It�s entirely predictable, yet demoralizing, that experts are largely ignored in public debate over politicians who are fed talking points by lobbyists

The true nature of the debate over the Iran nuclear deal announced last month is slowly coming into focus. Those who favor it are are backed by dozens of nuclear scientists and arms control experts, while opponents consist almost exclusively of bellwether politicians mugging for the camera and playing into the fears of the constituents they have whipped into a terrified frenzy.

That�s where the ever intensifying debate surrounding the nuclear agreement between the United States and Iran now sits, as a furious lobbying campaign � estimated to cost upwards of $40m � tries to buy enough votes in Congress to override the president and scuttle the historic deal.

The biggest news about the deal last week should have been the fact that 29 of what the New York Times called �some of the world�s most knowledgeable experts in the fields of nuclear weapons and arms control� came out in favor of it. The scientists agreed that the deal has �more stringent constraints than any previously negotiated nonproliferation framework.�

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This article was written by Trevor Timm for The Guardian on Aug. 12, 2015. Trevor Timm is a Guardian US columnist and executive director of the�Freedom of the Press Foundation, a non-profit that supports and defends journalism dedicated to transparency and accountability.