Salon editor-at-large Joan Walsh is not worried in the least about Iran's arming/equipping of anti-Israel, anti-American Houthi rebels in Yemen, nor in the Islamic Republic obtaining Russian-made surface-to-air missiles which could take down American or Israeli jets seeking to bomb nuclear facilities.
"This is a nuclear deal, it's not an everything deal," Walsh huffed in reaction to mild concerns voiced by Hardball host Chris Matthews and former Rep. Harold Ford (D-Tenn.), concerns not so much about the folly of the nuclear deal itself but in how Iran's actions are making it harder for President Obama to find support in Congress.
Here's the relevant transcript:
MSNBC
Hardball
April 21, 2015CHRIS MATTHEWS: Congressman, this is hairy. And I just wonder what we're going to do here. We're facing them down, we're saying you can't continue to carry that materiel to Yemen.
HAROLD FORD: You have to wonder what the Iranians are thinking they hope congress will approve the framework that gets worked out. And if you're the president, you have to worry this only emboldens critics, Democrats, Republicans alike to approving the deal. Because if in the middle of this deal, if the Iranians think the best way to assure the American people and the U.S. Congress that they mean well, need well is to perhaps send arms to people in Yemen whom we are opposed to and want to upset and upend that government.
MATTHEWS: And also to go out and buy these state-of-the-art missile systems the SAM missile to shoot down Israeli planes if they try to--
JOAN WALSH: Look, as the president said, that's been in the works for a long time. And this is a nuclear deal.
MATTHEWS: But they just got the deal now.
WALSH: This is a nuclear deal. It's not an everything deal. On the other hand, I think there's a lot of theater going on here on both sides. They've got their hardliners. He's got his hardliners. The ships haven't moved yet. I believe that diplomacy will work in this situation, too. I hope he'll have--
FORD: Look, I'm for an agreement, but I'm just saying --
WALSH: I know you are. I know you are.
FORD: --this is not going to reassure Congress in any way. It's not going to remove any doubt.
MATTHEWS: You always surprise me, Joan. You've taken a very optimistic view of geopolitics. I think it's great and I love the way you talk.
