U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., the chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee (DNC), is drawing fire from the left and right as she supports President Barack Obama’s deal with Iran over its nuclear program.
Wasserman Schultz announced her support of the deal in an op-ed that ran in the Miami Herald this past weekend.
Insisting she engaged in “sober, fact-based analysis and emotional soul-searching,” Wasserman Schultz called it the “most difficult decision I have had to make in the nearly 23 years I have served in elected office, and this vote will be the most consequential.”
The Florida Democrat wrote the “agreement promotes the national security interests of the United States and our allies and merits my vote of support.”
Wasserman Schultz’s support of the Iran deal has led Miami-Dade School Board member Martin Karp to consider challenging her in the Democratic primary. An organizer of protests against the deal, Karp told Politico earlier this week that he was exploring taking on Wasserman Schultz.
In the meantime, Wasserman Schultz is drawing fire from the right, as well. The American Action Network (AAN) launched a digital ad hitting the Florida congresswoman for supporting the Iran deal. AAN spent $10,000 on the ad and is running it on Facebook and other new media sources.
The group defines itself as an "action tank" that creates, encourages and promotes center-right policies based on the principles of freedom, limited government, American exceptionalism, and strong national security.' AAN's primary goal is "to put our center-right ideas into action by engaging the hearts and minds of the American people and spurring them into action to advance our center-right policy agenda. Former U.S. Sen. Norm Coleman, R-Minn., chairs AAN.
“This deal with Iran is a historic mistake that could have cataclysmic consequences for America and our allies,” said AAN President Mike Shields on Wednesday. “Yet despite all the bipartisan warnings, Debbie Wasserman Schultz has shown she’s willing to sacrifice sanity and our safety by supporting a deal that paves the way for a nuclear Iran. But it’s not too late: The vote in the House can help change the course. Congress is the last line of defense to stop this deal, and Debbie Wasserman Schultz owes it to her constituents and country to reconsider supporting this terrible Iran agreement. We encourage her constituents to make their voices loud and clear: stop siding with Iran.”
“There’s a deal with Iran, but who’s benefiting?” the narrator of the ad says. “Sanctions erased, unlocking billions for terrorism. Missile embargoes lifted, destabilizing the Middle East. And Iran gets to self-inspect nuclear sites, in a deal paving their way to a bomb. But some in Congress like Debbie Wasserman Schultz are ignoring all the warnings and supporting a deal at any price.
Call Debbie Wasserman Schultz and tell her to stop siding with Iran.”
Republican Joe Kaufman, who ran against Wasserman Schultz last year, is also hitting the Democratic congresswoman on the matter. Kaufman accused Wasserman Schultz of selling Israel out and betraying her people by backing the Iran deal. Both Kaufman and Wasserman Schultz are Jewish.
“Shame on Debbie Wasserman Schultz for denigrating her people,” Kaufman posted on Twitter on Wednesday. “She should be thrown out of the community and excommunicated.”
“Debbie chose Iran over Israel,” Kaufman insisted earlier in the week. “Debbie Wasserman Schultz is a disgrace to the Jewish community.”
Despite the 2014 election cycle being favorable to Republicans, Wasserman Schultz routed Kaufman in November, beating him 63 percent to 37 percent.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or follow him on Twitter: @KevinDerbySSN
