No one should be surprised that the candidates on the Democratic side of the presidential race support President Obama's strategy and dealings with Iran while the Republican candidates oppose all that his administration is doing. Really it comes down to this: Do you agree with bringing Iran to the negotiating table or not? Secretary Clinton clearly does while Senator Rubio clearly does not. If you read this column then you know we have a distaste for statements that do not acknowledge for fuller dynamics of a given situation. For example, Senator Rubio said that he would reimpose sanctions and cancel the nuclear agreement immediately if he were elected president but what that answer doesn't take into account is the other countries that have signed on to the deal namely Russia and China who will continue to further normalize relations with Iran whether the United States backs out or not. It's a big ask to have Britain and France back out, which is unlikely as well. So really if the United States were to back out and reimpose sanctions, which wouldn't work anyway, it's us that would be left out in the cold, not the Iranians.
Furthermore, there is something we can not let go without comment and must call out Senator Rubio for something he said, which was with regard to the hostage exchange with Iran. He said that if he were the president, it would be 'like Ronald Reagan' and the hostages would be coming home without negotiation. Either Mr. Rubio is a poor student of history and has never heard of Iran-Contra, in which the Reagan administration traded arms for those hostages or he does know his history and get things done in the same manner. Either way, we kindly say to the Florida Senator: Cut the crap.
The Iranian nuclear deal was one of necessity because left unchecked it would have become a nuclear state with 5 years and that's being conservative. We agree with Sec. Clinton that it opens up the dialogue for other areas but her answer didn't consider the fact that Iran is a state-sponsor of terrorism and it should be able to freely join the international community until that stops. In saying that, understand that the Iranians would ask, terrorism against whom? Saudia Arabia or Israel or both?
It's refreshing that "Meet The Press" is back to a place where Republican as well as Democratic politicians appear, and today was the epitome of that notion given the aforementioned Mrs. Clinton, Mr. Rubio along with Mr. Bush and Mr. Sanders being guests. What you can glean from all of their respective answers is that Senator Sanders' foreign policy would reflect Barack Obama's but not as hawkish while Sec. Clinton's would fall more hawkish than the president. Senator Rubio's foreign policy seems to be a shoot first, aim later type of strategy while Gov. Bush is also hard right but with a tempered approach given consideration for his brother's legacy.
As Richard Engel reported, yesterday was implementation day for the deal so now only time, and stringent inspections, will tell.
Usually we're not crazy about panel's dominated by strategists and partisan commentators but today's insight into the unanimous opinion that the biggest take away from the four interviews was that Jeb Bush referred to Donald Trump as 'the big guy in the race,' as if Mr. Trump is now beyond touch or something. The more you think about it and the focus that it will be given, it's a massive concession. And speaking of the making of a big deal, there's Bernie Sanders in a dead heat with Mrs. Clinton in Iowa, and no - don't be surprised, especially for Iowa where the primary left is really left and the primary right is all the way over. Stephanie Cutter clearly defined the 'why' explaining that just as Donald Trump is the angry-vote response to the current state of our politics, Bernie Sanders represents that same sentiment for the left.
Though we beat up on Senator Rubio earlier for his foreign policy tough talk, we do agree with his opinion of Texas Senator Ted Cruz, in as much as he does things for political expediency and his own advancement; the reason why none of his colleagues like him. We like many, take exception to Mr. Cruz's 'New York values' comment and in particular that he said that the people of South Carolina know what New York values are but that New Yorkers do not. We would call that stereotyping. And as Mr. Rubio conveniently pointed out, Mr. Cruz has no trouble making disparaging remarks about New Yorkers, but will go there without hesitation when he needs money. We would call that being a jerk.
Panel: Joy Ann Reid, NBC News; Hugh Hewlitt, conservative commentator; Steve Schmidt, Republican Strategist; Stephanie Cutter, political consultant
A Few More Things...
Hugh Hewlitt said that Hillary Clinton dodged the question about Benghazi as it relates to the movie, 13 Hours. He went on to suggest to Chuck Todd that he should ask he later at the debate if she had seen the movie. First, Mr. Todd, don't take Mr. Hewlitt's advise. As Secretary of State at the time, Mrs. Clinton isn't going to comment on a movie beyond what she said today. How many times do we have to go here?
And then there is Maldives, a string of islands (with resorts) in the middle of the Indian Ocean, recruitment center and vacation destination for ISIS. If an international coalition can not restrict a despotic regime on a tiny island country, how is it to manage something bigger, like Syria. And if it takes Amal Clooney, International Human Rights lawyer, to bring it to our attention, we just say 'thank you.'
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