I was working on a post which was, essentially, a refresher on the mistake President Obama made when he chose to “look forward instead of back” – allowing Bush/Cheney to leave Washington DC with no consequences for their illegal activity while in office.  To me, that set the stage for a lot of what is SO wrong in America these days – where those at the “top” feel NO fear of any prosecution for thumbing their collective noses at our criminal justice system.  I believe this attitude has filtered all the way down to many in America’s police force and we’ve all witnessed the arrogance and lack of integrity of police departments all over the nation as many unarmed civilians (mostly Black) have been gunned down.  I will finish that post soon – but just yesterday the tentative agreement with Iran, aimed at stopping their pursuit of a nuclear weapon was announced and those on the “right” showed why so many of us are embarrassed that they even have a voice in the national dialogue with their knee jerk reactions – in most instances by men who haven’t even read the agreement!

So, I decided this was not the time for me to pile on to the anti Obama campaign – mainly because I’m one who wishes for him to succeed and, basically feel that, despite the incredible effort of the republican party to derail his presidency, he is succeeding.  Heck, President Obama can’t even count on many in his own party to defend him – which is one of the reasons democrats are in the minority in Congress.  I have to say that I’m extremely happy that President Obama ignored the “liberal press” as they apparently want the U.S. to, as John McCain put it a few years ago, “Bomb, Bomb, Bomb Iran.”  I believe the Iranian people are not that different from “we the people” in America – they want peace.  It’s true there is an incredible hatred in Iran of the Israeli government, but the idea that we can just bomb them into submission is ludicrous to me.  I don’t know who the speaker was (I was listening to MSNBC on my car radio as they played sound bites of various republican responses to the agreement) who claimed that “this will be the cause of “World War III.”  That’s the kind of thinking (and rhetoric) that will guarantee no republican sits in the White House for the near future.  (I mean, for heaven’s sake – their present “front runner” is Donald Trump – you’ve got to be kidding)

I recognized some of the voices as I listened to this chorus of doomsayers chime in on what a terrible agreement this is.  Of course, these are the same people who have been panning the Affordable Care Act (AKA “Obamacare”) for the past 5 and 1/2 years – including something like 50 votes in the House of Representatives to “repeal it” – without even a scent of something different to replace it with.  It’s almost exactly the “same song” on this Iran agreement (which has been in the “works” for almost 2 years and was the “force” behind the traitorous letter from 47 republican senators to the right wing leaders of Iran encouraging them not to negotiate with President Obama’s representatives – because, essentially, those very same republicans could not be trusted to honor any agreement – one of the more incredible, and disgusting, acts by any group of congressional “leaders” in my lifetime) – the republican war mongers have offered NOTHING as an alternative – while, with the help of George W Bush/Dick Cheney who actually softened the sanctions initiated by Bill Clinton, they enabled Iran to amass a huge stockpile of centrifuges and fuel necessary to build a bomb – all while our republicans presumably are waiting for the opportunity to try their “shock and awe” treatment that they used on Iraq on the Iranians.  (I wonder if they even think about how that strategy worked in Iraq?)  Actually, it was President Obama who strengthened the sanctions imposed by President Clinton and ENFORCED them, that brought the Iranians to the negotiating “table” the republicans apparently want to avoid.

This republican policy toward Iran has been curious to me for many years.  (I know for certain they’d like to get their “hands” on Iran’s oil reserves)  If you’re as old as me – actually, you don’t even have to be that old – I was around (graduated high school) as LBJ used a lie to escalate our involvement in Viet Nam – so, my only surprise when Bush/Cheney did essentially the same thing in Iraq was that they, and our other “leaders,” had apparently missed the “lesson” of Viet Nam.  To me, Iraq was a “deja vu all over again” fiasco.  But, I digress – back to Iran – during the administration of Ronald Reagan – the “patron saint” of present day republicans, the American executive was ILLEGALLY trading arms to Iran (our “sworn enemy” – in defiance of our Congress) and laundering the money so they could support the “Contras” who Reagan et al wanted to undermine the elected government of Nicaragua.  Reagan should have been impeached over this scandal (well over 1000 missiles were shipped to Iran – who, at the time, was at war with Iraq – and Saddam Hussein – who we were publicly supporting with American weapons) but my point is that, just like today, the republican public position was that Iran was our “mortal enemy” while – at the same time – we were arming them to the “teeth.”  (Our next republican president – “Poppy” Bush, who was involved in the Iran/Contra dealings pardoned every member of Reagan’s administration who were prosecuted for this illegal behavior with nary a whimper from our “liberal media”)

One of the voices I heard (and recognized tonight as I drove home) was Dick Cheney’s.  Now, I’ve stated many times on this site that it is beyond me why this man gets to say ANYTHING on a national (or local) “news” broadcast.  (I put the word “news” in quotes because – if you missed it – I’m not sure if we really have national “news” broadcasts anymore.  To me it’s becoming “entertainment” with a slant toward news (that seems always “slanted”)  Why anyone would even care what Dick Cheney thinks anymore is beyond me.  He was the driving force behind America’s DISASTROUS invasion of Iraq in 2003 and he’s been busy trying to defend that HORRIBLE mistake ever since – including his repeated admissions that he authorized TORTURE and that he would “do it again” if given the chance.  The man should be BEHIND BARS!  So, I have no idea why he gets a voice on TV (and, usually with no rebuttal!)  People actually believe him – I know this because I know some older white guys (like me) who still watch Fox “news” and actually believe they are informed.  Of course, Dick Cheney would call this (agreement with Iran) a “bad deal” – I’m sure without the benefit of actually reading it – because he’s one of the war mongers who’ve been PROFITING off of America’s “war machine” since the day George W Bush took office (check out the “no-bid” contract history of Halliburton, Cheney’s company before he took the oath of office and how much he has profited off of the war he instigated – yuk!)

One thing most people don’t know is when Dick Cheney was the CEO of Halliburton, the company managed to find a way to bypass the rules that prohibited doing business with Iran and signed contracts for drilling for oil and gas during the Clinton years.  Bill Clinton had “cut off ALL trade and investment in Iran.”  These are the sanctions I mentioned above that the Bush/Cheney administration virtually ignored during their administration and left the “cleanup” of Iran’s push toward a nuclear weapon to President Obama.  Then, when the Obama administration negotiates a deal which virtually guarantees Iran will not get a nuclear bomb for at least the next 10 to 15 years, Cheney is on the “front lines” of those trying to undermine the process.  But, why would anyone think this would be different.  After all, the republicans have focused their efforts since the day Obama was elected to ensuring that he would – in the words of Rush Limbaugh – FAIL!  They blast anything President Obama does before any ink used in whatever the agreement might be, is dry!  As stated above – they are constantly responding to events with “knee jerk” reactions.

Here’s the rub for them.  Yes, they’ve got a stranglehold on most of our “liberal media.”  And, yes, Fox “news” still has a significant audience (of minions).  But, the reality is that republicans are falling on the WRONG SIDE of virtually EVERY issue that stands before the American people and the world.  From health care, to immigration reform, to Cuba, to the Middle East, and I could go on and on – republicans represent what is wrong in America.  People are shaking their heads because one issue after another have the support of HUGE majorities of the American public – yet our government fails to get ANYTHING done in response to just about every situation.  President Obama is taking matters into his own hands where he can – which, I might add, is invigorating the very “base” that elected him and has been so disappointed in his efforts to “bargain” with these right wing thugs who won’t rest until Obama has been destroyed – they’re too stupid (now, in many ways they’re smart – like in how to manipulate the “system”) to realize that “history” will get this all “right” – and, they are going to end up being a “blight” on America history.  From the Bush/Cheney crew who instigated the fiasco’s in Iraq and Afghanistan to these congressional leaders who’ve been spewing the racial “code words” for the past (almost) 7 years in their attempt to ensure President Obama’s failure.  In the end, they will make him look even BETTER!

This agreement with Iran really brings out the republican’s “true colors.”  They have no concern for the success of this nation.  Their only goal is controlling POWER and making sure that our first president of African American descent FAILS.  Everything else, to them, is secondary.  And, more and more people, every day, are realizing what the reality is.  And, each one who comes to the understanding they’ve been duped for all these years will be part of a significant “backlash” that (I hope) will either destroy the republican party or force it to reform itself and rejoin the “melting pot” we call America with policies that benefit the middle class of this great nation.  A large portion of the American people support President Obama’s attempt to solve the Iranian problem diplomatically (as they do with health care, immigration reform, Cuba, the minimum wage, etc.) and the Iranian people have responded to this agreement joyously.  I can’t help but think of how the so-called “neo-cons” will respond if we (America) actually establish a diplomatic relationship with Iran.  (One of my ironic thoughts was that the leadership of Iran probably views America’s “liberal” move toward “marriage equality” in the same vein as these republicans who are panning this deal – right wing zealots have more in common than they’d like to admit)

I’m going to end this by reminding anyone who’s interested.  The Iranians volunteered to help the U.S. defeat Al Qaeda after the 9/11 attacks and were refused by Bush/Cheney.  Now, we are dealing with the aftermath of that disastrous decision which is the spread of ISIS (or, as some call them ISIL or “The Islamic State”).  I remember John McCain as he ran for president not knowing the difference between Shia and Sunni Arabs – and, for that matter, President Bush blundering the same subject, yet the reality is these two sects have been mortal enemies for centuries and NOTHING we do will change that.  The Iranians (Persians) are Shia Muslims and the Iraqi Arabs are Sunni.  Saddam Hussein and his supporters (the Baathist’s) were Sunni and had been at war with Iran (Shia) for as long as I can remember (while I was paying attention).  ISIS is made up largely of the Sunni remnants of Saddam Hussein’s army that was “dismissed” by Paul Bremer soon after the American invasion of Iraq and is a major threat to Iran. From all I can tell, virtually every one of the republicans I heard tonight panning the President’s decision to make this agreement with Iran (keep in mind there were several other countries involved in the decision, so America could have been left on the “outside” had President Obama listened to these republican detractors) have also been condemning President Obama for the very existence of ISIS (of course, as I just stated, their existence is a direct result of decisions made by Bush/Cheney et al).  I can’t help but think of how will they react if the United States joins with Iran in an effort to defeat ISIS and succeeds?  My biggest concern is that, while this deal has great potential to initiate a true change in the Middle East, will republicans, in their effort to ensure President Obama’s “failure,”  attempt to scuttle the deal with Iran?

As I see it, in facing the worst “DO NOTHING” Congress in the nation’s history (they’ve been upfront with their obstructionism) President Obama has FINALLY gone on the offensive.  I hope the members of his own party “jump on board,” because I believe this could be the beginning of the end of the present day republican party.  They are looking more like the sixth graders I spent my career teaching than national leaders.  President Obama is “on a roll” and I believe he’s of the mindset that “what have I got to loose?”  He’s going to push for progress and members of Congress can either decide to jump on board or, in the end, face the wrath of the American people who – in my mind – are getting sicker and sicker of the gridlock that defines Washington D.C.

So, I have my disagreements with our president, but I’ll leave them for later.  At this point, I applaud him for taking aggressive action in areas where his executive authority allows him to bypass the obstructionist congress.  And, my hope is that these republican minions who carry the water for whomever is “pulling the strings” would listen to Chris Christie and “just shut up.”  To my friends who still admire GW Bush and claim that President Obama is “the worst president ever” – all I can say is maybe you should re-think your position.  Certainly, make sure you’re around other Fox “news” propaganda victims before you openly broach the subject.