MSNBC "The Ed Show" - Transcript: Iran Nuclear Deal and Sanctions
Interview
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SCHULTZ: Welcome back to the Ed Show. Last week, the world was one step
closer to a nuclear agreement with Iran. On Thursday we took two steps
back.
Iran Supreme Leader is now saying Iran will not sign a deal unless
sanctions are removed at once. This is completely counter to the phase
relief outline by negotiators last week which would lift sanctions in
stages. Now the sanctions timeline has been a focal point of these
negotiations abroad and here at home.
Senate Foreign Relations Chair Bob Corker from Tennessee introduced
legislation that would block sanctions from being lifted on Iran for 60
days while Congress reviews the deal.
The Obama administration has asked Congress to wait until after the June
30th deadline for a final agreement before voting a legislation. They say
it could interfere with negotiations. Of course Corker plans the hold of
vote in the foreign relations committee as early as next week.
My next guest Senator Barbara Boxer has asked Senator Corker to delay
consideration of the bill saying, "It would be a reckless rush to judgment
and could derail a once-in-a lifetime opportunity to deal with this looming
threat."
Joining us tonight, the Senator from California Barbara Boxer, Senator good
to have you with us tonight and I appreciate you speaking up on this,
there`s so much negativity surrounding all of this. I mean, it`s like we
have forgotten give peace a chance. And so many people are quick --
SEN. BARBARA BOXER, (D) CALIFORNIA: Yes that`s right.
SCHULTZ: -- to say you can`t trust t the Iranians, you know, where do
you stand on all of this, how critical is it for Corker to back off until
June 30th? Your thoughts.
BOXER: Completely critical and, you know, this is not just me speaking at
all. I`ve never seen such an outpouring of advice coming from some really
good people, 50 different experts who spend their adult lives fighting
either in the military, in the American military or diplomacy. The fact of
the matter is that they are telling us not to act on any Congressional
legislation until a final deal is made.
Now, you know, if you went to a doctor you wouldn`t want him to operate
until he saw the x-ray`s. Let`s see where we stand, let`s see the real
deal and very, very simple --
SCHULTZ: Do you --
BOXER: -- point that these 50 people are making. And let me just say,
these are from eight administrations, five Republican administrations and
three Democratic administrations. And I know that Senators have large egos
-- I`m not suggesting that we all think that we know things -- but theses
folks ought to be listened to Ed and set aside this hubris, this rush to
judgment, this recklessness.
Take a deep breath. We`ve already been in enough wars. Let`s try to
resolve this peacefully if we can.
SCHULTZ: Yeah. Senator, what`s your response to what Senator Chuck
Schumer is saying. He is really broken with the White House and threw his
weight behind Corker`s legislation. How much of an issue is this do you
think?
BOXER: Look, I don`t want to speak for Chuck or anybody else. I don`t
think that`s appropriate because you never know where they`ll come out and
how they`ll end up. But I can say this, it`s just a very simple
proposition that you don`t try to undermine negotiations that have a
chance, they have chance to avoid war.
So, my colleagues may say one thing, may say another but I think at the end
of the day, all you have to do is listen to Tom Cotton. He`s in the Senate
for 15 minutes I think but frankly he`s just saying, let`s go to war, let`s
drop the bomb, no big deal he says, it will be over in a few days and it`s
not really war we just bombing people.
Well, I would say if we were bombed by somebody we consider it war and, you
know, it has that ring to it of Rumsfeld, "Oh, go to Iraq it will be a few
hours, a few days, a few weeks. I don`t even think it will be six months."
Years and years and years --
SCHULTZ: Yeah.
BOXER: -- and dead soldiers and dead civilians and wounded warriors. It
then breaks your heart, and I was there, and I had the same sense of it.
Coming out of the Republicans in particular, 47 of them signing a letter
unprecedented in its nature to try and scuttle the agreement, it failed.
The agreement framework went forward.
And now Tom Cotton, at least he`s telling truth. He says, forget this
whole thing, let`s just bomb Iran. And who could forget John McCain?
Bomb, bomb, bomb Iran remember? Did a little song rendition --
SCHULTZ: I do.
BOXER: This is very serious stuff --
SCHULTZ: Well Senator --
BOXER: And, you know, they`re not sending their --
SCHULTZ: What about the -- what about --
BOXER: -- kids to war, yeah.
SCHULTZ: No, they`re not. They`re not, and this is a war that wouldn`t
touch them at all but it would touch a lot of innocent people no doubts.
They will not do the full-throated give piece a chance, there`s no doubt.
Now, what about the Senate Democrats, are -- they`re going to play an
important role here. Do you think that you`re going to see --
BOXER: Sure.
SCHULTZ: -- 13 of your colleagues siding with the Republicans on this?
BOXER: You know, honest to God don`t think so. And the reason is, those
50 people that I cited, they include by the way Senator Lugar, Senator
Levin, Madeleine Albright, just a stellar list of people from the Ford
administration all the way through. So I think that`s going to give them
some pause and then the hawks that are really taking over the Republican
Party now, you know, sounding like those neocons of the past, just rushing
us into a war. I think its sobering people up. Now, I`m going to be at
the mark up --
SCHULTZ: Yeah.
BOXER: -- on Tuesday. I`ve asked Corker to delay it. We have a lot of
amendments to fix that Corker bill but it`s on a train and here`s what I
think, the American people are smart and they`re going to see what`s
happening. Cotton just let the cat out the bad, let`s just bomb Iran and -
-
SCHULTZ: Yeah.
BOXER: -- get it over with. They don`t want that -- people don`t want
that.
SCHULTZ: All right.
BOXER: So I urge your viewers to weigh in, let`s not head toward another
war, let`s give this agreement a chance. Just give it a chance --
SCHULTZ: OK.
BOXER: -- and then if we don`t like it every thing is on the table.
SCHULTZ: Well, what your response to the supreme leader in Iran who says
that all of the sanctions have to be a lifted right away, and that of
course was not part of the preliminary deal that was outlined last week.
What`s your response to that, what should we do?
BOXER: Well, clearly we`re not going to do that. And, you know, if that`s
how it moves -- if the hard-liners take over in Iran there`s not going to
be a deal. And if the hard-liners take over in America there`s not going
to be a deal.
So I think the moderate voices in both nations have to come together and
say, give this thing a chance Ed. And look, everybody knew that there`ll
be ups and downs on the way that this dance, but the fact is, the process
isn`t yet over. Imagine marking up a bill --
SCHULTZ: OK.
BOXER: -- before you even know what it is and not even holding one
hearing to call these experts forward.
SCHULTZ: Senator Barbara Boxer with us tonight from California. I
appreciate your time Senator, thanks for writing that letter, I think it
was --
BOXER: Thanks.
SCHULTZ: -- certainly the right thing to do and I hope it does throw a
cold water on him.
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