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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsAIPAC reverses course and supports President Obama's position on Iran sanctions -- Bill Clinton too
by HoundDog
In a major reversal, the pro-Israel lobby AIPAC is now supporting President Obama's position and is urging the Senate wait to vote on the Iran sanctions bill until after seeing if the Presidents efforts at negotiating a diplomatic solution can succeed. Last night, former President Bill Clinton also urged the Senate to wait until to give the diplomatic efforts a chance to succeed.
The AIPAC announcement came after a speech by Senate Foreign Relations Chairman Robert Menendez (D-N.J) that "now is not the time to move forward on a sanctions bill that both Iran and Obama have said would disrupt fragile diplomatic negotiations."
In Bill Clinton, AIPAC urge delay on Iran sanctions, Politico reports:
We agree with the Chairman that stopping the Iranian nuclear program should rest on bipartisan support and that there should not be a vote at this time on the measure. We remain committed to working with the Administration and the bipartisan leadership in Congress to ensure that the Iran nuclear program is dismantled, AIPAC said in a statement.
Menendez did not explicitly say on the Senate floor that he did not want an immediate vote, though he did warn against the Senates posture toward Iran becoming a partisan process trying to force a vote on a national security matter before its appropriate time, referring to a fresh Republican push for a vote on Menendezs bill on Thursday.
Making this reversal even more dramatic it comes just after 42 GOP Senator delivered a letter to Senator Majority Leader Harry Leader demanding that a vote be held on the Iran sanctions bill:
Now we have come to a crossroads, the Republicans wrote in the letter spearheaded by Kirk. Will the Senate allow Iran to keep its illicit nuclear infrastructure in place, rebuild its teetering economy and ultimately develop nuclear weapons at some point in the future or will the Senate stand firm on behalf of the American people and insist that any final agreement with Iran must dismantle the regimes illicit nuclear infrastructure and preclude the worlds foremost state sponsor of terrorism from ever producing nuclear weapons?
Senator Reid lashed back at the GOP letter accusing them of making this a "totally partisan letter" which was "wrong."
Former President Clinton attended a private Democratic retreat for Senators last night and urged Senators to allow President Obama's negotiations to play out before voting on this bill. The dozen or so Democratic Senators that had crossed over to join the GOP attempt to push this bill through have backed down and now are apparently supporting our President.
I wish I could be a fly on the wall to hear what the GOP is saying in response to the major change.
This is great news indeed. I totally support this new direction for AIPAC, and have always fully supporting President Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry in the leadership of American national security and foreign policy in this matter. They both deserve great praise for their courage to stand up for their diplomatic strategy despite enormous pressure, even from many Democrats.
Progressive democrats, the many progressive American pro-Israel Jewish leaders, and others who have fought back against this Iran sanctions bill that our President claimed would undermine his efforts for peace can also be proud and happy these efforts have succeeded.
....I added an extra line to highlight my happiness and pride at President Obama's and Secretary of State Kerry's courage and persistence in this matter despite much pressure. This is real leadership at work and a substantial accomplish that is far more important than it may first appear. We may have just avoided a major new war by the courage of our President.
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/02/06/1275699/-AIPAC-reverses-course-and-supports-President-Obama-s-position-on-Iran-sanctions-Bill-Clinton-too
Note:
ProSense
(116,464 posts)DK comment:
"Funny how AIPAC came out against a sanctions vote the minute they learned...there wouldn't be a sanctions vote."
Lol
http://www.dailykos.com/comments/1275699/52573655#c2
LOL!
Senate effectively scraps Iran sanctions bill
http://election.democraticunderground.com/10024443659
Cha
(297,291 posts)and not so good for the warmongers.
DonViejo
(60,536 posts)he thought he was so damned close to being able to stand up and sing "Bomb, Bomb Iran." Lindsey Graham's response should be choice all so. Tshe jerks.
Cha
(297,291 posts)DonViejo
(60,536 posts)ProSense
(116,464 posts)Obamacare is just like Iran Contra.
Cha
(297,291 posts)they have no clue that their insane comparisons end up making them look like..
TheMathieu
(456 posts)freshwest
(53,661 posts)sheshe2
(83,788 posts)is give peace a chance!
Love ya fresh!
freshwest
(53,661 posts)JDPriestly
(57,936 posts)Republicans always criticize their opponents for the very strengths of their opponents. That is why the Republicans are trying to make so much of a deal of the Benghazi events. Obama's great strength is his ability to manage foreign policy so well. So Republicans try to destroy Obama's reputation in that area.
sheshe2
(83,788 posts)Thank you.
think
(11,641 posts)Awesome to see diplomacy given a real chance.
WillyT
(72,631 posts)BlueCaliDem
(15,438 posts)This is real leadership at work and a substantial accomplish that is far more important than it may first appear. We may have just avoided a major new war by the courage of our President.
I hope (but won't hold my breath) that the ObamaHaters on this site - who hide behind "criticizing his policies" in order to spew their pure hatred of this great president - will rec this thread as enthusiastically as they do every single anti-Obama thread they can find around here. I mean, this is a major accomplishment for peace and it showed true progressive leadership. So if their criticism of him is merely because of his not-liberal-enuff policies is true, then they should be flocking here to rec this thread.
But like I said, I won't hold my breath.
Jesus Malverde
(10,274 posts)Peace is harder than war.
Thanks ProSense!
Drunken Irishman
(34,857 posts)Chathamization
(1,638 posts)sabotage the negotiations. Let them know that there are consequences for trying to stop peace and push war.