John Fetterman Shoots Down Biden's Approach on Iran

[Polybius]

Source: Yahoo! News

Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) pushed back on Sunday against President Joe Biden’s reported warning to Benjamin Netanyahu that the U.S. would not join in an attack against Iran, repeating his monthslong refrain that the U.S. should unconditionally support Israel.

“It’s astonishing that we are not standing firmly with Israel,” Fetterman told CNN’s Jake Tapper on State of the Union. “There should never be any time for conditions—all of that when a nation can launch hundreds of drones towards Israel—and I’m not going to be talking about conditions ever.”

Tapper asked Fetterman whether he agreed with Biden’s decision to tell Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu to “take the win” for intercepting Iran’s missiles and drones, and his discouragement of an Israeli response, as reported by Axios and others. Fetterman said that, while he still supported the president, he disagreed with Biden and urged him to maintain full-throated support for Israel.

“The president is entitled to his own views and whatever he decides to do, but I would never capitulate to the fringe,” Fetterman said. “In fact, that helps—that empowers Hamas, and Hamas is actually convinced that they are winning the PR war, and they’re never going to negotiate at this point. They think that they’re going to hold onto the very end.”

Read more: https://news.yahoo.com/john-fetterman-shoots-down-biden-150603395.html

[Think. Again.]

3. I agree...

...It's unfortunate that such bad stuff has to be happening right now, stuff that we really should be discussing and openly hashing out, but what is also happening right now that (I think) is more important is the threat to our own democracy and national security posed by the American rightwing.

Yes, there are rightwingers in every country and yes, netanyahu is extremely rightwing, but right now our own nation is at stake and we certainly can't help any other country if we don't secure our own safety first.

[TeamProg]

15. Exactly.

[PatSeg]

19. Well said

The U.S. has been called the essential nation. What good are we to the rest of the world if we become an unstable fascist country ruled by a trigger-happy lunatic?

[Novara]

23. Right. Why doesn't anybody ever have self-restraint for the greater good????

YOU'RE NOT HELPING, Fetterman.

[Think. Again.]

2. self-deleted (wrong post position)

[AncientOfDays]

4. I don't agree with Fetterman

Iran sent a bunch of slow-moving, easy to shoot down drones. Iran wants Israel to become a villain - they want an out-of-proportion response.

War is a choice.

[mdmc]

16. agreed

[mountain grammy]

17. Agree!

[PatSeg]

20. Yes and Netanyahu is struggling politically

War keeps him in power and out of prison. I think he will do anything to save his own hide, even if it costs tens of thousands of innocent lives.

[Deuxcents]

5. He says he supports the president but has a different view of the situation.

I don’t always like some decisions but I still support my president as I have to understand that I don’t have a clue about all the details of any situation. Even Senators, I’m sure, aren’t privy to some goings on behind the scenes. I have to trust that they have the facts from the field of intelligence people working at these locations and the information helps us make the best decisions. Biden has surrounded himself with honorable counsel and I’m good with it. I’m mostly impatient and I’m working on that

[Tetrachloride]

6. the nuances are different on the opposite sides of the world

example: Japanese Prime Minister Kishida’s speech to Congress

example; Egypt and jordan in the press. Jordan says little

listening is a good way to learn

[Phoenix61]

7. First term Senator says what? nt

[former9thward]

30. He says he supports the only democracy in the Middle East.

Something everyone should say.

[Phoenix61]

35. I supported the US when Trump was president.

I sure as heck didn’t support him or many of his actions. I can support Israel and not support its current leader or his actions.

[former9thward]

36. He supports the Israeli response to the Hamas attacks.

As do I and everyone should in my view.

[Kennah]

8. Fetterman is my hero

He survived a stroke and didn't have the luxury of keeping it hidden, like I did. But I disagree with the Senator. Restraint is needed right now.

Minor damage military bases, one Bedouin child seriously injured, upwards of 31 people injured, no fatalities.

https://www.timesofisrael.com/young-girl-seriously-hurt-in-iran-attack-remains-in-life-threatening-condition/

[relayerbob]

9. Biden once again proves to be the right person in the right place

People on both sides are screaming at him, and he takes the balanced, intelligent approach.

Go Joe!!

[jgmiller]

10. While I'd prefer things like this not happen

his disagreement isn't going to do anything especially when Fetterman is out there on the campaign trail for the next 6 months supporting Biden and blasting Trump.

As someone else pointed out I really think this was Iran doing a performative strike. They needed to do something to appease the radicals.

1. They launched the attack after the sabbath and before Passover and in the middle of the night when people would not be at work or out on the streets.
2. They relied heavily on slow moving drones and announced the attack as soon as they launched it giving Isreal and the US plenty of time to deploy countermeasures.
3. They didn't fire their ballistic missles until about an hour AFTER the attack was announced which meant the defenses were ready for them and they announced their fired the missles.

Either they have the most incompetent military planners in history or they wanted the the attack to be heavily blunted with minimal loss of life.

The Isreali's will respond at some point but with the successful defense of the attack it has given them a lot of breathing room to figure out what they want to do. I wouldn't even be surprised if there is some back channel communications going on with Iran trying to figure out what Isreal could do that wouldn't provoke an escalation.

Iran's not stupid in an all out shooting war they lose.

[TeamProg]

14. This.

[FakeNoose]

32. I think Iran was doing Pootie's bidding in the lamest and weakest way possible

There's no reason to start WWIII over this.

[stopdiggin]

11. I can agree (mostly) with Fetterman's take on Hamas ..

Israel going on to both opening and escalating a shooting war with Iran - at this point in time .. ? Seems like a very different proposition. I think pretty much the whole world (making Joe Biden no exception) is looking for - and strongly advocating - deescalation from both of these regional powers.

[LudwigPastorius]

12. Biden supports Israel.

What he doesn't support is a strike by Netanyahu that is not "in kind". Bibi has displayed a penchant for overkill.

An escalation of force could draw more countries into the war, and no sane person wants that.

[TeamProg]

13. Yah NO! Biden is trying build a ME coalition. We need to coordinate the approach with other ME nations.

Iran doesn’t have that many friends and the US needs to do this right.

Biden is simultaneously developing a trade group
Incorporating the ME and SE Asia to head off China’s “Belt and Road” initiative. We don’t a US Senator fraying support for our DEM POTUS!

Fetterman has every right to shoot his mouth, as does Rashida Tlaib, but it is ammo for Fox News as a “Dems in disarray” type of headline.

[Beastly Boy]

18. I agree with Fetterman but not with his timing.

Biden has many Jewish supporters who agree with Fetterman. But a rift between them and the rest of Biden supporters is not something we can afford to risk in light of the upcoming elections. As in the case with the "uncommitted" votes in several primaries, we can't lose sight of the consequences to us as American citizens. It may ultimately lead to negative consequences for Israel in the long run anyway. I shudder at the thought of Kushner in charge of America's policy in the Middle East, and this thought overrides all my concerns about Biden's positions on Israel, even when I strongly disagree with them.

[TeamProg]

22. Fine, but most Americans aren't keen on continuing to arm the IDF's mass killing of

Palestinian civilians while intentionally starving them by making access to aid more than difficult.

I haven’t heard a word from Fetterman about those Americans’ preferences and how he’s supposed to rep his constituents.

Fetterman’s wants would escalate a ME war and breed fanatic terrorism, creating more long term struggles. It’s best to coordinate with other ME nations.

Don’t let your emotions get the best of you.

[Beastly Boy]

24. Most Americans are not keen on the terrorists invading Israel and intentionally and indiscriminately murdering,

raping and abducting its civilians either. And most Americans are not keen on Iran attacking Israel or sponsoring the aforementioned terrorists, in addition to those in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and the pirates in Yemen.

And I haven't heard a word of condemnation naming Hamas or Iran from Rashida Tlaib, for instance.

Fanatic terrorism and the ME war is the consequence of the culture of martyrdom and the educational system being promoted and institutionalized by the fanatical terrorists all across the ME for generations, and Fetterman has nothing to do with that.

I have principles, but I am not known for being guided by my emotions. My principles and, more importantly, ability to disconnect from emotions in the service of my principles, allows me to agree with Fetterman's sentiments and at the same time disagree with his timing. It also affords me a degree of pragmatism and reliance on factual references I find sorely lacking in the sentiments of the advocates who prefer to be guided by their emotions rather than reason. For instance, it is completely unreasonable to fault Fetterman or IDF for decades of intense indoctrination that go into producing successive generations of terrorists.

Most Americans can walk and chew gum at the same time. It is those who cannot or do not want to reconcile their emotional reactions with their stated objectives that are harming Biden's reelection prospects.

[TeamProg]

33. You don't have to believe me, look at the REC count over 7 1/2 hours later! nt

[Beastly Boy]

34. Oh, so it's a popularity contest!

It never occurred to me that popular appeal is the end goal and the golden standard for debating on DU.

Congratulations, you win the crown.

[TeamProg]

37. It's not "me" that is popular - it was my comment. Sure, like a poll if you like. Whatever, dood.

[Beastly Boy]

38. Congratilations, your post wins a crown!

In a popularity contest.

[malthaussen]

21. I'm disappointed, John.

What is this noise, "We can WIN the war in Vietnam?"

-- Mal

[Butterflylady]

25. All I can say is that I am very disappointed in Fetterman.

He gave me hope that he will get things done finally. Now I'm nothing so sure.

[Scrivener7]

26. Well, he's wrong.

[BeyondGeography]

27. Fetterman needs to learn the art of disagreeing without stepping in it

That is if he cares to learn.

“There should never be any time for conditions” is a stupid thing to say. So is stating that Biden is “capitulating to the fringe” by taking a position designed to avoid escalation which is definitively not a fringe position.

[maxsolomon]

28. Poor analysis. The US is standing firmly with Israel.

We shot down half the missiles, FFS.

"Take the win" is really good advice, and I do think Netanyahu will. They clearly got what they wanted - decapitating the Iranian proxy War's command and control in 1 strike on a freaking Embassy.

[getagrip_already]

29. It's a fairly balanced response....

I don't see it as an attack on Biden so much as a legitimate policy dispute.

Disputes happen. There is nothing wrong with them. John has his own constituents to deal with. But in no way is supporting tsf or attacking biden.

[hueymahl]

31. I support Biden

Fetterman is flat out wrong