An activist group that has been lobbying hard for congressional approval of the Iran nuclear deal accused Democratic National Committee chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) should be ousted after blocking a vote on an Iran resolution at the DNC’s summer meeting in Minneapolis.
The resolution would have put the DNC on record as supporting President Obama’s deal, even though some Democrats have already announced their opposition and Wasserman Schultz, facing strong pressure in her district, is still undecided.
Vice President Joe Biden is going to Wasserman Schultz’s district this week to try to lobby Jewish leaders to back the deal.
According to the Washington Post, a DNC spokeswoman said the resolution didn’t come up at the meeting because of “procedural issues.” But progressive activist group CREDO Action, which has been lobbying lawmakers to support Obama with war as the alternative, blamed Wasserman Schultz.
“It’s time for Democrats to reconsider giving leadership positions to the politicians who can raise the most money instead of elected officials who truly represent what Democrats are fighting for,” said Zack Malitz, campaign manager at CREDO Action, in a statement last night. “When the Democratic National Committee chair uses a procedural trick to block a vote on a resolution about a defining issue such as war or peace with Iran, it shows just how corrupt and broken our Democratic party institutions have become.”
“If Debbie Wasserman Schultz can stop the Democratic party from voting on endorsing a Democratic president’s peace deal, and Chuck Schumer is allowed to take over leadership in the Senate after he helps the Republicans sabotage diplomacy, then it’s fair to say Democratic leadership no longer represents the values and goals of the Democratic party,” he added.
CREDO has been advocating against the ascendancy of Schumer to party leader in the Senate since the New York Democrat listened to his conscience and said he’ll vote “no.”
James Zogby, the co-chair of the Resolutions Committee, circulated a letter of support to Obama among DNC leadership in lieu of the resolution: “We recognize that there are some who in good faith have expressed reservations with elements of the JCPOA but we believe that you and key members of your administration have effectively and respectfully responded to these concerns,” it reads in part. “We, therefore, join you Obama in supporting the JCPOA as the best way forward to secure our nation, our allies, and world peace.”
Zogby said many signed on to the message. “We found that the best way to show support was a letter that members would sign on to, and the overwhelming majority of DNC members signed onto the letter. This is the President Obama we elected in 2008 who said, ‘I choose diplomacy over conflict,’ and he did it.”
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