Andrew McCarthy: what Congress can do about the Iran deal
Andrew McCarthy has not been a fan of Corker-Menendez, to say the least. Today he has an article in National Review that lucidly explains how the bill can be taken to its logical conclusion by living up to its provisions, under which Congress can state that Obama has not lived up to his side of the bargain.
McCarthy’s argument goes like this (but please read the whole thing):
While maddening, the Corker bill is not an abject congressional surrender to Obama and Tehran. It is a conditional surrender. It would grant Obama grudging congressional endorsement of the deal in the absence of a now unattainable veto-proof resolution of disapproval, but only if Obama fulfills certain basic terms. Obama has not complied with the most basic one: the mandate that he provide the complete Iran deal for Congress’s consideration. Therefore, notwithstanding Washington’s frenzied assumption that the 60-day period for a congressional vote is winding down, the clock has never actually started to run. Congress’s obligations under Corker have never been triggered; the Corker process is moot.
As I have previously outlined, Obama has withheld from Congress the Iran deal’s key inspection and verification provisions…
It is not enough to say that Congress has no obligation to proceed with the Corker review process. It would, under the act, be impermissible for Congress to do so…
As I have been arguing for weeks, Congress must scrap the Corker process and treat Obama’s Iran deal as either a treaty or proposed legislation. Consequently, I could not agree more with my friend Jim Geraghty that the Senate should regard the deal as a treaty and vote it down decisively ”” as I’ve pointed out, senators don’t need the president’s cooperation to do this; their authority to review international agreements as treaties comes from the Constitution, not from Obama.
As I said, the article is well worth reading in its entirety. However, the basic point is that Congress has not abdicated its right to vote on the Iran deal as a treaty (something I’ve also been saying for quite some time), and it can and should do that. However, that does not mean that Obama or the Supreme Court would consider it a treaty and that the down vote would have any force in that regard; it would not. What it would do is something else:
The courts are unlikely to referee a dispute regarding the relative power of the political branches to bind the nation to international agreements ”” even though the judges may have to get involved to the extent the sanctions affect the rights of private parties. No, the reason to reject the Iran deal as a treaty is to lay the groundwork for the next president to abandon the deal. That involves putting other countries on notice, immediately, that the U.S. statutory sanctions are still in effect; that Obama is powerless to lift them permanently; that the next president is likely to enforce them; and that countries, businesses, and individuals that rely on Obama’s mere executive agreement as a rationale for resuming commerce with Tehran do so at their peril.
That’s it.
Will Congress listen to McCarthy’s counsel? As I read his article, I was saying to myself, “Yes, yes, do it!” But at the same time I was wondering whether McConnell would be saying “yes, yes!” as well, and the sad thing is that I don’t think there’s much chance of that, which is why I detest the current GOP leadership in Congress. I would like to be pleasantly surprised by them, although I very much doubt it will happen.
The real deal: The Democrats get the Iran deal and Planned Parenthood, the Republicans get the EXIM bank.
Lest ye be offended remember that our legislators are honorable men – they stay bought.
McConnell, Boehner and the majority of the Republican Congress will do nothing and, in doing nothing, they act as accomplices to Obama’s treason.
I think it’s time to adopt the operating principle that Boehner and McConnell and much of the GOP leadership don’t actually object to anything Obama is doing.
They aren’t being rolled.
The crux of the problem is that Mitch won’t do a thing.
He should. Well over 60% of voters disapprove of the problem.
the Constitution says Congress is supposed approve treaties.
And that’s a deal between two countries, which this is.
Why Iran is a Jewish issue?
“Large-scale Jewish immigration to the US began in the 19th century, but it was the second generation – the first American-born Jews – that really bought into political life. “Jewish political activity probably starts around 1924,” Steven M. Cohen, a research professor at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, told me. It “derived from their sense of exclusion from American society. They’re fighting for inclusion and acceptance.”
For American Jews, experience with intolerance helped to make the idea of a Jewish state especially important.”
JR
That’s backwards revisionism.
American Jewry became Politically hyperactive BECAUSE they were brought into American political life. All that was EVER necessary was to get registered to vote. Which, BTW, was virtually compulsory as the machine bosses wanted every Irishman, Italian and Jew to vote, vote often, …and vote Democrat. (And they did.)
It couldn’t happen any other way.
BTW, when they did so in confluence with the urban Irish and Italians they established a stranglehold on city power. This was ENTIRELY upside down from their collective experiences in Europe — ESPECIALLY the Pale of Settlement.
All three demographics voted Democrat continuously — massively so — for generations.
Now that they are drifting off the Democrat reservation — the elites are importing ‘fresh ones’ being not one bit less corrupt than Boss Tweed.
Speaker Pelosi comes from the Baltimore machine dynasty… and she’s hardly unique.
Under the current “leadership”, Congress is totally irrelevant.
Our Radical Islamic BFF, Saudi Arabia
by Thomas L. Friedman
blert
I agree with your comment in first part, but they are now driving the American political life now
Snopercod nailed it. Weepy Boehner and turkey waddle McConnell are our Benedict Arnolds. I have been bombarding my 2 gop senators to stage a coup d’etat to send Mitch to the woodshed. My rep is edging towards supporting the newest effort to send Boehner to join Mitch.
Yes Boner andMcConnell are weasels but if the Republican presidential candidates all make this a major issue the weasels may be forced to act
If the Leftist alliance is as evil as some of us claim it is, then does evil have the power to corrupt Republicans in DC?
As to the Repubics there is this Chamber of Commerce thingy:
BRING IT, FATCATS: Chamber of Crony Capitalism Declares War on Limited Government Conservatives.
Somehow the TEA party ran out of gas and,
Business is business:TPP.
Does everyone remember Vince Foster? the Clintons’ lawyer who committed suicide?
What led up to that is what is telling — and damning. It also reveals Hillary and Bill’s modus operandi.
Lie, stonewall, conceal and destroy evidence. Then skate away from it all like Hans Brinker.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-508210/The-man-knew-The-truth-death-Hillary-Clintons-close-friend-Vince-Foster.html
Notice that the Clintons sat on subpoenaed evidence for TWO YEARS. With no penalty!
They must have a hit file on EVERYONE in Washington. Do read the article: it’s also a portrait of a ghastly human being.
They must have a hit file on EVERYONE in Washington.
Most Democrats have a blackmailing list and file, some of us have noticed that for years now.
Why do you think Reid and PillowC have been in power so long? It’s not because of democracy.
amen…Amen….AMEN, Andy & Neo!!!!
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