On Sunday’s Face the Nation, Washington Post columnist Michael Gerson blasted President Obama for aligning Republicans in Congress with the leadership with Iran who chant “Death to America” simply for opposing the nuclear deal.
Gerson accused Obama of “overreaching with his rhetoric on everyone, not just the Democrats in Congress but essentially accusing Republicans of being for war, accusing them of being in common cause with the mullahs.”
Obama’s decision to accuse Republicans of “being in common cause with the mullahs” was “hard to explain” argued Gerson who stressed that while the president may get enough votes to pass the nuclear deal “he’s had a hard time resisting a very divisive, polarizing language on this deal.”
Face the Nation moderator John Dickerson agreed and said there would have been universal condemnation if “President Bush had said those people who are against our actions, whether it be in Iraq or Afghanistan, are in common cause with the terrorists.”
Gerson’s Post colleague Ed O’Keefe seemed to defend Obama’s attack on the GOP and how “a lot of people said this week he was taking a page from the George W. Bush play book whether you like it or not.”
O’Keefe continued to excuse Obama's rhetoric and pointed out how “Bernie Sanders made the same argument. The only other alternative is potential war with Iran. If that is the argument they continue to make over the six weeks that Congress isn’t in town, that argument might build favor.”
See relevant transcript below.
CBS’s Face the Nation
August 9, 2015
MICHAEL GERSON: The president’s overreaching with his rhetoric on everyone, not just the Democrats in Congress but essentially accusing Republicans of being for war, accusing them of being in common cause with the mullahs. That is a tremendous overreach in his rhetoric. It's hard to explain. I think he will get the votes to sustain this deal. And he's had a hard time resisting a very divisive, polarizing language on this deal.
JOHN DICKERSON: Imagine if during the Bush administration President Bush had said those people who are against our actions, whether it be in Iraq or Afghanistan, are in common cause with the terrorists.
ED O’KEEFE: Some Democrats would suggest that's the kind of thing he did do back in the day. So, and I mean, a lot of people said this week he was taking a page from the George W. Bush play book whether you like it or not. Republicans to some extent justifiably stood up this week and said that's not the right answer.But look, Bernie Sanders made the same argument. The only other alternative is potential war with Iran. If that is the argument they continue to make over the six weeks that Congress isn’t in town, that argument might build favor.
JONATHAN MARTIN: But to Michael’s point, the pointed language does not match where he is in the process. You would think given that speech that he was really back against the wall, it seems pretty likely that he's going to be able to find the votes to override or to block veto.
