New '08 Iran Rift: Obama Refuses To Sign Dem Letter To White House

Thirty senators sent a letter to the White House on Thursday warning President Bush not to take offensive military action against Iran without the consent of Congress. Noticeably absent from the list of signatories is presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama, D-IL.

According to its authors, the letter was designed to clarify the ambiguity of the recent Kyl-Lieberman amendment designating Iran's Revolutionary Guard a terrorist organization. Obama has been critical of that amendment as well as the Bush administration's aggressive rhetoric towards Tehran. Yet the senator from Illinois turned down a request to sign on to the White House letter.

"I was surprised and disappointed," John Isaacs, president of the Council for a Livable World and one of the catalysts behind the letter, told the Huffington Post. "I contacted virtually every office and to me it was a no-brainer that Obama and [Sen.] Biden [whose name was also not on the list] would both sign on. Neither did."

The letter, which was spearheaded by Sen. Jim Webb, D-VA, was signed by presidential candidates Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-NY, who voted for the Kyl-Lieberman provision, and Sen. Chris Dodd, D-CT, who opposed it. It reads:

"We are writing to express serious concerns with the provocative statements and actions stemming from your administration with respect to possible U.S. military action in Iran. These comments are counterproductive and undermine efforts to resolve tensions with Iran through diplomacy."

Sources knowledgeable with the crafting of the letter said there were two general arguments offered by those who did not sign on in support: that Congress already has the power to declare war, and that the text was too vague about defensive and/or covert action against Iran. Notably, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) also declined to attach his name.

UPDATE: Responses from Obama and Biden campaigns:

"Senator Obama admires Senator Webb and his sincere and tireless efforts on this issue. But it will take more than a letter to prevent this administration from using the language contained within the Kyl-Lieberman resolution to justify military action in Iran. This requires a legislative answer and Senator Obama intends to propose one."

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"Sen. Biden voted against the amendment urging the designation of the Iranian Rev. Guard as a terrorist group. He strongly opposed it because he believed it could be used by this President to justify military action against Iran. He has also made clear many times his view that the President lacks the authority to use force against Iran absent authorization from Congress. He didn't need to clarify that position - he's been clear from the start," said Biden spokesperson Elizabeth Alexander.

A list of the signatories is below.

Dear President Bush:

We are writing to express serious concerns with the provocative statements and actions stemming from your administration with respect to possible U.S. military action in Iran. These comments are counterproductive and undermine efforts to resolve tensions with Iran through diplomacy.

We wish to emphasize that no congressional authority exists for unilateral military action against Iran. This includes the Senate vote on September 26, 2007 on an amendment to the FY 2008 National Defense Authorization Act. This amendment, expressing the sense of the Senate on Iran, and the recent designation of the Quds Force of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist, should in no way be interpreted as a predicate for the use of military force in Iran.

We stand ready to work with your administration to address the challenges presented by Iran in a manner that safeguards our security interests and promotes a regional diplomatic solution, but we wish to emphasize that offensive military action should not be taken against Iran without the express consent of Congress.

Sincerely,

Story continues below

1. Webb

2. Akaka

3. Baucus

4. Boxer

5. Brown

6. Byrd

7. Cantwell

8. Carper

9. Casey

10. Clinton

11. Dodd

12. Dorgan

13. Durbin

14. Feinstein

15. Harkin

16. Johnson

17. Kerry

18. Klobuchar

19. Kohl

20. Leahy

21. McCaskill

22. Mikulski

23. Murray

24. Reed

25. Rockefeller

26. Sanders

27. Stabenow

28. Tester

29. Whitehouse

30. Wyden

Comments

[TheIndependenceParty]

Buy some Balls, Barrack! Sometimes it takes a belt and suspenders and duct tape to keep things together. You seem to insist there should be a law, ... which, I would contend, will remain unsigned in a Presidential veto, and never overruled by a Senatorial vote. Do EVERYTHING that is required, sir, ... not what you prefer based upon your own perspective as it might be too narrow.

In the end, you will be judged as weak and ineffective, and worthless if you do not take every opportunity to speak and sign and stand against the wrongs of this administration. If that is okay by you, then please step aside. We have a Nation to be saved here, sir.

[Bleedingroseca]

Obama just keeps on dropping and dropping and dropping...way to be original Barack.

http://www.abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory?id=3808836

[sahmadi]

I do not understand why my first comment was deleted. I did not have any coarse language. I made two valid points...and yet my comment is removed. May the moderator please provide an explanation.

[sahmadi]

Another attempt by Clinton to muddy the waters of her Iran vote. The letter is meaningless and in fact counterproductive. First it is meaningless because it is not legislation...it is just a freakin letter...Second the letter declares that the President should go to Congress..BUT CONGRESS ALREADY HAS THE POWER...BY WRITING THIS LETTER BUSH CAN CLAIM THAT HE HAD THE POWER TO BEGAN WITH ...WHY WRITE THE LETTER IF BUSH DIDN'T HAVE THE POWER. It is freakin common sense.

America better be careful. There is no less evil between a Hillary and a Guiliani...the difference in a nanny state and a police state are semantics.

[OrvilleHLarson]

As always, Saint Hillary of Clinton is trying to have it both ways. She's making antiwar noises, while not doing anything serious about opposing an attack on Iran. Of course, she's under the control of AIPAC and the Israel lobby, so no surprise there. "The Lobby" wants Iran attacked, and evidence be damned.

As for Mr. O-BOMB-a, he's showing his true colors, too.

[wadenelson1]

And behold, in the desert, there came a dark horse. This dark horse had the diplomatic skills to disable distant nuclear reactors, the intelligence to avoid stupid controversies over curing gays, and the wisdom to recommend decriminalizing drugs. And lo, Richardson was the name od this dark horse. And he held out the promise of ending senseless American participation in endless wars in the Middle East.

[FlowerGirl]

Biden? Is that the fellow who claims as his own that old Israeli plan to break up Iraq?
But what has happened to Obama? Has he lost his mind? He has lost my respect in any case!

[dryfactoidobotanoid]

a fucking letter? to explain a vote?

even pro-Hillary wonkette.com is realizing how sad and pathetic Hillary has become.

http://wonkette.com/politics/debate-fallout/round-two-for-clinton-317619.php

[Plowboy]

Obama keeps dropping in my estimation. As for HRC, her signature doesn't mean much; she's on all sides of all issues -- like some other people I won't name.
I see that Chris Dodd is consistent; he keeps gaining in my estimation.
I also see the absence of Biden's and Lieberman's. But I didn't expect to see them there.