| Everyone else wants to undermine Champ these days, the House Dems might as well try to save themselves. from the tsunami that's apparently headed their way in the coming election. When folks start running to the lifeboats you don't want to be the last one to try and find a seat. |
Multiple Democrats on Capitol Hill are worried that House Democratic leaders are close to joining with House GOP leaders to support a bipartisan measure that could undermine the White HouseÂ’s efforts to reach a long term deal curbing IranÂ’s nuclear program, IÂ’m told by sources involved in discussions.
| Champ's going to have a hard time explaining this away to his new bestest friends, the Mad Mullahs™. Even if the Senate doesn't go along, a House vote of disapproval will show Champ doesn't have his government going along with him on international affairs. It's more than just a contrary minority voting their spleens, it shows that even we don't trust Champ. That's going to make it next to impossible for Champ, or Jahwn, or anyone else in the White House to strike a deal with a foreign power. That might be the best outcome of all. |
The worry is that Dem Rep. Steny Hoyer, the number two House Dem, may join with GOP Rep. Eric Cantor on a resolution or bill that will either criticize the current temporary deal with Iran, or call for a new round of sanctions, or set as U.S. policy some strict parameters on a final deal with Iran, such as opposition to any continued uranium enrichment, House Democratic aides say. House Dems and outside foreign policy observers have communicated such worries to HoyerÂ’s office, sources add.
| Stony doesn't have the safest Dem seat in the House, and the lifeboat's beginning to look a little crowded... |
Hoyer’s office confirmed to me that Cantor had produced a bill and shared it with him, but declined to discuss details. “Cantor has a bill, and it’s being reviewed by our office,” Hoyer spokesperson Stephanie Young said. “No decisions have been made.” Spokespeople for Cantor didn’t respond.
| Hoyer would very much like to see the internal polls in his district over the holiday... |
Any resolution or bill along these lines that has the support of any House Dem leaders would increase the pressure on Senate Democrats to pass a measure of their own, which the White House opposes. And some fear that a measure in the House itself — even if the Senate didn’t act — could have an adverse impact on international talks.
According to reports in the Hill and National Journal, Cantor and House GOP leaders are looking for a way to express opposition to, and put obstacles in the way of, the deal the Obama administration is pursuing. But now that a bill has been produced, and could be joined by Hoyer, that significantly ratchets up worries that Congress could very well act in a way that scuttles hopes for a long term deal.
| Again, that might be just the thing we need until 2017 when we have a chance of getting an adult as President... |
Those wary of a possible Hoyer-Cantor measure point out that the two have previously collaborated on measures relating to U.S. policy in the middle east. |