obama said, “As president of the United States, it would be an abrogation of my constitutional duty” to defer to Israel’s wishes on this matter.

When has the president stated before that the Israel lobby wants him to abrogate his constitutional duties? He has done so now, and let that word go forth.

In his speech at American University this afternoon, Obama was most forceful in his denunciation of the “mindset” that got us into the Iraq war, a mindset that believes in unilateral action, that exaggerates threats, and whose advocates mislead Americans about the costs of war.

[onecaliberal]

1. Because we invaded Iraq,

ISIS came into existence, Syria is at war, Libya is in chaos, Iraq is still a crazy mess. we basically destabilize the whole region. This one clusterfuck decision from an idiot republican lying president has put Israel in the most precarious position it's been in for decades. Republicans are dangerous and cannot be allowed to take this country to another pointless war. Call your reps.

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

2. I disagree. Israel has largely created its own mess.

If not for massive illegal colonization of Palestinian lands, human rights abuses committed against the Bedouin and Palestinians, interfering in US politics as well as having a bigoted right wing government Israel would be in a much better place.

Israel is the author of its own suck.

[onecaliberal]

3. I don't disagree with what you've said.

I think it's a combination. Bibi is a war criminal IMO

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

4. Yep, and the USA protects him at the UN.

[shira]

5. Uhhh...Israeli policy WRT Palestinians has nothing to do with ISIS or Iran's nukes.

Try again.

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

11. No. Get lost.

[6chars]

13. Very true

there might be some other causes

[Little Tich]

6. That was a great speech. K&R

[Sunlei]

7. love the way President Obama speaks like a college professor to us, 'the people'

verb (used with object), abrogated, abrogating. 1. to abolish by formal or official means; annul by an authoritative act; repeal: to abrogate a law. 2.

[eridani]

8. Excellent speech!! Please call your representatives in support n/t

[azurnoir]

9. Yes it is indeed

wonder if that applies to Senate and House members too?

[Martin Eden]

10. Why does Netanyahu oppose the deal?

Does he really think this deal makes it MORE likely Iran will build a bomb?

I think he's against the lifting of sanctions regardless of nukes because Iran will have a stronger economy and more normalized relations with the rest of the world. He wants Iran as weak as possible, and views war between the US and Iran as a positive development.

[geek tragedy]

12. nailed it. nt

[6chars]

14. He really distrusts Iran

for some reason

[geek tragedy]

15. so he opposes an inspection regime and verified reductions in Iran's nuclear

equipment and stockpile of enriched uranium.

brilliant.

[6chars]

16. eh, doesn't really matter

the deal is done. congress and/or senate will resolve against it. obama will veto that. congress and/or senate will not overturn. israel not going to attack iran, obama not going to attack iran, obama's successor not going to attack iran. in sometime between 5 and 15 years, iran will be nuclear capable and will probably still be the islamic republic of iran.

[geek tragedy]

17. "in sometime between 5 and 15 years, iran will be nuclear capable"

so you think Ernest Moniz is an idiot or a liar when he says they won't be able to develop that capability without the inspectors and monitors finding out?

Maybe you should get your information on this deal from sources other than Tom Cotton and Netanyahu.

[6chars]

18. i can't speak for moniz

maybe he is trying to bolster his boss' position.

[geek tragedy]

19. so your position is that Moniz and Obama are lying.

But you can't back up your claims that they are lying.

Or am I missing something here?

[6chars]

21. no

i think obama believes it is a good deal for the u.s. and he may or may not think it is good for israel, but that isn't a major consideration.

[geek tragedy]

25. You're claiming this deal will allow Iran to develop

a nuclear weapon within a decade--in other words you're saying the inspections etc are meaningless and won't prevent Iran from developing the bomb.

Do you have a rational source for this or is it just fear mongering?

[6chars]

26. i can't tell the future

can you?

i don't think the inspections are meaningless, but suspect they are not as airtight as being presented during the sell-to-the-public stage of this deal. i am uncomfortable with how perfect the deal's proponents are saying it is. can i say that?

[geek tragedy]

29. is anyone saying the deal is perfect?

http://www.sltrib.com/home/2794020-155/dems-still-weighing-iran-deal-but

At a meeting at the White House, New York Rep. Jerrold Nadler said Obama acknowledged that the deal was not perfect and that Iran would still have an "odious" government.

"He makes an impressive case, but there are still questions I have," said Nadler, a Jewish representative who has met one-on-one with the president.

[Martin Eden]

20. All the more reason for this deal

It's not based on trust.

[6chars]

22. i hope it works

[Martin Eden]

23. It's better than any other option.

By far.

[6chars]

24. i hope so

[Martin Eden]

27. Reason, not "hope"

No better deal could have been reached, and let's remember this is not a bilateral agreement between the US and Iran. It involves the other major powers, including some of our closest allies. If Congress were to scuttle this deal, the other powers would not uphold the sanctions and our leadership position would be further eroded.

Bombing Iran would do no good, and much harm. We can't occupy the country and install a puppet government, and Iran would be convinced they need nukes as the most effective deterrent to a hostile superpower. Short of mass annihilation, we can't prevent them from building nukes if they're dead set on it.

They have even more reason to distrust us than we them. We helped engineer a coup that overthrew their democratically elected government in 1953. We imposed upon them a quarter century of repression by the Shah, then shortly after that we supported Saddam Hussein in his bloody 8 year war against Iran -- including WMD.

Iran has a large population of young people enamored with Western goods and culture. Time is on our side, unless we radicalized them into permanent enemies.

[6chars]

28. maybe so

i certainly try to reason that the good potential outweighs the bad. but i can also hope that without having to convince myself that it is inevitable. of course it's not. my main hope in this isn't about technology, and it is certainly not about the other major players (Russia?). It is about iran moderating for the reasons you state - if the deal buys enough time that this happens before major war breaks out, then we can call it a success. if 10-15 years from now most of the deal's teeth are gone and there is still a supreme leader chanting death to israel, death to america, then i think we will look back on it less favorably. i am discouraged by iranian talk post-deal that seems to be clarifying that they aren't backing off of the dti/dta message, but i guess time will tell on that too.