Friday, November 09, 2007

Some hope re Iran War: 30 Democratic Senators Warn Bush against attacking Iran

Thanks to Laura Rozen of the indispensable warandpeice.com this posting below on Mother Jones blog (has anyone seen this anywhere else?) with the news that 30 Democratic Senators sent a sharp warning to Bush about his and Cheney's unrestrained rhetoric on Iran and consequently? in a speech afterwards Cheney failed to mention Iran.

Rozen noticed that Barak Obama didn't sign, Neither did Harry Reid or Joe Biden. Obama is a surprise outlier. You'd think he'd have sufficient cover with Clinton signing, not to mention Dodd. Needless to say, one can suspect the Israel lobby had something to do with the missing senators, especially the presidential candidates, but it would be nice to have some evidence.--RB


http://www.motherjones.com/mojoblog/archives/2007/11/6035_senators_warn_w.html

Laura Rozen wrote:

Among the thirty members who signed, Senators James Webb, John Kerry, Robert Byrd, Dick Durbin, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Chris Dodd, Patrick Leahy, Dianne Feinstein, Herb Kohl, Byron Dorgin, Jack Reed, Max Baucus, Debbie Stabenow, Claire McCaskill, Barbara Boxer, Daniel Akaka, Tom Harkin, Thomas Carper, Amy Klobuchar, Jay Rockefeller, Robert Casey, Maria Cantwell, Patty Murray, Sheldon Whitehouse, Sherrod Brown, John Tester, Ron Wyden, Bernie Sanders, and Barbara Mikulski. [I counted 29. Why didn't Rozen give us the last name? --RB]

Senators Warn White House on Iran

Thirty Senators have signed a letter sent to President Bush today, expressing concern with the administration's increasingly bellicose rhetoric on Iran.

"We are writing to express serious concern with the provocative statements and actions stemming from your administration with respect to possible U.S. military action in Iran," the letter states. "These comments are counterproductive and undermine efforts to resolve tensions with Iran through diplomacy."

"We wish to emphasize that no congressional authority exists for unilateral military action against Iran," it continues.

Among the thirty members who signed, Senators James Webb, John Kerry, Robert Byrd, Dick Durbin, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Chris Dodd, Patrick Leahy, Dianne Feinstein, Herb Kohl, Byron Dorgin, Jack Reed, Max Baucus, Debbie Stabenow, Claire McCaskill, Barbara Boxer, Daniel Akaka, Tom Harkin, Thomas Carper, Amy Klobuchar, Jay Rockefeller, Robert Casey, Maria Cantwell, Patty Murray, Sheldon Whitehouse, Sherrod Brown, John Tester, Ron Wyden, Bernie Sanders, and Barbara Mikulski.

You can read it here.

Meantime, as David Kurtz points out, it is notable that Vice President Cheney gave a speech today at the American Legion in Indiana in which he did not once mention Iran. An accidental omission? I doubt it.

More here and here.

Update: Now Barack Obama has introduced his own Iran measure. "Obama introduced a Senate resolution late Thursday that says President George W. Bush does not have authority to use military force against Iran, the latest move in a debate with presidential rival Hillary Rodham Clinton about how to respond to that country's nuclear ambitions."

for more and for the links, go to:
http://www.motherjones.com/mojoblog/archives/2007/11/6035_senators_warn_w.html

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