White House infuriated by Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer’s opposition to Iran nuclear deal
ardline Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz praised Schumer’s “bravery” and urged him to lead the charge against the deal
The White House responded with ill-disguised anger on Friday to news that Chuck Schumer, a key Democratic ally in the Senate, will oppose the landmark nuclear deal with Iran.
In a statement – purposely announced at the same time as the blockbuster Republican presidential debate on Thursday – Schumer said planned inspections of Iran’s nuclear sites were not intrusive enough and would allow it to become a threshold nuclear state.
The loss of Congress’s most influential Jewish member is a blow to President Barack Obama, who is trying to rally enough votes in the Senate to protect the agreement from being overturned.
“It makes the deal much more vulnerable both now in terms of congressional support but also with next president who will have to follow through,” said Julian Zelizer of Princeton University.
White House spokesman Josh Earnest described Schumer’s decision as “disappointing” but “not particularly surprising”. But the civil tone belied seething resentment among Obama allies.
It is resentment that could have a lasting impact on who leads the Democratic Party in the Senate after current leader Harry Reid retires in 2016.
“Senator Schumer siding with the GOP against Obama, [Hillary] Clinton, and most Democrats will make it hard for him to lead the Dems in ’16,” said Dan Pfeiffer, a long-time Obama senior adviser who left the administration in March.