A BIT OF BOTHER ON THE IRAN NUCLEAR FRONT – AT 9:14 A.M. ET:  The Russians have just undercut one of President Obama's main arguments for an Iran nuclear treaty.  We await creative words from the White House.  From Bloomberg: 

The Obama administration is trying to sell a nuclear deal with Iran to skeptical Arabs, Israelis and U.S. lawmakers by saying that United Nations sanctions will be restored automatically if the Iranians are caught cheating.

Not so, say the Russians, who have one of five vetoes in the 15-member UN Security Council.

“There can be no automaticity, none whatsoever” in reimposing UN sanctions if Iran violates the terms of an agreement to curb its nuclear program, Russia’s UN Ambassador Vitaly Churkin told Bloomberg News on Wednesday. He didn’t elaborate.

While the Obama administration maintains that Russia agreed “in principle” to the need for a sanctions “snapback” mechanism if Iran fails to comply with the agreement now being negotiated in final form, the Russian government has offered no corroboration.

Instead, President Vladimir Putin on April 13 lifted a ban on exporting missile defense systems to Tehran, and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said lifting all the sanctions against Iran is good business for Russia.

COMMENT:  Well, there it is.  Russia, using its veto at the UN, can block the reimposition of sanctions, and now pretty much says it will.

Where does that leave Obama?  In the wilderness, I'm afraid.  His own party is turning against him on some issues, and major Democrats are no longer afraid to criticize him.  He has entered lame duckness.  But even a lame duck can bite and do damage.

The Iran nuclear deal is scheduled to be wrapped up by June 30th.  If Obama were sharp, which he's not, he would either stall the talks or temporarily withdraw, making clear to Iran that there will be a steep cost to get an agreement.  That isn't Obama's way.  He's a cave-in kind of guy.

May 14,  2015