Tennessee Republican Senator Bob Corker - The Man Behind Obama's Iran Nuclear Deal

 Obama needed Tennessee Republican Bob Corker to save

Bob Corker and Obama
Playing a round of golf together

his Iran deal and Corker delivered.

It should be noted that Corker and Obama have a very close relationship. They have teed off on the golf course and enjoyed dinner together on more than one occasion. They aren’t exactly enemies. In fact, many in Washington would even say they are quite close.

Earlier this year Corker introduced legislation to “give Congress a vote” on the Iran deal. Obama said he would reject the bill, but quickly flipped and said he supported Corker’s bill. As Obama has said, he has a pen and a phone. He has no qualms when it comes to sidestepping Congress. So, why would Obama support a bill by Corker that supposedly gives Congress the power to kill his negotiations with Iran? Again the stated purpose of the bill was to stop Obama’s Iran deal, but Obama couldn’t wait to sign it.  Kind of strange right?

Bob Corker and Obama
Getting Off Air Force One

The truth is that Congress had a vote before Corker’s bill and Obama never actually rejected Corker’s bill. In fact, Obama wanted and needed Corker’s bill, and his brief “rejection” was nothing more than political theater to help Corker trick everyone into believing the bill was bad for Obama’s agenda. Now the bill is law.

So in a nutshell this is what happened and how Obama got his Iran Nuclear deal.   Obama’s Iran nuclear deal was considered a treaty at first and would have needed 2/3rds of Congress to pass. Republicans current control Congress.  Corker’s bill change was about to change it from being a treaty.

Corker’s bill legally allowed Obama’s Iran deal to be presented as normal legislation instead of a treaty. Even worse, Corker’s bill allows for Obama’s nuclear deal to activate unless Congress disapproves the deal. This means Congress must pass a Resolution of Disapproval to kill the deal. Democrats have enough members to prevent a Resolution of Disapproval from ever even being voted on because 60 votes are required to force a vote on legislation. Because Republicans only have 54 votes (maybe 56 if the two Democrats opposing the bill stand with them) they do not have enough votes to force a vote on the Resolution of Disapproval. Without the resolution, the deal is set in stone. Even if Republicans can get 4 more Democrats to flip, Obama now has the power to veto the Resolution of Disapproval. To override the veto, 13 Senate Democrats and 43 House Democrats have to stand with Republicans against Obama. It won’t happen. Obama knew this going in, and that’s why he couldn’t wait to sign Corker’s bill.

Some, including Corker, have argued that Obama wasn’t going to present the deal as a treaty, but as an “Executive Agreement”. That argument is all part of their marketing scam. The Obama administration cannot arbitrarily not call a treaty a treaty. Even if they had tried to, the Court would strike it down. Now, with Corker’s bill, there will be no Court challenge and no way to stop it through Congress. Corker’s bill added absolutely no protection. It simply stripped the Court’s and Congress’ protection.

Corker now has the audacity to tell his constituents that Republicans won’t be able to stop the Iran deal, but he tried so hard. He says he and Senator Lamar Alexander will both vote in favor of the Resolution of Disapproval to “stop the deal”. Of course he will. He rigged the vote so that every Republican can vote against the final deal, but their votes won’t count. He should be ashamed of purposefully misleading his constituents when he knows it was his actions that guaranteed Obama’s and Iran’s success.

Corker’s self absorbed decisions have put American lives at risk.