They figure out the Iran deal is pretty darn good.
That’s the take of Slate’s Fred Kaplan:
Something interesting has happened the past few weeks. Many lawmakers have read the 159-page deal, known as the “Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action,” signed by Iran and the P5+1 nations (the United States, Great Britain, France, Russia, China, and Germany). Many more have been briefed on the deal’s fine points by the American negotiators and technical specialists, as well as by Western ambassadors. And many of them—those who aren’t bound by GOP discipline or constituents’ pressure (and even a few who are)—have concluded that this is a good deal.
And it also appears that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his faithful lobbyists in AIPAC have badly overplayed what was at best a weak hand by so ferociously and publicly trying to kill the agreement in Congress. While the final cards haven’t yet been played, it looks more and more like Obama has held on to sufficient support among Senate Democrats to prevent the deal being blocked.
Kaplan’s piece is an excellent overview both of the politics, and of the details of the agreement itself. If you’ve followed the issue at all it is worth your time to read. And Netanyahu and AIPAC may want to keep in mind this sage wisdom: