Israel could prove to be a help or hindrance to Obama in keeping the deal on track, ratcheting up domestic pressure on the White House should Iran stall or falter on implementation.

Few Americans remember that Iran launched its nuclear program in the 1950s with the direct backing of its then ally, the United States. Coats is pleading with those senators to reconsider.It's hard to avoid seeing most of these proposals as gambits designed to provoke Iran to pull out. The poll was in the field when the number of senators in support of the deal reached 41, enough to prevent the Senate from overriding a presidential veto of any bill rejecting the agreement.

The vote means the historic Iran deal, which lifts economic sanctions against Iran in return for it curbing its nuclear ambitions for the next several years, is set to be implemented despite majority votes in the House and Senate against it. The Senate is expected to take a procedural vote Thursday on an amendment to the resolution of disapproval from Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. "If only Democrat Senators would stop blocking the American people from even having a final vote on one of the most consequential foreign policy issues of our age", McConnell said in a statement before the vote.

He'll do so despite predictions from the Senate minority leader, Democrat Harry Reid of Nevada, that Democrats would filibuster the vote; he said it would be "dumb" were the 42 members of his party, who blocked the vote on the resolution last week, to have suddenly changed their minds. "But I don't have any specific meetings to tell you about right now". They're from a 2010 speech about Obamacare. And he and the other Republicans who oppose the deal can be even more creative moving forward, perhaps by forcing votes on using some of the frozen Iranian money to support the refugees fleeing Syria because of the conflict Iran is supporting or a demand for date-certain free and fair elections verified by global observers. "It's part of a larger retreat to campaigning instead of engaging on this important issue". The vote total was 162 in support of the deal to 269 opposed. The White House says Netanyahu's visit represents "the unprecedented security cooperation", between the two countries, including "close consultations to further enhance Israel's security". Democrats say those issues are outside the scope of the Iran talks. I have studied this agreement in detail, met with independent experts, attended classified briefings, listened to my constituents and engaged with administration officials. "And it will be before the American people for the next year and a half and certainly be a factor in their determination of who they want to lead our country as president in the next election"

This article was written by Norman Tuck Steelers Lounge for Steelers Lounge on Sept. 17, 2015.