The lamestream media, so aptly named by Sarah Palin, seems genetically incapable of playing more than one move at a time in the chessboard of politics.
In December 2013, I asked if Congress would become the greatest threat to mid-east peace. This week, we had its answer.
Assuming we nonetheless strike a deal with Iran by the end of the month, and the President submits the agreement to the Senate, there are three alternative outcomes.
1. The Senate approves the agreement.
That, then, has the added political value of the Congress having a stake in the outcome as well.
How many times has this president been urged to act and, when he does, then gets criticized for taking the actions urged upon him? Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) thought it would be peachy dandy for President Obama to engage Vladimir Putin to get Assad agree to relinquish his chemical weapons -- until, that is, the President actually did it.
Newt Gingrich (R-GA) lambasted President Obama for not bombing Libya to remove Qadaffi, until, of course, Obama did itafter ensuring little things such as providing Americans the opportunity to evacuate in advance that Newtie's narcissism blocks him from considering.
Indeed, when the President was about to bomb Syria, he asked Congress for authority -- they refused, many of the same people criticizing him before and after for not bombing voting against it.
So, if the president submits the Iran deal to Congress, and gets it approved, then so much the better politically.
2. The Senate does nothing, just letting it sit there.
That, too, is a victory for the Administration who can instruct the executive department to adhere to the agreement pending approval, while lambasting Republican pompous posturing and inability to govern.
3. The Senate rejects it.
Really? What is their alternative? Much tougher sanctions?
Let us inhabit Republican fantasyland for a moment: The world's major powers, including the United States, reach a deal with Iran, the U.S. Senate then rejects it. In right-wing mythology, the other major powers who have just been thoroughly dissed, are going to follow Senator Tom Cotton's (R-AR) dictates and impose even harsher sanctions. Really?
It was only President Obama's diplomacy, aided by his then Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, who was able to bring Russia and China to the sanctions' party at all. Without Russia and China, the sanctions are toothless. What, then?
As the Senate debates the deal -- which I have said from the beginning was going to have to recognize Iran's "right to enrich" by silencewhile at the same time ensuring a delay in their time to a bomb if they break free of the agreement -- expect Russia and China, and probably Germany, France and the UK, to announce that they will not participate in a renewed sanctions program.
Hence, anyone who votes to reject the deal is voting for one of two outcomes. They either allow Iran to get a nuclear weapon quickly; or, they force the U.S. to war to prevent it.... and what could possibly go wrong with that.
The president, therefore, wins, and wins big, on any scenario that involves submitting the deal to the Senate. Moreover, even if the Senate rejects the deal, there is nothing such an act compels the president not to abide by its terms.
My prediction is the second outcome, the Senate will do nothing, Republicans will whine, wheeze and harrumph, but the president will have dealt himself the winning hand. Whether he will use that to wipe the floors with them remains to be seen.
Indeed, Senator Tom Cotton, along with another 46 Republicans, has already screwed up American foreign policy on Iran. It may be irreparable. They have provided Iran greater leverage in the key final weeks since the ayatollahs must know that after the letter, the P5+1 will split asunder on tougher sanctions if there is no deal.
It demonstrates again that Republicans are genetically incapable of governing.
The only equivocal situation is the president's current course, not to submit an Iran deal to the Senate. That provides the bloviators endless opportunities to bloviate, and right-wing groups the ability to raise money off of it.
Please, Mr. President, spare us. Get a deal, if one can still be had, that satisfies the elements laid out here.
Then, call their bluff. Submit the Iran deal to Congress.