WHOOPS – AT 10:44 A.M. ET:  Have the talks with Iran hit a dead end?   There are reports today that they've gone wobbly, and that even the massive concessions already made by Washington are not enough.  From Reuters:

(Reuters) - Iran rejected on Tuesday as "unacceptable" U.S. President Barack Obama's demand that it freeze sensitive nuclear activities for at least 10 years but said it would continue talks on a deal, Iran's semi-official Fars news agency reported.

Iran laid out the position as the U.S. and Iranian foreign ministers met for a second day of negotiations and as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered a stinging critique of the agreement they are trying to hammer out.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry met a day after Obama told Reuters that Iran must commit to a verifiable halt of at least 10 years on sensitive nuclear work for a landmark atomic deal to be reached.

"Iran will not accept excessive and illogical demands," Zarif was quoted by Fars as saying.

"Obama’s stance ... is expressed in unacceptable and threatening phrases," he was reported as saying, adding that talks with Kerry in Switzerland would nonetheless carry on.

COMMENT:  I don't know how our negotiators can deal with such a red line without making even more catastrophic concessions.  My fear is that is exactly what Obama might do, just to get a piece of paper.  It should be the fear of every American.

March 4, 2015