Sunday on CNN’s “State of the Union,” in discussing an open letter to Iran’s leaders signed by 47 Republican senators, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) said the “manufactured controversy” surrounding the letter is “a case of selective outrage.”
McConnell said, “I think this is a case of selective outrage. I remember reading about Senator Robert Bird when he was majority leader, flying to Moscow during the negotiations over the Salt 11 treaty explaining to the Russians the senate’s role in treaty ratification. Or Kerry when he was senator flew to Managua and met with communist dictator Daniel Ortega and accused the Reagan administration of engaging in terrorism. Look, members of congress expressing themselves about important matters not only at home but around the world is not unprecedented. So the main point is the president is about to make what we believe is a very bad deal. He clearly doesn’t want congress involved it at all. And we’re worried about it. We don’t think he ought to make a bad deal with one of the worst regimes in the world.”
When asked if the letter will stop democrats from joining a veto proof majority if President Obama makes a bad deal McConnell said, “I can’t believe a democrat concerned about Iran getting a nuclear weapon would use some excuse like this as a reason not to support legislation that they think on the merits makes good sense. There are at least ten democrats who said they felt like it was important for the congress to be able to approve this agreement. Why would they use some dispute like this, some controversy like this, which I think is a bit of a manufactured controversy, frankly, to get in the way of their judgment about whether or not Iran should get nuclear weapon I dont think they are going to do that.”
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