Chris Hayes names names on the Iran negotiation sabotage
by digby
And not just the politicians but the lobby they're answering to:
It seems silly that it should be a brave thing for a newsman to actually name that lobby. But it is.
The good news is that the momentum to blow up the deal seems to have stalled, at least for the moment. Greg Sargent reports:
Harry Reid and Senate Dem leadership aides have been telling reporters that there are no plans for a vote on a new bill to impose sanctions on Iran — a vote the White House fears could derail diplomacy and make war more likely.
Yet it may actually be even worse than this for proponents of the bill. Even Senators who support the measure are no longer pushing for any vote, and have no plans to do so for the foreseeable future, a Democratic Senator who favors the bill tells me.
“At the moment, there’s no rush to put the bill on the floor,” says this Senator, who asked for anonymity to be candid about the real state of play on the measure. “I’m not aware of any deadline in anyone’s head.”
It’s unclear whether any of the bill’s Democratic supporters are even privately pushing for a vote on it at this point, in the wake of the recent announcement that the six month deal curbing Iran’s nukes is set to move forward.
One Senator who favors the bill — Richard Blumenthal — has publicly confirmed he’s having second thoughts in the wake of that announcement.
And there is clearly more movement behind the scenes. The Senator who spoke to me today allowed it could become “harder” for the pro-bill forces to demand a vote down the line, in the weeks and months ahead, if negotiations are proceeding with Iran.
Well hallelujah, if true. This was an absurd move in the first place, unsanctioned by the White House on behalf of those who really don't want a peace deal for a variety of reasons. And, as Hayes pointed out, some of this was foolishly understood by those who have higher ambitions to be a necessary position (which proves that none of them are actually ready for higher office.) If that's been successfully turned around it's good news. But it's downright terrifying that it would ever come this close. It's quite clear that even despite years of military involvement in places all over the world, the bipartisan war party is still ready to charge into a new one at the first opportunity.
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