Political Quotes

“Well, the Senator is right. This interim agreement has not been implemented yet. They have 6 months to reach a final agreement but also an additional 6 months beyond that--a year, basically--to drag out these negotiations. The Senator asked the ultimate question. Does the Senator not believe sanctions are the only reason the Iranians are at the table? I compliment the administration for putting together an international regime to take the sanctions that Congress has passed--over their objections, I might add--to really inflict pain on the Iranian regime-- unfortunately, the people too. But that is the only reason they are at the table. But here is the analysis, as I understand it. People in the administration believe there is a moderate element and a hard-line element. Iran is telling the United States and the P5+1: If you threaten us with any more sanctions, we will walk away. We are not going to negotiate with a gun to our heads. Now, these are the people who have been using a lot of guns and have put a lot of guns to people's heads and actually pulled the trigger, killed hundreds of soldiers in Iraq, and have created chaos and mayhem in Syria. They are one of the biggest supporters of state terrorism. But that is an odd thing for them to say, when I believe the only reason they are at the table to begin with is because of sanctions. So my belief is that new sanctions tied to the end game--and this is what we have been working on in a bipartisan fashion.…”