Shameless

Faced with a difficult political choice, the safest ways a politician can vote are (1) vote yes on a motion that loses and (2) vote no on a motion that passes. No matter what happens after that, it's not your fault. That's why Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin waited until the last minute to announce he opposed the Iran nuclear agreement.  He waited until his vote wasn't needed by his party. Now his party can't be too mad at him. Now he can go back to the Israel lobby and tell them he was with them all the way. The same applies to Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine.  She waited until the last minute and then voted to reject reality, pleasing her backers. Manchin and Collins knew they were doing the wrong thing to placate awful people, but, what the heck, nothing matters as much as re-election. 

The Republicans had no counter-proposal to the Iran agreement. If they had prevailed, Iran would have been nuclear within a year. But they were utterly shameless. People who knew better--John Boehner and Mitch McConnell--endorsed big empty folly because they are utterly without shame.  They are contemptible moral degenerates who put themselves first and the nation last. They empower, on a daily basis, the evil lights shining in Mike Huckabee, Ted Cruz and Scott Walker.