WirePOLITICS: McGinty joins Sestak in supporting Iran nuclear deal

Tom Waring, the Wire

Last week, Katie McGinty, a Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate, announced her support for the nuclear agreement the Obama administration has entered into with Iran.

In response to McGinty’s decision, Toomey campaign spokesman Steve Kelly said, “It’s disappointing, but not surprising, that Katie McGinty missed an opportunity to both stand up for American national security and show that she is not just another political insider marching in lockstep with her partisan agenda. The political machine that backs McGinty will be pleased with her position, but the people of Pennsylvania know a bad deal when they see one, and this deal with Iran is disastrous.”

Megan Sweeney, the Republican Party of Pennsylvania communications director, said she was not surprised to learn that McGinty supports Obama’s Iran deal. Her primary opponent, Joe Sestak, also backs the plan.

“It appears Katie McGinty has decided to follow Joe Sestak’s lead by supporting President Obama’s disastrous nuclear deal with Iran,” Sweeney said. “While Joe Sestak has long made his support for this terrible agreement known to voters, Katie McGinty decided to wait until enough Democratic party bosses came out in favor of the deal before she decided to follow.

“Pennsylvanians deserve better than Democratic candidates who are more focused on pandering to the special interests within their party than standing up for our national security. No wonder Democrat party bosses spent months looking for an alternative to Joe Sestak and Katie McGinty.”

Four Democratic senators — New York’s Chuck Schumer, New Jersey’s Robert Menendez, Maryland’s Ben Cardin and West Virginia’s Joe Manchin — have announced they will vote to oppose the agreement.

Nineteen Democratic members of the House have also announced their opposition. They are Pennsylvania’s Brendan Boyle; New Jersey’s Donald Norcross and Albio Sires; New York’s Carolyn Maloney, Steve Israel, Nita Lowey, Eliot Engel, Grace Meng and Kathleen Rice; Georgia’s David Scott; Florida’s Ted Deutch, Alcee Hastings and Lois Frankel; California’s Brad Sherman, Ted Lieu and Juan Vargas; Nebraska’s Brad Ashford; Gene Greene of Texas); and Daniel Lipinski of Illinois.

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Sestak outlined his support for the Iran nuclear deal last week at a town hall at Villanova University.

Sestak, the first director of the Navy’s anti-terrorism unit, explained how the deal blocks the potential pathways to a nuclear bomb, provides for intrusive verification and strengthens American national security and that of Israel.

The former congressman believes that the nuclear agreement with Iran is another cautious, crucial step toward peacefully and permanently stopping the Iranians from attaining nuclear weapons. Diplomacy is protracted, difficult and complex, he said, but it must always be the first option to try over war.

“I am supportive of the nuclear agreement with Iran if for no other reason than Iran could have bomb-grade material for a nuclear weapon within 30 days of today,” he said. “This agreement sets back that clock for at least one year, if not 15 years, by diluting the uranium and placing centrifuges in storage. And for those who know something about centrifuges, they degrade in storage.”

Sestak said that perhaps the most significant part of the deal is that it allows the international community to impose meaningful inspections to confirm Iran will not cheat, what President Ronald Reagan called, “Trust, but verify.”

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The America Rising Political Action Committee said Katie McGinty’s Senate campaign has been marked by a lack of substance.

McGinty last week finally came out in favor of the Iran nuclear deal, and American Rising said she has been evasive on proposed regulations by the Environmental Protection Agency.

An American Rising video crew caught up with McGinity to ask if she voted for Joe Sestak or Arlen Specter in the 2010 Senate primary. She declined to answer.

“Despite being the handpicked choice of the Democratic establishment, Katie McGinty has decided to run a campaign completely devoid of substance thus far. If she can’t even give a straight answer about how she voted in the last Senate election, Pennsylvania voters shouldn’t get their hopes up for her to answer tough questions anytime soon,” said Amelia Chassé, America Rising PAC press secretary.