Oregon Democrat (Jeff Merkley) becomes 31st senator to back Iran nuclear deal

[Eugene]

Source: Associated Press

The Oregon Democratic senator Jeff Merkley on Sunday became the 31st senator to announce support for the Iran nuclear deal, as momentum continued to build behind the agreement the Obama administration and other world powers negotiated with Tehran.

Merkley’s backing put supporters within reach of the 34 votes required to uphold a presidential veto of a congressional resolution disapproving the agreement, which curbs Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for billions of dollars in sanctions relief.

Republicans, who control the Senate, are unanimously against the deal. But with an overwhelming number of Senate Democrats in favor, some have now begun aiming to amass 41 yes votes, which would allow them to kill the disapproval resolution outright in the Senate and protect Obama from having to use his veto pen.

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Merkley said that while he thinks the deal has “significant shortcomings”, it is the best strategy to block Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon.

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Read more: http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/aug/30/iran-nuclear-deal-senate-jeff-merkley

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Associated Press in Washington
Sunday 30 August 2015 16.30 BST

[turbinetree]

1. Now what is ....................

Boehnor and McConnell going to do ----------------gerrymander the votes , only need four more democrats to sustain the veto for Obama in the Senate.
They have no god damn alternative----------------none except looking for cannon fodder

I just can't wait for the drunk and the turtle come out pulling there hair and trying to place this vote on some rider bill-------that can't happen its an agreement-not a treaty

[karynnj]

10. Only three more - we need 34.

It seems the Republicans know that Obama has it, because they are now speaking of the 41 needed to filibuster it as what Obama needs to prevent having to veto it. While that would be good, just sustaining a veto is needed to move forward.

It would actually be better to fililibuster it, even if it is a done deal - a filibuster ends everything before the UN meets and before the Pope, who supports it, comes. Both those events are positive for the agreement and - along with the Republicans failing to condemn it - would help people see it as good. (countering the millions wasted on ads.)

[dieter]

2. Yeah! That's my senator I'll vote for again - NOT Wyden though.

I will be calling Merkley's office Monday to thank him for his support of the Iran deal. Just as I've e-mailed and contacted Wyden's office to let them know that not only do I not support his position on Iran or the TPP I will be doing whatever I can to elect someone else in his place.

[fredamae]

6. Me too on All Points!

When it comes right down to it-Wyden really is no friend to working Oregonians who are not in the 1%.
His "concerned statements" about the environment/Wildfires raging in the PNW/CA after having previously Pushed for and Voted For TPP are laughable.
He's become nothing more than a most excellent, corporate flag-waving shill, imo-and I've supported him since 1996 - Never again!

[cascadiance]

7. I think we need to call Peter DeFazio's office Monday...

... and see if we can call on him to tell Wyden that if he votes the wrong way on this bill, he will announce he's running in the Democratic primary for Wyden's seat in 2016. Wyden's already got STRIKE 1 against him on his actions regarding the TPA and TPP legislation in the Senate. Fool me once shame on you... Fool me twice, shame on me! We need to let Wyden know that the real consequences about his recent actions that are not following this wishes of his democratic party constituency base, will have us look in other directions for his seat in 2016.

And by the way, probably the most attended county PCP meetings for Democrats in this state, just passed UNANIMOUSLY (this is rarely done) a resolution supporting the Iran agreement just a few days ago. Here's the text of what was just passed. Share this with Wyden if you call him to let him know that there aren't "dissenting voices" among real voters out there in his base.

http://www.washcodems.org/sites/washington.oregondemocrats.org/files/attachments/Iran%20Resolution%20009_0.pdf

A good question to ask him also would be if he's one of the strongest supporters of Obama's TPA and TPP bills and the "free trade" that goes along with it, presumably for the actual trade activity it is promising to this state, then he should ask himself whether voting in effect AGAINST trade with Iran fits with that strategy of promoting global trade that presumably is his reason for supporting TPP. If the U.S. is the only country that retains trade sanctions against Iran, how does that do the U.S. any good, both diplomatically and in terms of how it is perceived as a trading partner both by Iran's leadership and more importantly the populace there, that likes America for the most part (in terms of the newer generation there), but many of the people are the ones that are feeling more adversely affected by trade sanctions than their leadership. A lot of room for Russia and China to come in and become better friends in the absence of the U.S. if we don't sign on to this agreement. I've heard this personally from a good Persian friend of mine this week. The biggest problem that faces the newer generation that they could blame on us is the effect of the sanctions on them. Otherwise the new generation there is a lot more warm to wanting to be allies to the U.S. in the future when they take more leadership in that country than their older generations that had to suffer through the Shah and the earlier Ayatollah's regimes. The newer generation is far more literate than the older Persian generations were, and are a lot more globally aware and engaged than they were.

[Enthusiast]

9. Wyden's TPA and TPP vote is a non-negotiable deal breaker for me.

Same goes for any other Democratic office holders/candidates.

[dieter]

11. Sounds good to me. We need to find someone to Primary Wyden and WIN.

I'll make that call on Monday.

[Faux pas]

3. Guess my

letter to him helped! Lol, can't take all the credit, I'm sure plenty of Oregonians wrote and called him.

[mountain grammy]

4. Good to hear this.. will once again contact my senator

he's still "deciding" wtf is there to decide?

[bluestateguy]

5. Let's try to get Obama 41 votes

I think it can be done.

[trueblue2007]

8. HE IS MY SENATOR

[davidpdx]

12. I'm glad to hear Merkley is going to support the deal

Now we need to get Wyden on board.

[potone]

13. He is one of the best Senators that we have.

Unfortunately Wyden has been a disappointment. I really don't understand him.