MENENDEZ’S DISGRACEFUL IRAN DEAL FLIP-FLOP

• MENENDEZ ABANDONS PRINCIPLES | “‘At the end of the day, what we appear to have is a rollback of sanctions and Iran only limiting its capability, but not dismantling or rolling it back,’ Mr. Menendez said in a speech at Seton Hall University in New Jersey. ‘If Iran is to acquire a nuclear bomb, it will not have my name on it,’ he added. ‘I will vote to disapprove the agreement and, if called upon, would vote to override a veto.’” (Michael R. Gordon, “Robert Menendez Says He’ll Vote Against Iran Nuclear Deal,” The New York Times, 08/18/2015)

• NEW JERSEY DEMS CALL OUT MENENDEZ FLIP-FLOP | “One of the Democrats speaking out against Trump’s exit from the Iran deal is Senator Bob Menendez; ironic, because Menendez opposed the deal all along, to the degree he was pushing a hard-line sanctions bill that threatened to unravel the whole deal with Iran, according to Obama Secretary of State John Kerry.” (Rosi Efthim, “Bob Menendez: Opposed the Iran nuclear deal, now opposes Trump withdrawing from it,” Blue Jersey, 05/09/2018)

• MENENDEZ CROSSES OWN RED LINE | “Sen. Bob Menendez, formerly a ranking member of the Foreign Relations Committee, said he was concerned that the deal ‘ultimately legitimizes Iran as a threshold nuclear state.’ ‘I’m concerned the red lines we drew have turned into green lights: that Iran will be required only to limit rather than eliminate its nuclear program, while the international community will be required to lift the sanctions,’ said Menendez, D-New Jersey.” (“Democrats skeptical of Iran nuclear deal, GOP mostly hostile,” Chicago Tribune, 07/14/2015)

• MENENDEZ’S HYPOCRISY | “The most surprising opponent is New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez, who presented the most clear and compelling case against the accord back in 2015 and proposed a viable alternative (in answer to those who claimed no better deal was possible)…Too bad. He, Schumer and the rest of the “we’re against it but we’re also for it” crowd should re-read Menendez’s remarks from three years ago. They remain convincing — and explain why Trump was right to pull the plug on such a bad deal.” (Post Editorial Board, “Schumer, Menendez and the other Iran-deal hypocrites,” The New York Post, 04/12/2018)

• MENENDEZ ABANDONS OWN HOPE | “‘Whether or not the supporters of the agreement admit it, this deal is based on ‘hope’ — hope that when the nuclear sunset clause expires, Iran will have succumbed to the benefits of commerce and global integration,’ Menendez said. ‘Hope is part of human nature, but unfortunately it is not a national security strategy.’” (Tal Kopan and Theodore Schleifer, “Bob Menendez becomes second Senate Democrat to oppose Iran deal,” CNN, 08/18/2015)

• MENENDEZ FLIP-FLOPS ON IRAN DEAL | “U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez was one of only four Democrats to oppose Barack Obama’s nuclear deal with Iran. U.S. Sen. Cory Booker joined most other Senate Democrats in supporting it…Menendez needed no convincing to oppose the deal.” (Jonathan D. Salant, “Menendez, Booker were on opposite sides of Iran deal. But both hate what Trump just did,” NJ.com, 05/09/2018)

• MENENDEZ PULLS 180 ON IRAN DEAL | “Back in 2015, when the Iran deal was being put together, our Democratic senior senator went before the American-Israel Public Affairs Committee and accused a president of his own party, Barack Obama, of parroting “talking points out of Tehran.” (Paul Mulshine, “The Donald’s move to kill the Iran nuke deal was pure guerrilla theater | Mulshine,” The Star-Ledger, 05/10/2018)

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