Not every Senate Republican thinks writing Iran a letter was all that smart

(Image credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

published 11 March 2015

If 47 Senate Republicans signed Sen. Tom Cotton's (R-Ark.) letter warning Iran not to trust any nuclear deal signed with President Obama, that means seven didn't. Some of those seven Republicans explained to The Daily Beast's Tim Mak why they thought the letter was counterproductive or even inappropriate, but even some aides of the senators who signed the letter think it was a dumb idea.

"Before the letter, the national conversation was about [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu's speech and how Obama’s negotiations with Iran are leading to a terrible deal that could ultimately harm U.S. national security," one Senate GOP aide told Mak, apparently assuming that the nation talks about foreign policy. But now, the aide added, the conversation has shifted "toward a deeply political pie fight over presidential and congressional prerogatives."

Other anonymous GOP aides argued that everyone, including Obama, was taking the "cheeky" letter too seriously. "The administration has no sense of humor when it comes to how weakly they have been handling these negotiations," one top GOP Senate aide told Mak. Read his entire report at The Daily Beast.

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.