perspectives
gwinnettdailypost.com
Todd Cline, Editor
todd.cline@gwinnettdailypost.com
PAGE 6 A • FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2015
The GOP’s political fight club
WASHINGTON — Just when you think the Republican Party can’t possibly be more chaotic and disorganized, another internal brawl breaks out. Except for opposition to President Obama, what do these people have in common? The latest GOP fight is over how to express meaningless, ineffectual rejection of the president’s nuclear deal with Iran. The House leadership was ready to offer a simple resolution of disapproval, which the big Republican majority could easily pass. It might not clear the Senate’s 60-vote margin — and if it did, Eugene Obama would exercise his veto. Still, the Robinson House’s view would be on record. But no, that would be too easy. Rebellious far-right members balked, favoring instead a set of three related bills meant to voice, I suppose, extraspecial triple disapproval. One measure would accuse the president, absurdly, of making some kind of secret side-deal with Iran. Another would block Obama from lifting sanctions. The third would ask the House to approve the deal rather than disapprove it — a way of forcing Democrats to vote affirmatively for a controversial policy. It’s unclear how such an overstuffed package would be received in the Senate. But it’s crystal clear that even if some or all of it passed both chambers, Obama would use his veto and that would be that. With 42 senators on record as supporting the deal, the president could not be overridden. Plus, the three-headed approach is illogical. The whole point is to give Republicans in Congress a chance to show their rejection of the agreement. Passing a resolution saying “we don’t like the deal” would at least accomplish that symbolic goal. Voting down a resolution that says “we like it just fine” is not quite the same thing. Why did Speaker John Boehner and his team agree to even consider taking this roundabout route to nowhere? Perhaps because two presidential candidates — billionaire Donald Trump and Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas — headlined a rally Wednesday at the Capitol to rail against the Iran pact and charge that the GOP establishment is not fighting hard enough to thwart the president. Mentions of Boehner and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell drew boos from the passionate crowd. It’s nothing new for House Republicans to tilt at windmills; they’ve passed more than 50 bills repealing all or part of the Affordable Care Act, not one of which had the slightest effect. But this long-standing disagreement over legislative tactics is hardly the only schism dividing the GOP these days. Now, thanks largely to front-runner Trump, there is also an increasingly sharp divide over economic policy. Plutocrats, free-traders and supply-siders are on the defensive — and rapidly losing ground. Trump, of course, is an unabashed plutocrat. But his ideas about the economy are pure heresy, as far as the party establishment is concerned. He believes the rich should pay more in taxes. He complains that free-trade agreements have been disastrous for American workers. He defends entitlements such as Medicare and Social Security. He charges that his opponents for the nomination are bought and paid for by powerful corporate interests. The keepers of Republican orthodoxy, such as the Club for Growth, and the party’s donor class are aghast. But Trump’s message is definitely connecting with GOP voters. How can I be so sure? Because the most establishment-friendly candidate of them all, Jeb Bush, issued a tax-reform plan this week that would eliminate the “carried interest” loophole. That’s the sweet gimmick that allows wealthy hedge-fund managers and some other investors to pay taxes at a lower rate than their limousine drivers. “The new normal is a comfortable ride for the affluent people that live off their portfolios,” Bush said at a factory in North Carolina. “My plan will help those who live on their paychecks, who haven’t seen a raise in a while.” I repeat: That’s not socialist Bernie Sanders talking. It’s Jeb, the patrician-born presidential scion. Meanwhile, the intra-party fight over immigration continues. Trump, again, threw the first haymaker with his proposal to deport 11 million undocumented men, women and children. The idea is cruel, completely unworkable, probably fatal in the general election — and quite popular with the Republican base. Establishment-backed candidates have been forced to denounce reasonable solutions on immigration and come out in favor of border walls that will never be built. But many GOP voters have deeper questions about the impact of large-scale immigration. It’s healthy for a party to have robust internal debate — but not to devolve into a giant political fight club. Eugene Robinson’s email address is eugenerobinson@washpost.com.
The solitude of a morning drive Heading out for breakfast at the Renaissance at the Atlanta Airport early one morning recently, my game plan was influenced by the time of my appointment, which was 8 a.m. There was a choice. I could leave around 6 a.m. and fight the traffic, but allowing two hours would likely have me reach my destination on time. However, I could leave at 4:30 a.m., beat the rush and have two hours to read and check emails. Why try to sleep fitfully for another hour and a half when you can leave early, find something productive to do and be refreshed for your morning meeting? Early morning can bring such peacefulness. Solitude offers refreshing comfort but, more often than not, I am overcome by impatience. There is good news in that you can’t invoke use of your cellphone — nobody is up at that hour except policemen and Waffle House early birds. I did call the two people I know with early morning habits, but soon I was into massaging the pre-dawn images. Pickup trucks with oversized tires which roared out a humming sound that confirmed the
to drive in an inside lane next to an 18-wheeler. When an impulsive buck starts pounding across the road, I want to have an 18-wheeler between the big buck and me. Along about 5:30 a.m., I see an empty school bus pull out Loran into the road which makes one reflect on the driver’s misSmith sion — to pick up kids of all ages. But what time does the driver was somebody you driver make the first pickup? wouldn’t want to mess with. A kid who has to ride an hour Traffic lights in early morn- to school has too much time to ing favor the main road. They get into mischief. Maybe this are greener than the lawn at is when the cellphone aids and the White House. It is not the abets discipline. season of the rut, but I did spot With daybreak up ahead, one doe’s carcass on the road I check the news — the side near Walnut Grove. Mak- soothing sounds and harmony ing this early morning drive in on the airwaves from WSB, December would bring about whose programing has always trepidation. I have killed three made listeners comfortable. deer in my life and have never Going home, there would be fired a shot. I’m sure you time for country music, but I know the rest of the story. preferred a Willie Nelson tape. Thinning the deer herds in Willie has lived a checkered our state is something a lot of life but his music makes you hunters and wildlife officials think about the vicissitudes talk about. There do seem of life and the fact that he to be too many deer out and represents the many who have about, especially in the late been down on their luck and fall. If we need to harvest made it back. more deer, then I am all for it. Thinking of several of the Just don’t want to help accom- country music titans who have plish the wildlife balance with gone on to that Great Grand my right front fender. Ole Opry in the sky, I began During the rut, I always try wondering if Bill O’Reilly
is going to write a book on “Killing Hank Williams.” Before reaching my destination, I had to maneuver to my exit through a group of 18-wheelers, which makes you wonder if these kings of the road are as accommodating as they once were, doing things like stopping to change a lady’s flat tire? They really drive fast these days. They are big and they are intimidating. I don’t mind having one of them between me and the deer, but it is rather frightening to be between two of them. It was an uneventful drive, plenty of time to meditate and reflect. To think of the good things in life and the excitement of travel — even to Atlanta for breakfast. Soon, the breakfast meeting was finished and I was returning east toward home, free and unencumbered on an open road. Greeting me in the other lane was bumper-to-bumper traffic, making me think of the many people in life who are traveling up hill or are always stuck in traffic. Loran Smith is co-host of “The Tailgate Show” and sideline announcer for Georgia football. He is also a freelance writer and columnist.
Why I’m voting against Obama’s Iran deal In the coming days, the Senate will consider President Barack Obama’s nuclear deal with Iran. I will vote against this dangerous agreement. History provides a recent example of how a bad deal can lead to dangerous consequences. In 1994, then-President Bill Clinton made similar lofty promises about his Agreed Framework with North Korea, saying, “This agreement will help to achieve a longstanding and vital American objective: an end to the threat of nuclear proliferation on the Korean Peninsula.” Just 12 years later, North Korea completed its first nuclear detonation test. While the two deals have their differences, I fear President Obama’s nuclear deal places the United States on a similar path with Iran. President Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry repeatedly said, “No deal is better than a bad deal.” I couldn’t agree more. When you look at the facts, it is clear this deal is not good for America, our allies or global security. Negotiations cede to Iran the right to enrich uranium. This overturns decades of U.S. nonproliferation and no fewer than six U.N. Security Council Resolutions. It also legitimizes the nuclear program of a pariah proliferator. Domestic enrichment is not necessary for a peaceful, civil nuclear program. Currently, there are five nations with peaceful energy programs and domestic enrichment but no weapons: Argentina, Brazil, Germany, the
key contributor to regional instability. Imagine how far these funds could go in the hands of Iran’s brutal and oppressive regime. Iran self-inspects its own nuclear and military sites. While the Obama Administration hails “unprecedented” David inspections, in reality, this deal Purdue allows Iran to self-inspect and no American inspectors will Netherlands and Japan. There be allowed on the ground. Instead, Iranians, observed are 18 nations with peaceful by surveillance cameras, will nuclear programs, but no enconduct their own oversight. richment. Yet, this deal treats Iran — a rogue regime — like This arrangement is extremely a good actor and entrusts them lenient for a nation that developed the Fordow nuclear facilwith domestic enrichment. ity in secret, despite having Restrictions on Iran’s nuclear and missile programs IAEA teams on the ground for years. are lifted step by step. This This deal leads to a nuclear deal lifts the U.N. arms embargo on Iran in five years and Iran and a potential arms race. President Obama claims this the ballistic missile embargo in eight years. Restrictions on deal “permanently prohibits Iran from obtaining a nuclear Iran’s nuclear activities are weapon.” Not only does this gradually lifted over the next deal fail to preclude Iran 8.5 to 15 years. Iran’s breakout time shrinks to nearly zero from ever obtaining a nuclear weapon, it legitimizes Iran’s between years 13 and 15. illicit enrichment program and Iran receives upwards of $60 billion in sanctions relief all but guarantees a nuclear Iran in a little over a decade. up front. Instead of meeting certain benchmarks for finan- More troublingly, this deal will ignite a conventional cial relief, Iran’s rewards are and nuclear arms race in the front-loaded. This essentially Middle East. Instead of makgives the country a “signing ing the world a safer place, bonus” and shields Iran’s economy from any future pu- this deal makes the world more volatile. nitive “snapback” sanctions. Now, President Obama President Obama’s sanction presents the American people relief is so dramatic economists estimate Iran’s economy with a false choice: accept this bad deal or go to war. will grow up to 9 percent in That’s simply not the case. In the year after implementation. Iran is the world’s largest fact, this deal makes military conflict more likely in the state sponsor of terrorism, a chief backer of the murderous future by diluting the power of American-led sanctions on Assad regime in Syria and a
Iran, leaving the world with fewer options to respond to cheating. Meanwhile, the majority of United Nations and European Union sanctions will be lifted later this year. There are alternatives to accepting this bad deal. Congress can, and should, reject this deal. If Iran refuses to return to the negotiating table, we can double down on sanctions. We can give the world a choice: do business with the United States or with Iran. I refuse to accept a bad deal with Iran — particularly when all options have not been exhausted. We certainly cannot afford another disaster like North Korea. Yet this deal sends a dangerous message to Iran and other potential proliferators: cheat and be rewarded. That is not what Georgians or the American people want. This fight is not over and, as a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, I will continue to urge my colleagues to reject this dangerous deal and stop a nuclear Iran now. Sen. David Perdue (RGa.) is Georgia’s junior senator. He serves on the Senate’s Agriculture Committee, Budget Committee, Foreign Relations Committee, Judiciary Committee and the Special Committee on Aging. He also serves as chairman of the Foreign Relations Subcommittee on the State Department and USAID Management and the Agriculture Subcommittee on Conservation, Forestry and Natural Resources.