Mediaboss Marketing

WASHINGTON Democrats in the White House and Congress accused 47 GOP senators of undermining President Barack Obama in international talks to curb Irans nuclear program, saying that trying to upend diplomatic negotiations was tantamount to rushing into war with Tehran.

The decision to undercut our president and circumvent our constitutional system offends me as a matter of principle, Vice President Joe Biden said in a statement.

In an open letter Monday to the leaders of Iran, Republican lawmakers warned that any nuclear deal they cut with Obama could expire the day he walks out of the Oval Office. The letter was an aggressive attempt to make it more difficult for Obama and five world powers to strike an initial agreement by the end of March to limit Irans nuclear program, which Tehran insists is for peaceful purposes.

Republicans worry that Iran is not negotiating in good faith and that a deal would be insufficient and unenforceable, allowing Iran to eventually become a nuclear-armed state. They have made a series of proposals to undercut or block it from requiring Senate say-so on any agreement to ordering new penalty sanctions against Iran to threats of stronger measures.

The Republicans move comes just days after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke to a joint meeting of Congress at Republican House Speaker John Boehners invitation. In his address, Netanyahu bluntly warned the United States that a deal would pave Irans path to a nuclear bomb.

I think its somewhat ironic that some members of Congress want to make common cause with the hard-liners in Iran, Obama said about conservative Iranians who also are leery of, or downright against, the negotiations. Its an unusual coalition.

The letter, written by freshman Sen. Tom Cotton, was addressed to the Leaders of the Islamic Republic of Iran and presents itself as a constitutional primer to the government of an American adversary. The signature of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky is on it, as are those of several prospective presidential candidates.

Explaining the difference between a Senate-ratified treaty and a mere agreement between Obama and Irans Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the senators warned, The next president could revoke such an executive agreement with the stroke of a pen, and future Congresses could modify the terms of the agreement at any time.

Cotton defended the letter in a series of television appearances Tuesday morning, denying emphatically that it undermines Obamas negotiating position with Iran.

No, he said. Were making sure that Irans leaders understand that if Congress doesnt approve a deal, Congress wont accept a deal.

View post:
Democrats denounce GOP letter to Iran

Then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton checking her phone in 2010. For many Democrats, the answer to the question: "If not Hillary, who?" is disaster. AFP/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

Then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton checking her phone in 2010. For many Democrats, the answer to the question: "If not Hillary, who?" is disaster.

The back-to-back Clinton controversies are making Democrats queasy.

At a time when more than a dozen Republican presidential hopefuls are jostling each other in New Hampshire and Iowa, this should be a great moment for the virtually unopposed Hillary Clinton. She could be staying above the fray, using the time to staff up and prepare her policy agenda. But that's not what's happening.

Instead, she's fending off a pair of controversies one on her use of a personal email account (linked to a server in her home in Chappaqua, N.Y.), while she was secretary of state and a second on the Clinton Foundation's fundraising from foreign governments. While we await an expected Clinton "conversation" later this week about them, here are some reasons why Democrats are freaking out about Hillary Clinton's current troubles and one reason why maybe they shouldn't.

Why they're freaking out:

1. Democrats feel like they've just stepped into the wayback machine and not in a good way.

The revelations revive all the old 1990s tropes about the Clintons that there's always a whiff of "Pay to Play" in Clinton World; they're blind to appearances of impropriety; they feel the rules don't apply to them; and they aren't transparent. That's part of why Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif. one of the most important voices in the party said on NBC's Meet the Press Sunday Clinton should "step up" and explain the emails. Feinstein said what many other Democrats think that continued silence from Clinton will hurt her even more.

2. It won't go away any time soon.

The State Department will take months to go through the 55,000 emails Clinton has turned over to them (which isn't even all of the emails); congressional Republicans will hold hearings until Election Day; and Republican presidential candidates will be sure to keep beating the drum.

See the original post:
3 Reasons Democrats Are Freaking Out About Hillary Clinton

Senate Democrats said Tuesday that the GOP letter about nuclear talks with Iran undercuts the U.S. at the negotiating table and threatens to torpedo bipartisanship on Capitol Hill when it comes to the delicate issue of preventing a nuclear-armed Iran.

Former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton also weighed in, saying Republicans were either trying to help the Iranians or hurt President Barack Obama.

As negotiators rush to reach an accord with Iran by the end of the month, partisan bickering continued on Capitol Hill, prompting Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia to ask, rhetorically: "Is the Senate capable of tackling challenging national security questions in a mature and responsible way?"

Kaine said the letter freshman Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., wrote to the leaders of Iran amounted to a partisan "sideshow."

The letter, signed by 47 of the Senate's 54 Republicans, including members of the leadership and potential presidential candidates, warned that unless Congress approved it, any nuclear deal they cut with Obama could expire the minute he leaves office.

The U.S. and five other nations are working to craft an agreement that would prevent Iran from being able to develop nuclear weapons. Tehran insists its nuclear work is peaceful. Republicans worry that Iran is not negotiating in good faith and that a deal would be insufficient and unenforceable, allowing Iran to eventually become a nuclear-armed state.

Cotton denied undermining Obama's negotiating position. Appearing on MSNBC, he said, "We're making sure that Iran's leaders understand that if Congress doesn't approve a deal, Congress won't accept a deal." He accused Iran of seeking "a nuclear umbrella so they can continue to export terrorism around the world."

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif was quoted by the website of Iranian state TV on Tuesday as saying the letter's warning that any nuclear deal could be scrapped once Obama leaves office suggests the United States is "not trustworthy." He called the letter "unprecedented and undiplomatic." Earlier, he had dismissed it as a "propaganda ploy."

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell defended the letter.

"If there is not a deal, we've had some of our Democratic friends say the choice is between this deal and war," he told reporters. "No, the choice is between this deal and greater sanctions because we've finally discovered one thing that works."

See the article here:
Democrats Denounce GOP Letter on Iran Nuke Talks

Six Democrats seeking to be Philadelphia's next mayor each filed well over the required 1,000 signatures on nominating petitions by Tuesday's deadline.

State Sen. Anthony Hardy Williams led the pack, announcing that his staff and volunteers had gathered signatures from 15,269 registered Democratic voters.

Former City Councilman James F. Kenney was not far behind, with 12,167 signatures.

Former Common Pleas Court Judge Nelson A. Diaz's campaign said he had 4,939 signatures.

Former State Sen. T. Milton Street Sr., who ran for mayor in 2011 after serving 26 months in federal prison for not paying taxes on $3 million in income, filed 3,261 signatures for another run.

Street needed two tries to submit his signatures Tuesday. He was turned away the first time because he had not completed all of the paperwork necessary to become a candidate.

For City Council, four of 10 incumbents in district seats will face challengers in the primary.

Kenyatta Johnson (Second District) will face real estate developer Ori Feibush.

Jannie L. Blackwell (Third District) is running against Tony Dphax King, who attempted to run against Blackwell in 2011 but was removed from the ballot.

See more here:
Six Democrats file petitions to run for Philly mayor

Barrasso: Time for Senate Democrats to Stop Blocking DHS Funding

By: barrassowyo

Read more from the original source:
Barrasso: Time for Senate Democrats to Stop Blocking DHS Funding - Video