Readers React: Why it’s wrong to blame both parties for the disgraceful Iran debate

To the editor: Former GOP Rep. Mickey Edwards asserts that Republicans and Democrats equally contribute to the partisan divide, particularly over the Iran nuclear deal. (“How Congress flubbed the Iran debate,” Op-Ed, Sept. 11)

But Republicans have been totally united in fighting every substantial proposal of the president over the last six years. They criticized the Iran deal in the most inflammatory ways even before details were available. They sent an open letter to Iran seeking to derail the deal, and they allowed the prime minister of Israel to speak to Congress, bypassing the White House.

Republican presidential candidates, not to be outdone, have compared the deal to Nazi death camps.

What would Edwards have Democrats do when confronted with united opposition? Allow a small number of them to vote against the president and thereby torpedo an agreement that has a real chance to avert conflict and open Iran to the world?

What Republicans want from Democrats is the same thing they want from Iran but won’t get: unilateral capitulation.

James Clark, La Cañada Flintridge

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To the editor: Edwards’ evenhanded piece regarding Congress’ abdication of responsibility in failing to research and weigh the pros and cons of the Iran nuclear deal is perhaps more telling than anything I’ve read on the frustration of the American people with their representatives.

A letter writer on the opposing page in that day’s paper blamed the media’s “endless coverage” circus atmosphere accompanying the Donald Trump campaign. I posit that Edwards’ words are much closer to the truth as to why these campaigns are so wildly played out and covered: When both parties fail to consider such a monumental deal with Iran and instead demand lock-step loyalty from their members, “we the people” get angry.

It’s time to clean both houses.

Geoffrey Graves, Laguna Beach

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