Andrea Mitchell had the chance to ask John Kerry, on live national TV, any question she wanted about the Iran deal. She could, for example, have confronted him over the lifting of the conventional arms and ballistic missile embargoes that were included as a nice little parting gift to Iran.
Instead, in a moment of media malpractice, Mitchell lobbed up the mushiest of softballs on today's Morning Joe, asking Kerry "what that moment meant to you" when at the final negotiation meeting, he reminisced about going to Vietnam as a 22-year old "and that you never wanted to go to war without having exhausted the diplomacy." A shame Andrea and John weren't in the same room so they could have exchanged a heartfelt hug.
Note that Kerry, so diplomatic with his Iranians friends, didn't hesitate in the course of responding to take a gratuitous swipe at George W. Bush regarding Iraq.
ANDREA MITCHELL: Mr. Secretary, there were so many ups and downs, emotional roller coaster and the 18. 19 days were. There are reports that at that final meeting on Tuesday of all the ministers, they went around the table. And when they came you to, you talked about being a 22-year old going to Vietnam and that you never wanted to go to war without having exhausted the diplomacy. Can you speak to that, to what that moment meant to you?
JOHN KERRY: Andrea, I believe that the alternative to what we are trying to do here is conflict. If we are not able to hold on to this, then the Iranians will say, well, the United States can't be trusted. You can't negotiate with the United States. And they will feel free to go forward with their program. I can hear everybody clamoring. So what you are going to do now? If they start to enrich, you know that every presidential candidate appearing on your show WILL say it's time for President Obama to show how tough he is and bomb there. There will be no alternative and the president said it the other day. This is a choice between diplomatic solution and war. And military action.
And so, yes, I did talk about the lesson I learned, before you sebd people off to put their lives on the line, you need to exhaust all of the remedies available you to. George Bush promised that there would be a last resort of war in Iraq. And obviously it didn't turn out that way. People are bitter about that. So I really believe that is an imperative of diplomacy and public life and I vowed when I came back and opposed the war that if I ever had an opportunity to be in a position of responsibility, I would fight for that principle.
