Via the NYT, Senator Barbara Mikulski supports the president’s Iran deal, making her the 34th Democrat on board with the agreement. Have y’all seen PAC-funded TV commercials trashing the deal? We’ve seen a ton of them down here. All for naught, thank dog.
Open thread too.
JPL
I haven’t seen the ads but I live in GA. Maybe other local viewers, can chime in.
sparrow
Yay! I sent her and Cardin (worthless blue dog that he is) a letter about this, so happy to see she came around.
Mike J
Seen them in Seattle.
Iowa Old Lady
I’m glad.
I haven’t seen the ads, but the only TV I watch has been recorded and we skip all the ads.
FoxinSocks
I called Senator Mikulski’s office last week and expressed my support for the deal, so I’m going to take full credit for this.
JPL
OT… I just saw this on the NYTimes..“He has consolidated all Republicans who think Obama is a Muslim — and that he was born in Kenya. Whatever bloc that is, that’s what he’s got. And I’m going for the other crowd. I’m going for the crowd that says, O.K., I think he’s a Christian and born in Hawaii, but he’s a bad president.”
— Senator Lindsey Graham, the Republican from South Carolina
I’m not sure that Lindsey can count, because there are not enough left for him to secure the nomination.
gratuitous
Yes, there is a teevee ad in heavy rotation in Oregon to call Sen. Wyden (by the way, Ron, your phone’s ringing, it’s the call of destiny, please pick up). The narrator is some guy whose military father was killed in the early 1980s, allegedly by Iran (details are sketchy). In honor of his father, “the greatest man I never knew”), son is saying we can’t trust Iran, so no deal Howie!
Of course, there’s no alternative suggested. There’s no acknowledgment that if the United States backs out of the deal, we ruin our credibility for any future negotiations we might get involved in. The other countries that have been involved in the Iran agreement will probably go ahead with or without the United States. Which will put us back into the same box we just got out of with Cuba: The rest of the world will be trading and treating with Iran, while we continue unilateral sanctions which will only hurt domestic corporations that play by the rules (leaving out Halliburton and the other Merry Multinational Merchants of Mayhem).
gogol's wife
So I guess Blumenthal is off the hook. I called yesterday, and he was “still considering.” Now he can vote against it and not lose part of his constituency, I guess.
Patricia Kayden
Yay!! So much for Lame Duck President. President Obama is kicking behinds!
Cervantes
She’s the 32nd Democrat. Aren’t there two Independents?
What’s embarrassing is that ten Senate Democrats are still “undecided.”
Hal
Buffalo area I have during Chris Hayes and Maddow, which seems like a waste of advertising dollars.
Also, are these the only dems supporting the deal? If so that’s maddening. I know about Schumer and that idiot Menendez but I haven’t seen any other dems with grandiose pronouncements on why they won’t also spit in God’s eye and support the deal.
MattF
The only downside is that now Republicans can double down on their irresponsibilty with no consequences. But this is par for the course.
MomSense
YES!!!
Cervantes
@FoxinSocks:
Well, thanks for getting it done!
Pococurante
I see the ads packed between Rachel Maddow, Hardball, Last Word…
It’s almost like they wanted to waste their clients’ money.
Patricia Kayden
@gratuitous: The ad I’ve seen in Maryland is much worse. It’s of an apparently disabled military member who directly connects Iran to his injuries. I couldn’t figure out how what happened to him (however sad) was linked to the Iran Deal. All Iranians are not responsible for what happened to him just like all Americans are not responsible for what happened to civilians in Iraq (since many of us were vocally opposed to that war).
Jim, Foolish Literalist
the lame duck flies (or swims… or… I don’t know) once again!
@JPL: on twitter Matt Taibbi is casting a movie about the 2016 primaries, the best call was, IMHO, Chris Parnell as Scott Walker, but now I gotta go with the the recent suggestion of Eddie Izzard
MattF
@Hal: I think almost all the other Dems are ‘undecided’.
Punchy
You’re assuming all 34 will stay on board. An assumption that perhaps is a bit too rosy?
I’d hope that have at least ~45 Dems on their side. And when it closes, Obama walks up to Shumer and DWS and gives them the double bird with the requisite f-bomb.
Tom Q
The ad has run incessantly in the NY area — three times a night during, of all things, Jeopardy!
You’d think it was a waste of money, given that both Schumer & Gillibrand staked out their positions early, but I guess it’s also meant to put pressure on the CT & NJ Senators, plus assorted Reps.
Anyway, glad it failed. Given how lopsided the advertising budget advantage was, it makes one wonder if Citizens United is quite as impactful as we fear. Standard thinking would be that a mismatch like this would move national polls dramatically, but I’ve seen no evidence of that. Maybe reality has more sway in this world than the GOP imagines.
SarahT
@Patricia Kayden: Yeah you right. And Bibi can suck it !
FortGeek
MSNBCnn has been hammering it during the evening block here in NW Florida. Three different ads in the last couple of months–and, of course, the only mention of the pro-deal ad was on Maddow a month or so ago.
schrodinger's cat
I haven’t seen those ads. I don’t watch much TV other than PBS and some local news and I am in a deep blue state.
Felanius Kootea
Yay! Great news :). Suck it Cheney.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
They’ve publicly stated their support. I suppose they could walk it back, but they’d look pretty stupid, and even holding some of them in minimum high regard, I can’t think of any who would get it into their heads that flip-flopping would somehow win them the votes of Obama-hating Republicans. I do wonder if any of the remaining ten are trying to figure out some pretzel stance where they vote with the R’s in the initial vote, and then against the veto override.
Punchy
@Punchy: what the fork happened to the edit funkshun on this POS website? WP tells me I cant edit. Can we get a site fix, Johnny?
schrodinger's cat
@Felanius Kootea: How do you think his new heart will take the news?
Benw
Great news. If Obama can somehow make real progress on climate change, I’ll go up and carve him onto Mt. Rushmore my own fucking self. And kudos to SoS Kerry and his team, too!
Patrick
@Cervantes:
Yup. If the roles had been reversed, the Republicans would have been united and loudly supported their President from the get go.
It is so sad that the Democrats haven’t learned anything from their submissive behavior in the Iraq war debate in October 2002. You gain nothing from pretending to be moderate Republican.
Cervantes
@Benw:
Tear it down and give the land back!
Kay (not the front-pager)
I live in the DC market, so yes, I’ve seen a ton of the anti-deal swill. I’ve also seen a fair number of pro-deal adds though. They mostly point out that the anti-deal crowd are the same folks who are wrong about everything.
FortGeek
@Patricia Kayden:
That’s one of the three played on MSNBCnn in my area of NW Florida. Third one shows a scary Ayatolla or whatever looking at the camera. I mute ads, but I imagine there’s ominous music and a scary voice-over warning that this guy’s under your bed, gonna eat your kids and bomb your church.
Elie
Congratulations to Obama administration, Kerry and to what remains of rational thinking and decision making in our country. Let us celebrate that at least… God knows what is on the horizon during the process for electing a new American President. Think of old possum head running the show (shiver).
In the rational world that I try to live in, there was no other real choice. Thank goodness we were able to get it done.
I pestered (politely) WA Senator Maria Cantwell to relent, but she turned out not to be needed – thankfully.
Onward!
MattF
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: Thereby pissing off both sides. That doesn’t sound like a good stratgy.
Oatler.
@Pococurante: I see those ads too and remember that MSNBC is owned by Comcast.
Cervantes
@Punchy:
Safe assumption.
BR
@Benw:
He can’t make progress on climate change, but I’m not going to hold it against him.
The problem is baked in to such an extent that we’re in very deep trouble already. Here’s a good summary of the scale of the challenge:
http://eetd.lbl.gov/dls/pdf/dls-griffith-7-13-10.pdf
Jim, Foolish Literalist
There’s still a push to get to forty so Obama doesn’t even have to veto. I have no idea how that will play out. Cantwell and Booker are the only surprises to me among the undecided
Elie
@Jim, Foolish Literalist:
… thanks for the information. I will continue my attempts at polite persuasion then….
Tim C.
The opposition to the deal was never sincere, it’s all about the narrative. “Obama is a weak appeaser blah blah blah….” I even excuse the red state dems from having to play along with the Kabuki. The rest…. eff em.
Benw
@Cervantes: give it back!? what’s with all this hippy, dippy, baloney?
Ian
I saw one here in Colorado that implied nuclear devastation in suberban America. Straight Daisy shit. I called my senator’s office who was on the fence (the dem one- Bennet). I told his staffer that if he sided with the cowards who put that shit on television he was dead to me.
indycat32
Surprisingly enough Donnelly (Indiana) is a yes. I almost give him a pass for voting to defund Planned Parenthood. I didn’t even bother calling carpetbagger Coats.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@indycat32: Dick Lugar co-authored a pro-deal op-ed with Sam Nunn for Politico earlier in the week. I wonder if he lobbied Donnelly behind the scenes?]
ETA: watching MSNBC with the sound off, they’ve got Dana Dick Whisperer Bitches Brew on, “balanced” by a “Republican strategist” I”ve never heard of. I guess they’ve gone back to their CNN-lite model as part of the Great Neutering.
geg6
Yay! I was very happy to see my senator come out in favor yesterday.
And the stupid fear-mongering commercial didn’t run during the morning news this morning, so hopefully that is the last of that. Some poor deluded soul who’s dad was killed by Hamas or something spews a bunch of lies (or, more likely, delusions) about how Obama is giving in to Iran and about “self-inspections” and basically every bit of rightwing, Likudnik propaganda he’s been fed. I feel sorry for the poor guy, but I want to spit at him every time I see his face on my teevee.
beltane
Chuck Schumer now looks like the jackass he is. He has clearly failed his audition as Senate Democratic leader. He might still land the part unfortunately.
Tripod
I suppose it’s a hot button issue for reactionaries that are perpetually stuck in 1980 (The same bunch of asshats that still grouse about Vietnam and the Panama Canal… ), but the percentage of the voting age population that gives a fuck has to be small and getting smaller.
indycat32
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: Donnelly issued a press release saying he received input from Lugar as well as doing an “exhaustive” assessment.
Patrick
So much for Nethanyahu’s dumb visit to Congress this earlier…
schrodinger's cat
Has anyone checked K-Lo’s house of crazy?
catclub
@MattF:
But thank FSM there are no consequences for acts by Republicans.
Culture of Truth
Oh yes, they play the ads endlessly around here. They’re even bringing up the Lebanon barracks bombing under Reagan. (“Ronnie’s Benghazi”)
Re Graham, Donald Trump out-polling Lindsey Graham by 25,000 percent.
beltane
@Patrick: That visit was terrible for Netanyahu, but ultimately good for the United States. By acting as a Republican hack, and not the leader of a “friendly” nation, Bibi managed to drive a wedge between the Democratic party and Israel, creating some much needed daylight as they like to call it. Heckuvajob, Bibi! Well done!
different-church-lady
Can I refill your glass of Right Wing Tears?
beltane
@schrodinger’s cat: Someone should keep an eye on Jennifer Rubin today, she may be inclined towards self-harm.
FlipYrWhig
@Tripod: I was just thinking about how ugly the ads would have been about normalizing diplomatic and economic relations with Vietnam, if anyone had thought to air such ads back when that was being transacted.
Percysowner
I’m glad this is settled. I’m in Ohio so Sherrod Brown was doing the right thing, and I have to write and thank him, and Rob Portman is Republican and Rob Portman and I don’t waste my time writing to people who will never change their minds. My Representative was on board for the deal as well, again need to write a thank you email.
p.a.
The one I’ve seen in RI is the “they can’t be trusted, broke 22 agreements” smersh.
different-church-lady
@JPL: Allow me to reinterpret that: “I’m making an appeal to all those villagers who are willing to see the human, gentle side of my monster. This is a creature who will someday have a bride and a family. Surely not everyone in this village could possibly want to attack him with torches and pitchforks!”
Chris
Yes. Amusingly, I often get Republican ads popping up when I visit this site.
ETA: not a TV commercial, but close enough.
different-church-lady
@beltane: Naw, she’s a survivor. The protective mechanism is “I’m so disappointed in the leadership, they have failed us.” Then move on to the next hill to die on.
Cckids
There’s one ad in fairly heavy rotation here in Vegas; showing the ayatollah “Supreme Leader “, talking about how the deal will “give him $100 million dollars “, self inspections, nuclear bomb in 2 months, blah, blah, blah “.
All quite skewed, if not outright lies. Thank FSM Harry listened to me ?
There was never any hope for that toerag Heller.
schrodinger's cat
Isn’t portraying Iran as an existential threat a bit silly? They are hardly Soviet Union, even if they are as malevolent as Bibi’s fevered dreams, what harm can they possibly do to the United States surrounded as it is by two oceans.
FlipYrWhig
@Patrick:
This is different, though, because what seems to be driving Democratic hesitancy is “but is it good for the Jews?” They fear that anything good for Iran is bad for Israel and that by backing the deal they’ll have pissed off Jewish Democrats. I’m so tired of Israel’s leaders, the Americans who fall for it, and the moral blackmail it’s entailed for 70 years.
EconWatcher
I guess this is a victory, but we’re living on an awfully thin margin. Or as someone once put it better (insert lower class British accent): “There’s a very fine line between clever and stupid.”
elmo
What steams me about the “Iranians stole my bicycle” ads is that the real message isn’t about THIS deal. it’s about ANY deal. Iranians are evil and therefore dealing with them is bad.
WTEverlastingF? There’s at least some internal logic to the argument – “This deal is bad for these reasons, let’s get a better one.” The only logical outcome of “Iranians BAD deal BAD” is “Therefore we should never deal with Iran at all and instead we should invade and turn it into a vassal state.”
RSA
@JPL:
Yup. From PPP:
Hmm…
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@elmo: What I note is the way even the dumbest Republican has been trained to never mention Iran and terror without the words “state sponsor”. How many Iranians involved in 9/11? If ISIS is such a great threat to the US, should we be looking at connection with Tehran? (Of course, Marco Rubio, smart young Republican, is doing so)
(Sweet Jesus, I turned the sound up on MSNBC to listen to Kerry, and now I’ve got Andrea Mitchell concern-trolling Jeanne Shaheen about emailghazi because of a “tough editorial” in the fucking Union Leader)
FlipYrWhig
@elmo: The alternative is to use Strength and Leadership to intimidate Iran into stopping being bad all by themselves because they fear what will happen if they continue. I heard this logic voiced on Inauguration Day 1981 about the hostages, and it’s what Republicans think happened with Reagan and the Soviet Union too: he cowed them into giving up, no shots fired, no lives lost.
Redshift
@Cervantes:
Mark Warner never takes a public position on anything remotely controversial before the vote. In fact, he rarely takes any public position unless it involves the words “bipartisan” and “deficit.” Real profile in courage. At least I have Tim Kaine.
Warner seems to have learned nothing from his near-death election experience. For him, it’s perpetually 2001, when he was elected governor in a reddish state and achieved prominence by hammering out a bipartisan budget deal. He doesn’t get that Republicans no longer vote for Republican-lite, and Democrats, even in totebagger-rich Northern Virginia, do not consider bipartisan dealmaking with no results to be an accomplishment.
catclub
OT: Characterizing Mitt versus Trump possibility.
beltane
At a time when our politics has devolved into a Theater of the Absurd, we are incredibly lucky to have true statesmen like Barack Obama and John Kerry in power.
scav
Comgressmen? — Has each and every County Clerk OKed the deal?! I’m sure that somethere is a person who has to initial a delivery form receipt in triplicate that needs a little airtime and has yet to be appeased.
Culture of Truth
@elmo: Or, “Iran is bad so we should never deal with them and never inspect and let them build a nuclear bomb.”
gene108
@Tom Q:
The CU decision is one reason the 2010 election was such a Republican wave, especially for down ballot races.
Unlimited corporate cash on races that only had one or two T.V. ads introducing candidates turned into weeks or month long assaults on Democratic incumbents.
And as so few people know about their state reps, there was a whole lot of bang for the buck in advertising against incumbent Democrats, who were caught flat footed and did not have the funds to fight back.
It’s also a reason getting control of state houses is going to be a long road. A local state rep does not just need to raise money to battle his opponent, but also to battle the onslaught of ads from third party groups.
Poopyman
@beltane: Good idea! Hopefully it’ll be up on Youtube.
Redshift
I’m in the DC suburbs, so we get all the ads. (Though fortunately the good J Street add, too.) We had the one showing a car bomb blowing up in front of some American-looking building way back in the early spring, and its been nonstop ever since.
raven
BOOM Shakalaka!
Culture of Truth
I wish the “we can’t trust Iran” and the “we need a better deal” crowds would get their stories straight.
MattF
@elmo: It’s not specifically about the deal, it’s about ‘losing’ to Iran. I’ll link again to Larison demolishing Brooks on the Iran deal. Note that Brooks talks in terms of ‘surrender’ and ‘victory’. In Brooks’ view, it’s warfare between the US and Iran and it’s happening right now.
catclub
@Cckids:
1) I think it is more like $150B they are talking about.
2) They fail to mention that $150B is payment (held in escrow) for oil that Iran has sold – it is their money. Always has been.
Neldob
There was an interesting analysis on NPR this morning on how the Republicans are backhandedly supporting the deal because they know it’s best, but will still be able to fling illusions of thwarted grandeur at the proles. Gives a new meaning to masterpiece theater.
beltane
Bill Kristol must have predicted there were enough votes to override. Now he can move on to his next prognostication.
Brachiator
How could this be? I keep hearing that money changes everything.
We have a solid campaign issue, though. Republicans will keep trashing the deal. The Democrats can keep challenging them on what would be a better deal. And we will see how many of the GOP contenders will be stupid enough to promise war.
Hmm. Isn’t this up slightly from the Standard 27% Crazification Factor?
elmo
@FlipYrWhig: Jesus Christ, you’re right. Of course, they never stop to ask themselves why that very same Strength and Leadership didn’t manage to turn Iran into Sweden with minarets from 1981-1989.
And I’m not sure what 11-dimensional Strength and Leadership gave the order to evacuate Beirut after Hezbollah (who funds them, anyway? I forget) blew up our Marines.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@catclub: I generally find Joan Walsh to be a purveyor of pretty weak tea, but I’m glad someone who gets on TeeVee noticed this:
benw
@BR: Yeah, I grasp the scale of the problem, especially the current models showing large sea-level rise in the next 30 years. In my head, “real progress” on climate change meant “start seriously trying to mitigate the already oncoming massive disaster.” And I know that Obama has already done some things here in the US.
MattF
@catclub: Yeah, I’ve been waiting for teh Second (or is it the Third) coming of Romney.
Chris
@schrodinger’s cat:
Yes. Very, very silly.
gene108
@FlipYrWhig:
I can understand this for New Jersey, New York, Connecticut and maybe PA, as Southeastern PA has a substantial Jewish population.
But outside of these states, there aren’t enough Jews elsewhere to influence an election.
rmirth
I called my congresscritters last week after reading Tom’s posts urging people to call…Pleased to see Sen. Coons and Carper’s support for the deal. First time calling my elected reps.
beltane
@gene108: Jewish Democrats are generally supportive of the deal. Jewish Republicans are not. This whole debate has actually caused a huge rift within the Jewish community. Peter Beinart wrote a good article about this today: http://www.haaretz.com/opinion/.premium-1.674119
Cervantes
@geg6:
Is it true that without the support of two Independents in the Senate, the Democrats still would not have this clinched?
Brachiator
@schrodinger’s cat:
Israeli hardliners push the idea that Iran is an existential threat to Israel. And the obvious background to this is that the US will rush to Israel’s defense if necessary.
The perhaps less obvious background is that the US and the world is looking for a deal which will prevent Israel and Iran from doing something stupid, something that might result in a short and nasty and potentially nuclear conflict.
elmo
@beltane:
What, neither of them?
Cervantes
@rmirth:
Thanks.
Keep calling them as necessary!
Betty Cracker
@gene108: Florida also has a fairly sizable Jewish population. But most Jews are Democrats, and individual American Jews (as opposed to Jewish American organizations that claim to speak for them) support the deal in greater numbers than Americans in general do, according to at least one poll I read about in the WaPo.
maurinsky
I don’t have any TV stations, so no, but I have seen a lot of ads telling me to help Blumenthal decide to vote against it, so I did the opposite and called and said he should support it.
Mom Says I'm Handsome
@Ian: I am not impressed by Michael Bennet’s lack of a public position on this, and all I can think is that he’s concerned about the impact his “Yes” stance would have on attracting “independent” voters during his Senate reelection bid next year. I’m not quite sure what’s up with Colorado Dems — in addition to Bennet, Diana DeGette (Denver) and Jared Polis (Boulder) both have sat this one out. Maybe “Convictions are for luzers” is the new mantra?
Jim, Foolish Literalist
Good god. A protestor supporting that KY county clerk weeping about how “next they’re gonna come after our preachers…”
Even gooder god, and sweet christ on a dancing Lippizanner: Andrea Mitchell says “So touching, so emotional on both sides”
dedc79
@beltane:
And one could, of course, replace “Jewish” with “Protestant”, “Catholic” or virtually any other ethnicity/race/religious denomination and it would still be accurate.
beltane
@elmo: Around 27% of Jews identify as Republican. They may be small in number, but they are very, very loud, and they contain a number of Israel-obsessed billionaires who like to use the power of the purse string to maintain the obedience of most major Jewish organizations.
MattF
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: Everyone in sight is tearing up. There must be an onion somewhere.
catclub
@beltane:
Also note that: Jewish democrats are ~75% while Jewish Republicans are ~25%
Pee Cee
@Tom Q:
How better to get cranky old farts to call their congressperson? I can’t think of a better time to run such an ad except perhaps during “Wheel of Fortune”.
cintibud
Haven’t seen any such ads here in Cincinnati, just a bunch of ads from across the river where a tax cheat wall street insider is running against Obama for governor of KY
catclub
@Jim, Foolish Literalist:
Actually, the single holdout in KY is surprising for having so little backing anywhere else. Jonathan Bernstein has pointed this out.
Gay marriage is already accepted. Abortion still gets the rubes and the votes.
Elie
I have to think that Israel truly appraises the situation with the Saudis. Surely they know its not Iran behind ISIS. ISIS is a huge threat to Israel through its potential for oozing into the shelled out Palestinian state — that Israel keeps fking with, so they had better watch it. The infighting among Islamic factions in the ME has resulted in a bunch of failed states like Yemen and Syria and not much else good. That has been instigated by the Saudis in their need to “purify” Islam.
While Iran is not blowing them kisses, and Iran backed Hamas has sponsored real problems for Israel, they have to know that they have to also keep their eyes on the Saudis real close. They have to watch all of them — and they in turn watch Israel. That is the only strategy that works for the US and for them as well. Bibi is an asshole but the Israelis are not stupid.
elmo
@beltane: There’s that number again!
Cacti
So, who will be the first of the remaining “undecided” cowards to jump on board?
I’m predicting Manchin (D-WV). He’s been “leaning yes” for months now.
Elie
@elmo:
I have to think that 25-27% may highly corollate with certain brain function anomalies….increased paranoia and territoriality, perhaps?
Another Holocene Human
No TV, no ads for olds.
Not even a pop-up ad.
boatboy_srq
@Pococurante:
This differs from every other Teahadi grifting campaign how. exactly?
ETA: For the Reichwingnuts, having the largesse to blow on losing propositions like this is a mark of Election and on the fast track for Sainthood. Also good for the Reichwing firms fleecing the rubes, lining their pockets and wasting what remains.
Chris
@beltane:
Huh.
I’m not nearly as familiar with the Jewish community as the Catholic one, but that kind of confirms my impression that it’s the same in both cases – the rank and file may be Democrat or Republican, but the politically engaged big shots lean disproportionately Republican. Which in turn creates a false image of how much the community fits the Republican portrayal of it.
(Granted, far more Republican Catholics than Republican Jews).
Elizabelle
@Redshift: Has brave Senator Mark Warner since taken a stand?
I was fine with him almost being pantsed last election, although I certainly prefer a Democrat in the Senate.
Cacti
I am also singularly unimpressed with blue Washington’s junior Senator, Maria Cantwell, who still has yet to take a position.
The Senator from Boeing indeed.
Cermet
I almost wish the deal fell through and Iran was both free of all constants and could not sell all its oil but build all the nuke plants it wanted. As for nuke’s on weapons, wasn’t going to happen.
Calouste
@catclub: That there are just a few holdouts in Kentucky (although I think there were some issues in Texas as well), has probably to do with who exactly hands out the marriage licenses. An elected county clerk like in KY has a certain amount of independence, as in that they can’t be just sacked for refusing to do their job.
canegiallo
@sparrow: Cardin isn’t a blue dog. He is pretty progressive or at least liberal on most things. On this ranking:
he rates just behind Sanders and tied with Gilibrand. Still, I will not think good thoughts of him if he doesn’t come out supporting the deal.
J R in WV
@Cacti:
I don’t expect it will do any good, as our DINO Senator Joe Manchin is more like a RINO than a real Democratic Senator, but I called his DC office, where I was told by Joe “I’m sorry we can’t take your call right now…” which means he is getting lots of calls from the Republican ads running on TV. So I left a voicemail msg telling him that I support the International Arms Agreement with Iran and desire him to strongly support President Obama and the agreement.
I also went to the “Contact Joe” part of his official web site and wrote a little note telling him that I strongly support President Obama and the International Arms Agreement with Iran, and want him to support the President and Secretary Kerry.
But he is a heartless political scumbag, and so I don’t expect him to do the Democratic thing at all. No point in calling Senator Shelly Moore Capito, who is a Republican of the typical sort.
MazeDancer
@Jim, Foolish Literalist:
Corey Booker very likely getting same AIPAC pressure as Schumer. Northern New Jersey = NYC bedroom. May also be why the ads are running in NYC as well.
The fact that Schumer will not suffer for “Putting Bibi First” is the only blight on the happiness of knowing, yay, Peace now has a chance.
Last night, Rachel Maddow mentioned how Glenn Beck has been added to the Trump-Cruz anti-deal rally in DC next week. And generated much laughter in my living room as she noted how Beck was certainly who you want to help bring 11 Democrats to your cause. But doesn’t matter now, thank you, Senator Mikulski. May the others now remember they are Diplomacy- loving Democrats, too.
boatboy_srq
@gene108: Pro-Israel posturing (at least for the Teahad) isn’t an appeal to US Jews. It’s an appeal to US FundiEvangelicals, who are convinced that the Return of the Jews to Israel is a prerequisite for End Times and anything that diminishes or impedes the State of Israel is unHoly, ungodly and an affront to their personal beliefs. That the End Times include Armageddon, and that Jews that don’t accept Gun-Totin Capitalist Jeebus will be sent straight to Hell, don’t especially concern their pretty little minds since they themselves will be among the Saved/Raptured/whatever. Sadly there are one or two Dems that buy into this as well.
Kaine came out in favor of the agreement; I can’t find any statement from Warner either way outside of his giving the agreement “serious consideration”. Comstock is opposed, but that’s hardly surprising: apparently she even took a field trip to Israel specifically so Likud could lecture her on what Evil Satanic Beings the Iranians are.
Another Holocene Human
@beltane: paywalled
beltane
@Another Holocene Human: Does this work? I got it from Beinart’s Twitter feed: http://t.co/XJJn8oeX0E
Mandalay
@Punchy:
There is a petition to the White house calling on President Obama to fire DWS as DNC chair!
It’s interesting that the petition has nothing to do with her failure to support the president over Cuba or Iran, her allegiance to Israel, or the disastrous 2014 election results. They want her gone because she is only allowing six debates between Democratic presidential candidates.
I despise DWS with the heat of a thousand suns, but that seems like a pretty bizarre reason for firing her sorry ass.
pamelabrown53
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: #38
I hope the pressure to vote for the agreement is kept on the “undecided” dems We need some wiggle room and a show of semi-solidarity!
sparrow
@canegiallo: Fair enough. I admit to not knowing as much as I should about him, but I remember him being very pro-israel, pro-bombing and pro-guns when I looked him up before the last election. Plus more jesus and american flags on his site than a tea-partiers as I recall… I was not getting a good vibe.
Another Holocene Human
@beltane: Not on mobile, so I guess it saw me coming. Can you give me the takeaway?
Rich (In Name Only) in Reno
I don’t have a TV, but I did notice an uptick in the number of invasive ads in the spaces usually featuring crapola from Newsmax and WorldNutsDaily.
scuffletuffle
@beltane: why would anyone want to stop that?
beltane
@Another Holocene Human: He’s basically saying that AIPAC permanently damaged itself by becoming a GOP affiliated organization where Jewish Democrats no longer feel welcome. Same thing for Netanyahu, whose war against Obama and appointment of Republican operative Ron Derner as ambassador made it easier for Democrats to ignore him. Beinart also pointed out that being pro-war is no longer a winning position for Democratic candidates in primary races. There’s more, but that’s the basic gist of it.
dedc79
@Elie: Re Israel and the Saudis, note that one of AIPAC’s most significant prior defeats occurred when they tried to get Reagan to cancel a sale of weapons to the Saudis back in the 80s. They ended up withdrawing their opposition when they realized it was a lost cause.
Also a helpful reminder that this whole idea that there has never until now been an inch of daylight between Israeli and American policy is a Republican fantasy. Some of the most significant clashes happened when Bush Sr or Ronald was in the White House.
Cacti
@Mandalay:
DWS should have been fired/stepped down after her second disastrous midterm election in 4-years.
Demanding her head over the number of 2016 primary debates feels a bit like putting Al Capone on trial for tax evasion.
beltane
@dedc79: The “no daylight” mantra seems to have been invented as a bludgeon to beat Obama with.
Mandalay
@beltane:
That’s true, but older filthy rich Jewish Democrats who donate to the party do not fall in this category, I think that is the real reason Schumer opposed the deal, and explains why DWS has been hiding under her bed for weeks.
The conventional wisdom about how she has to take the views of her constituents into account is a pile of crap – her real problem is that wealthy donors may stop giving if and when the deal goes through.
Her predicament is horrible, but she has an easy and honorable way out: resign as DNC chair, and oppose the deal. That will placate those who voted for her, and possibly mollify the wealthy donors. And best of all she will not have any say in how the party is run in future. Whatever happens she can’t remain as DNC chair.
Cacti
@dedc79:
Poppy Bush’s Secretary of State, James Baker, still despises Netanyahu.
Bill Clinton couldn’t stand the little toad either.
If both D and R administrations think you suck, the problem probably isn’t on the American side of the table.
Mandalay
@Cacti:
Right, but firing shouldn’t have even been necessary. She should have apologized and resigned. But DWS’s top priority at all times is DWS.
Right, but at least that worked. I just want her gone forever. By any means necessary…
boatboy_srq
@Cacti: If the complaint is valid, and has the desired effect, we shouldn’t complain overmuch.
beltane
@Mandalay: I agree. In the case of DWS, she really has no natural constituency beyond wealthy, Likudnik donors. She is not aligned with the mainstream of the Democratic party and her tenure has been an unprecedented disaster.
Patricia Kayden
@Punchy: LOL! President Obama is too cool for that. The fact that they opposed the Iran Deal but it stands is enough of a “F” you to DWS and Schumer.
boatboy_srq
@Elizabelle: mumble mumble Serious Consideration mumble Listening to Experts and Virginians mumble… Say what you like about Ed Gillespie, at least he had clearly dogwhistled ideals and goals.
dr. luba
@gratuitous: Same ad in Michigan, except for “Call Senator Peters.” When the bit popped up on the screen about “self monitoring” by Iran, I yelled bullshit, and quite loudly. At my brother the Republican’s house……..
I really wish we could have a nice family get-together without the TV on (sports addiction is a sad thing….)
Cervantes
@Cacti:
Tell that to Ho Chi Minh.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
On rich Jewish Democrats: you don’t get much richer than Haim Saban, at least among Democrats, and he’s no dove, but he endorsed the deal.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
IIRC Bob Novak used to hissingly refer to Baker as the chief of the “Arabists” among US diplomats.
The political emails I want to are the ones Bibi gets from Republicans, assuring him that his voice carries tremendous weight in American politics. The flattery and delusion must be epic. Do you think Boehner could manage to spill a drink on an email?
Mandalay
@beltane: There’s gossip that Jennifer Granholm would take the job.
If someone had loads of money and was thinking about making a very sizable donation to the Democratic Party who do you think would be better at closing the deal: DWS or Jennifer Granholm?
I’d also be happy if Howard Dean got the job again, but that seems very unlikely.
Elizabelle
Called Mark Warner’s office. He is still on the fence. His office now has a script the perky young woman reeled off: “Senator Warner is looking at both sides of the issue. He fully intends to take the full 60 days allotted to consider his decision.”
I told her that was great, and that he might consider he had a very close election last time; that it might make more sense for him to focus less on attracting the mythical moderate Republicans and vote along with the Democrats and his constituents who turn out and work for his elections.
On hanging up, I hope that did not sound like a threat (I was pleasant, but firm).
Next call, I will remind his office that — to my knowledge — neither Charlie Rose nor Tom Friedman are Senator Mark Warner’s constituents.
Bokon
I am seeing these attack ads in Colorado – and I am also seeing viral e-mails, plus lots of right-wing postings on social media (like Facebook).
One of my favorites that keeps getting reposted on Facebook is a glossy attack piece saying “Bill Clinton tried a nuclear deal with North Korea, and just a few years later they got the bomb anyway! OPPOSE THE IRAN DEAL”.
What that leaves out is the part where the Bush Administration came in, deep sixed Clinton’s nukes deal with the North Koreans in favor of the Axis of Evil approach of total opposition and regime change … and the North Koreans then started building bombs at great speed.
You know … the intellectual dishonesty of leaving that part out and blaming Clinton just floors me.
Bokonon
I am seeing these attack ads in Colorado – and I am also seeing viral e-mails, plus lots of right-wing postings on social media (like Facebook).
One of my favorites that keeps getting reposted on Facebook is a glossy attack piece saying “Bill Clinton tried a nuclear deal with North Korea, and just a few years later they got the bomb anyway! OPPOSE THE IRAN DEAL”.
What that leaves out is the part where the Bush Administration came in, deep sixed Clinton’s nukes deal with the North Koreans in favor of the Axis of Evil approach of total opposition and regime change … and the North Koreans then started building bombs at great speed.
You know … the intellectual dishonesty of leaving that part out and blaming Clinton just floors me.
Chris
@Bokonon:
I’m not sure it’s intellectual dishonesty. Most of them probably flat out don’t remember or never knew at all that Bush had deep-sixed the original deal.
This is what living in the right wing bubble will do to you.
redshirt
What are ads?