The Same People Who Pushed for the Invasion of Iraq Now Want to Scrap the Iran Deal
Whip count at the bottom--please call undecideds tomorrow!
http://www.thenation.com/article/the-same-people-who-pushed-for-the-invasion-of-iraq-now-want-to-scrap-the-iran-deal/
Their confidence in a set of secret laws and violent policies that could destroy innocent lives and warp the Constitution. The neoconservatives—the opinion-makers and legislative pedagogues who since 2001 have justified the Cheney-Bush policies—fit the same description. They are relentless, they push until they are stopped, and thus far they have never been stopped for long.
The campaign for the Iraq war of 2003, the purest example of their handiwork, began with a strategy memorandum in 1996, so it is fair to say that they have been pitching to break up the Middle East for a full two decades. But fortune played them a nasty trick with the signing of the nuclear agreement between the P5+1 powers and Iran. War and the prospect of war have been the source of their undeniable importance. If the Iran nuclear deal attains legitimacy, much of their power will slip through their fingers. The imperialist idealism that drives their ventures from day to day will be cheated of the enemy it cannot live without.
Iran might then become just one more unlucky country—authoritarian and cruelly oppressive but an object of persuasion and not the focus of a never-ending threat of force. The neoconservatives are enraged and their response has been feverish: if they were an individual, you would say that he was a danger to himself and others. They still get plenty of attention and airtime, but the main difference between 2003 and 2015 is the absence of a president who obeys them—something that has only served to sharpen their anger.
TITLE FIRST LAST DISTRICT POSITION
Alabama
Rep. Terri Sewell 7 Undeclared
Arizona
Rep. Ruben Gallego 7 Undeclared
Rep. Raul Grijalva 3 Support
Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick 1 Undeclared
Rep. Kyrsten Sinema 9 Undeclared
California
Sen. Barbara Boxer Support
Sen. Dianne Feinstein Support
Rep. Pete Aguilar 31 Undeclared
Rep. Karen Bass 37 Undeclared
Rep. Xavier Becerra 34 Undeclared
Rep. Ami Bera 7 Undeclared
Rep. Julia Brownley 26 Undeclared
Rep. Lois Capps 24 Support
Rep. Tony Cardenas 29 Undeclared
Rep. Judy Chu 27 Undeclared
Rep. Jim Costa 16 Undeclared
Rep. Susan Davis 53 Undeclared
Rep. Mark DeSaulnier 11 Undeclared
Rep. Anna Eshoo 18 Support
Rep. Sam Farr 20 Support
Rep. John Garamendi 3 Support
Rep. Janice Hahn 44 Undeclared
Rep. Michael Honda 17 Support
Rep. Jared Huffman 2 Undeclared
Rep. Barbara Lee 13 Support
Rep. Ted Lieu 33 Undeclared
Rep. Zoe Lofgren 19 Undeclared
Rep. Alan Lowenthal 47 Undeclared
Rep. Doris Matsui 6 Support
Rep. Jerry McNerney 9 Support
Rep. Grace Napolitano 32 Undeclared
Rep. Nancy Pelosi 12 Support
Rep. Scott Peters 52 Undeclared
Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard 40 Undeclared
Rep. Raul Ruiz 36 Undeclared
Rep. Linda Sanchez 38 Undeclared
Rep. Loretta Sanchez 46 Undeclared
Rep. Adam Schiff 28 Support
Rep. Brad Sherman 30 Oppose
Rep. Jackie Speier 14 Support
Rep. Eric Swalwell 15 Support
Rep. Mark Takano 41 Support
Rep. Mike Thompson 5 Support
Rep. Norma Torres 35 Undeclared
Rep. Juan Vargas 51 Oppose
Rep. Maxine Waters 43 Undeclared
Colorado
Sen. Michael Bennet Undeclared
Rep. Diana DeGette 1 Undeclared
Rep. Ed Perlmutter 7 Undeclared
Rep. Jared Polis 2 Undeclared
Connecticut
Sen. Richard Blumenthal Undeclared
Sen. Chris Murphy Support
Rep. Joe Courtney 2 Support
Rep. Rosa DeLauro 3 Support
Rep. Elizabeth Esty 5 Undeclared
Rep. Jim Himes 4 Support
Rep. John Larson 1 Support
Delaware
Sen. Tom Carper Undeclared
Sen. Chris Coons Undeclared
Rep. John Carney AL Undeclared
Florida
Sen. Bill Nelson Support
Rep. Corrine Brown 5 Undeclared
Rep. Kathy Castor 14 Undeclared
Rep. Ted Deutch 21 Oppose
Rep. Lois Frankel 22 Undeclared
Rep. Gwen Graham 2 Undeclared
Rep. Alan Grayson 9 Undeclared
Rep. Alcee Hastings 20 Oppose
Rep. Patrick Murphy 18 Undeclared
Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz 23 Undeclared
Rep. Frederica Wilson 24 Undeclared
Georgia
Rep. Sanford Bishop 2 Undeclared
Rep. Hank Johnson 4 Undeclared
Rep. John Lewis 5 Undeclared
Rep. David Scott 13 Oppose
Hawaii
Sen. Brian Schatz Support
Sen. Mazie Hirono Support
Rep. Tulsi Gabbard 2 Undeclared
Rep. Mark Takai 1 Undeclared
Idaho
Illinois
Sen. Richard Durbin Support
Rep. Cheri Bustos 17 Undeclared
Rep. Danny Davis 7 Undeclared
Rep. Tammy Duckworth 8 Undeclared
Rep. Bill Foster 11 Undeclared
Rep. Luis Gutierrez 4 Support
Rep. Robin Kelly 2 Undeclared
Rep. Daniel Lipinski 3 Undeclared
Rep. Mike Quigley 5 Undeclared
Rep. Bobby Rush 1 Undeclared
Rep. Jan Schakowsky 9 Support
Indiana
Sen. Joe Donnelly Support
Rep. Andre Carson 7 Support
Rep. Peter Visclosky 1 Undeclared
Iowa
Rep. Dave Loebsack 2 Undeclared
Kansas
Kentucky
Rep. John Yarmuth 3 Support
Louisiana
Rep. Cedric Richmond 2 Undeclared
Maine
Sen. Angus King (I) Support
Rep. Chellie Pingree 1 Undeclared
Maryland
Sen. Barbara Mikulski Undeclared
Sen. Ben Cardin Undeclared
Rep. Elijah Cummings 7 Undeclared
Rep. John Delaney 6 Undeclared
Rep. Donna Edwards 4 Support
Rep. Steny Hoyer 5 Undeclared
Rep. C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger 2 Undeclared
Rep. John Sarbanes 3 Undeclared
Rep. Chris Van Hollen 8 Support
Massachusetts
Sen. Elizabeth Warren Support
Sen. Edward Markey Support
Rep. Michael Capuano 7 Undeclared
Rep. Katherine Clark 5 Support
Rep. William Keating 9 Undeclared
Rep. Joseph Kennedy 4 Undeclared
Rep. Stephen Lynch 8 Support
Rep. Jim McGovern 2 Support
Rep. Seth Moulton 6 Support
Rep. Richard Neal 1 Undeclared
Rep. Niki Tsongas 3 Support
Michigan
Sen. Gary Peters Undeclared
Sen. Debbie Stabenow Support
Rep. John Conyers 13 Undeclared
Rep. Debbie Dingell 12 Undeclared
Rep. Dan Kildee 5 Support
Rep. Brenda Lawrence 14 Undeclared
Rep. Sander Levin 9 Support
Minnesota
Sen. Al Franken Support
Sen. Amy Klobuchar Support
Rep. Keith Ellison 5 Support
Rep. Betty McCollum 4 Support
Rep. Rick Nolan 8 Undeclared
Rep. Collin Peterson 7 Undeclared
Rep. Tim Walz 1 Support
Mississippi
Rep. Bennie Thompson 2 Undeclared
Missouri
Sen. Claire McCaskill Support
Rep. William Lacy Clay 1 Undeclared
Rep. Emanuel Cleaver 5 Undeclared
Montana
Sen. Jon Tester Support
Nebraska
Rep. Brad Ashford 2 Undeclared
Nevada
Sen. Harry Reid Support
Rep. Dina Titus 1 Undeclared
New Hampshire
Sen. Jeanne Shaheen Support
Rep. Ann Kuster 2 Undeclared
New Jersey
Sen. Cory Booker Undeclared
Sen. Bob Menendez Oppose
Rep. Donald Norcross 1 Oppose
Rep. Frank Pallone 6 Undeclared
Rep. Bill Pascrell 9 Undeclared
Rep. Donald Payne 10 Support
Rep. Albio Sires 8 Undeclared
Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman 12 Undeclared
New Mexico
Sen. Martin Heinrich Support
Sen. Tom Udall Support
Rep. Ben Lujan 3 Undeclared
Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham 1 Undeclared
New York
Sen. Kristin Gillibrand Support
Sen. Charles Schumer Oppose
Rep. Yvette Clarke 9 Undeclared
Rep. Joseph Crowley 14 Undeclared
Rep. Eliot Engel 16 Oppose
Rep. Brian Higgins 26 Undeclared
Rep. Steve Israel 3 Oppose
Rep. Hakeem Jeffries 8 Undeclared
Rep. Nita Lowey 17 Oppose
Rep. Carolyn Maloney 12 Undeclared
Rep. Sean Maloney 18 Undeclared
Rep. Gregory Meeks 5 Undeclared
Rep. Grace Meng 6 Oppose
Rep. Jerrold Nadler 10 Support
Rep. Charles Rangel 13 Undeclared
Rep. Kathleen Rice 4 Undeclared
Rep. Jose Serrano 15 Undeclared
Rep. Louise Slaughter 25 Support
Rep. Paul Tonko 20 Support
Rep. Nydia Velazquez 7 Undeclared
North Carolina
Rep. Alma Adams 12 Undeclared
Rep. G.K. Butterfield 1 Undeclared
Rep. David Price 4 Support
North Dakota
Sen. Heidi Heitkamp Undeclared
Ohio
Sen. Sherrod Brown Support
Rep. Joyce Beatty 3 Undeclared
Rep. Marcia Fudge 11 Undeclared
Rep. Marcy Kaptur 9 Undeclared
Rep. Tim Ryan 13 Undeclared
Oklahoma
Oregon
Sen. Ron Wyden Undeclared
Sen. Jeff Merkley Undeclared
Rep. Earl Blumenauer 3 Support
Rep. Suzanne Bonamici 1 Undeclared
Rep. Peter DeFazio 4 Support
Rep. Kurt Schrader 5 Undeclared
Pennsylvania
Sen. Bob Casey Undeclared
Rep. Brendan Boyle 13 Undeclared
Rep. Robert Brady 1 Undeclared
Rep. Matt Cartwright 17 Undeclared
Rep. Mike Doyle 14 Undeclared
Rep. Chaka Fattah 2 Undeclared
Rhode Island
Sen. Jack Reed Support
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse Support
Rep. David Cicilline 1 Undeclared
Rep. Jim Langevin 2 Undeclared
South Carolina
Rep. James Clyburn 6 Support
South Dakota
Tennessee
Rep. Steve Cohen 9 Support
Rep. Jim Cooper 5 Undeclared
Texas
Rep. Joaquin Castro 20 Undeclared
Rep. Henry Cuellar 28 Undeclared
Rep. Lloyd Doggett 35 Support
Rep. Al Green 9 Undeclared
Rep. Gene Green 29 Undeclared
Rep. Ruben Hinojosa 15 Support
Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee 18 Undeclared
Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson 30 Support
Rep. Beto O’Rourke 16 Support
Rep. Marc Veasey 33 Undeclared
Rep. Filemon Vela 34 Undeclared
Utah
Vermont
Sen. Patrick Leahy Support
Sen. Bernard Sanders (I) Support
Rep. Peter Welch AL Support
Virginia
Sen. Mark Warner Undeclared
Sen. Tim Kaine Support
Rep. Don Beyer 8 Support
Rep. Gerald Connolly 11 Support
Rep. Robert Scott 3 Undeclared
Washington
Sen. Patty Murray Undeclared
Sen. Maria Cantwell Undeclared
Rep. Suzan DelBene 1 Undeclared
Rep. Denny Heck 10 Support
Rep. Derek Kilmer 6 Undeclared
Rep. Rick Larsen 2 Undeclared
Rep. Jim McDermott 7 Support
Rep. Adam Smith 9 Undeclared
West Virginia
Sen. Joe Manchin Undeclared
Wisconsin
Sen. Tammy Baldwin Support
Rep. Ron Kind 3 Undeclared
Rep. Gwen Moore 4 Support
Rep. Mark Pocan 2 Support
Wyoming
= new reply since forum marked as read
From Kissinger's "Platform State" to the Plutonium Club
How the US Supplied Iran with Nuclear Know-How
By Saul Landau
Counterpunch Weekend Edition September 9 / 11, 2005
EXCERPT…
Such stories provoke the question: how could Iran have obtained nuclear capabilities? Surely, those irresponsible former Soviet scientists must have sold them the technology, a colleague guessed. "Those people would sell anything after the fall of the Soviet Union."
Not quite! It was US policy, not anti-American Moslem fanaticism that led Iran directly into the nuclear age. In the late 1960s, Iran stood out as a model ally of the United States. After all, the ruling Shah owed the CIA after the Agency's operatives ousted elected Premier Mossadegh's government in 1953. CIA action followed Mossadegh's declaration that he would nationalize foreign oil holdings. The Shah understood loyalty to those who reinstalled his "royal family" to dictatorial power.
His servility won him nuclear access. "The US and her allies were in fact the driving force behind the birth of Iran's nuclear program in the late 1960s and early 1970s" (Mohammad Sahimi, Iran's Nuclear Program. Part I: Its History October 2003). By 1974, the Shah, after consulting with Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, boasted that nuclear power plants in Iran would soon produce more than 20,000 megawatts of energy.
In the mid-1970s, led by Kissinger who saw in Iran a "platform state" to fight communism in the region, Washington proposed that The Shah expand his nuclear capacity by acquiring as many as twenty three nuclear reactors. According to Mohammad Sahimi, the work on the reactors began in 1974 with the help of MIT engineers who contracted to train Iranian nuclear technicians.
Sahimi cites a speech by Sydney Sober, a State Department official who in October 1977, "declared that the Shah's government was going to purchase eight nuclear reactors from the US for generating electricity. On July 10, 1978, only seven months before the victory of the Islamic Revolution in Iran, the final draft of the US-Iran Nuclear Energy Agreement was signed. The agreement was supposed to facilitate cooperation in the field of nuclear energy and to govern the export and transfer of equipment and material to Iran's nuclear energy program. Iran was also to receive American technology and help in searching for uranium deposits."
Why, asked critics, should a nation with huge oil and gas reserves invest in nuclear technology? Why not? Both General Electric and Westinghouse sold Iran reactors. These manufacturers of nuclear energy plants for the third world and their media acolytes regaled The Shah for his "westernizing policies," his far-sightedness in seeing beyond the age of oil.
CONTINUED…
http://www.counterpunch.org/landau09092005.html
Of course, when Big Oil's Puppet Shah got run out of Dodge, it wasn't OK anymore for Iran to have a nuclear program.
