(ThyBlackMan.com)
“So what’cha what’cha what’cha want what’cha want?
I get so funny with the money that you flaunt.
I said where’d you get your information from, huh?
You think that you can front when revelation comes?”
The aforementioned lyrics are from the classic Beastie Boys song, “So What’cha Want.” It’s a simple and straightforward answer which demands a simple and straightforward answer. What exactly do you want, Grand Old Party? Is your desire: [a] World domination, [b] President Obama’s subjugation, or [c] A great conflagration, [d] All of the above, or [e] b only? No one knows… and it shows. So what’cha want, Republicans?
Let’s do a roll call here, shall we? Richard Shelby (Ala.), Jeff Sessions (Ala.), Dan Sullivan (Alaska), John McCain (Ariz.), John Boozman (Ark.), Tom Cotton (Ark.), Cory Gardner (Colo.), Marco Rubio (Fla.), Johnny Isakson (Ga.), David Perdue (Ga.), Mike Crapo (Idaho), Jim Risch (Idaho), Mark Kirk (Ill.), Chuck Grassley (Iowa), Joni Ernst (Iowa), Pat Roberts (Kansas), Jerry Moran (Kansas), Mitch McConnell (Ky.), Rand Paul (Ky.), David Vitter (La.), Bill Cassidy (La.)
Roger Wicker (Miss.), Roy Blunt (Mo.), Steve Daines (Mont.), Deb Fischer (Neb.), Ben Sasse (Neb.), Dean Heller (Nev.), Kelly Ayotte (N.H.), Richard Burr (N.C.), Thom Tillis (N.C.), John Hoeven (N.D.), Rob Portman (Ohio), Jim Inhofe (Okla.), James Lankford (Okla.), Pat Toomey (Pa.), Lindsey Graham (S.C.), Tim Scott (S.C.), John Thune (S.D.), Mike Rounds (S.D.), John Cornyn (Texas), Ted Cruz (Texas), Orin Hatch (Utah), Mike Lee (Utah), Shelley Moore Capito (W.V.), Ron Johnson (Wis.), Mike Enzi (Wyo.), and John Barrasso (Wyo.). These are the 47 Signatories – the 47 United States Senators who were bold enough and foolish enough to draft an open letter threatening the leaders of Iran’s government about the consequences of negotiating a treaty with President Obama fully intended to prevent Iran from building a nuclear bomb.
The President is doing everything in his power legally to resolve this extremely important matter diplomatically and peacefully. The 47 GOP obstructionists cannot claim jurisprudence in their actions. This letter is the latest stunt in their reckless, short-sighted, and ill-conceived mission to sabotage the US/Iran negotiations. By all accounts, there has never been a time in our nation’s history when a group of American Senators (of either party) directly communicated with the leaders of a foreign country in such a matter. Then again, no Speaker of the House of Representatives has ever invited the leader of a foreign nation to come and address Congress without the 
advance notice and/or approval of the President of the United States (of either party). Yet, Benjamin Netanyahu addressed Congress at the invitation of Speaker John Boehner on March 3rd. One week after that highly egregious act, we now have this hostile letter. What were these conservatives thinking? Were they thinking at all?
What is it with Republicans and the number 47? Mitt Romney’s notorious comment that 47 percent of Americans were takers who sponged off the government effectively destroyed his one real chance to ever be President. Not to be outdone, 47 so-called leaders decided to go behind the American President’s back to sabotage a deal which will essentially guarantee a military attack on Iran by the United States, Israel, or both. Such an attack would force Iran to either greatly accelerate efforts to build its own atomic bomb – or worse, purchase one on the international black market.
A then-nuclear Iran would begat a nuclear Iraq, a nuclear Saudi Arabia, a nuclear Syria, and so on. Before you could say supercalifragilisticexpialidocious, the entire Middle East has nuclear weapons – all aimed directly at Israel. Folks, we’re talking about World War III. No need to add water, no need to stir. That’s the book of Revelations made real. Is that really what Tom Cotton and 47 of his like-minded colleagues want? Close encounters of the thermonuclear kind?
“Yeah – you can’t front on that.”
Are members of the postmodern Republican Party so utterly determined to humiliate and/or intimidate President Obama? There seems to be no cost too high, no act too low, and no line they won’t cross to vex POTUS at every turn. And if countless lives hang in the balance, so what?
“Well, I think I’m losing my mind this time.
This time I’m losing my mind…
That’s right!
Said I think I’m losing my mind this time.
This time, I’m losing my mind.”
Which brings us back to my original question. Republicans don’t want a nuclear Iran, any deal to prevent a nuclear Iran, or President Obama to seal that deal. They only want status quo – and that means war.
Was that letter’s goal to broadcast globally that America’s treaty negotiations are meaningless? Or to advertise our government’s dysfunction in HD? If so, mission accomplished.
Secretary of State John Kerry’s reaction to the GOP’s open letter was “utter disbelief.” What say you, conservatives? What’cha what’cha what’cha want?
Staff Writer; Arthur L. Jones, III
This talented brother is a local Minister, weekly featured Democratic Op-Ed columnist, non-profit advisor, and sees the Braves winning it all this fall. Rev. Jones welcomes your comments! Please email him directly at: tcdppress@gmail.com.