As was widely expected, the first attempt by Senate Republicans to block the P5+1 nuclear deal with Iran failed, falling two votes short of a cloture vote that would’ve allowed them to bypass a filibuster. This 42-58 vote was the same as would be expected in the vote on the bill itself, which would be well short of what is needed to override a presidential veto.
The vote was pretty much entirely on party lines, with all the Republicans and four Democrats voting to end debate on the bill, and all remaining Democrats and Independents voting for the debate (and by extension the filibuster) to continue.
Majority Whip Sen. John Cornyn (R -TX) appeared unfazed, and promised more votes aimed at killing the deal, insisting “it will be all Iran next week” and that there was still plenty of time to convince more Democrats to vote against the pact. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R – KY) also confirmed there will be “at least” one more vote next week.
The 60-day Congressional review process expires next Thursday, September 17, and barring anything really unforeseen, there is no reason to expect any changes. Even if the Republicans muster the 60 votes to bypass the filibuster, they are far from the 67 needed to override the veto.
AIPAC, the Israel Lobby which invested tens of millions of dollars in lobbying to kill the deal, try to present the failed vote as a partial victory, saying that the narrow majority proved that Congress “rejects the profoundly flawed nuclear deal.”
Rand Paul has shown his true colors. He could have stood against the Israeli Lobby, but he didn't. His father he is not.
I am glad to see that the Lobby is defeated this time. I guess all the pieces were in place: it had to be a Democrat president, since only Democrats are sanctified by the media. It had to be one with victim status. It had to be after failed Lobby-induced wars based on blatant lies, costing countless lives. It had to be an issue where even former Israeli generals, former heads of the Shin Bet and Mossad, opposed a crazed Israeli prime minister who is lusting for blood like few other. It had to be a deal supported by Britain, France, Germany, China and Russia, with the IAEA and U.S. intelligence services saying "Are you nuts? There is zero evidence that Iran would be trying to get nukes!"
And even then there was only a two-vote margin. But the Lobby WAS defeated. And that could mean something in the future. People in Washington could say that hey, maybe we CAN oppose them without being destroyed. Maybe eventually we can be free of their grip on Capitol Hill.
Maybe. It would save American money, American lives, and foreign lives.
I know ex-pat Iranians who are not the least bit religious, but that doesn't mean they approve of the attacks on their country. To think that Iran – which hasn't attacked any country in two centuries – would want nukes to attack Israel in a suicide state is ridiculous to them. Their government just wants to build the country. Right now they are destroyed by sanctions. Their money, hundreds of billions of dollars, is frozen in foreign accounts thanks to the Lobby.
Iran would have been the region's economic power house if it hadn't been for the decades-long attacks, first by the CIA overthrowing Iran's democracy in Operation Ajax, then the U.S. funding Iraq's invasion of Iran which cost two million lives and destroyed the western cities, and then the continuous economic warfare. They would have been prosperous and the major trade partner in the region – which is why Israel attacks them. Because the Iranians, while Shia, support the Sunni and Christian Palestinians. (A solidarity no Sunnis show for Shias.) And that's enough to make 78 million Iranians suffer.
"AIPAC, the Israel Lobby which invested tens of millions of dollars in lobbying to kill the deal…"
This is peanuts compared to what the little Zionist troll Adelson is going to spend to put (his)
flunky into the White House next year.
At what point does the American people are going to come to the
realization that AIPAC is a foreign entity and should be declared
persona non grata.
I called my Senator's office (Manchin -D, WV) and asked his staffer why "Joe" voted with the GOP on the Iran deal. I suggested it was one of two conditions and please tell me which one. Either AIPAC wrote a big enough check or "Joe" is going thru a change from Democrat to Republican (ala Caitlyn Jenner). The staffer swore that "Joe" had security concerns – which maybe someone in pre-school somewhere believes.
"…the narrow majority proved that Congress “rejects the profoundly flawed nuclear deal."
Wrong. They can spin this anyway they want but it won't change the fact that the majority of the American people have indicated that they are fine with the deal – almost any poll will validate that. The Republicans have only proven that they are a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Zionist whack-jobs in Jerusalem – and they have no place to hide anymore. The fact that they have been allowed to continue to bray on that Iran has been and are still pursuing a nuclear weapon despite over-whelming evidence to the contrary from our own intelligence agencies (16 of them!!) – as well as the Israeli intelligence agency itself – has run it's course. They'll have to come up with some other cockamamie theory…which I'm sure they will.
Why can't the Repugs and some Dems try to rule the country and make important, real decisions instead of constantly indulging in ludicrous fanatical campaigns based on lies and violence on issues which really need adult intelligent action.
Because fixing the potholes, or the bridge that you drive over every day, requires something real to be done. If you set a real goal, others can measure your progress and assess your effectiveness.
Huffing and puffing about some far off land doesn't really require you to show any real positive or meaningful result. If your wheezing makes the situation worse, you can always claim it would have been "worser" if you hadn't stuck your snout into it.