President Barack Obama scoffed at Scott Walker’s foreign policy chops Tuesday, calling his ideas about Iran foolish, and saying Walker might agree with Obama if he would “bone up” on foreign policy.
Walker recently said that on his first day as president, he would “absolutely” revoke any deal that allows Iran to continue enriching uranium. “The concept of a nuclear Iran is not only problematic for Iran, and certainly for Israel, but it opens the doors [to other countries],” he said on Hugh Hewitt’s radio show. “I mean, the Saudis are next.”
Asked about Walker’s comment, and whether a future president could revoke any deal Obama makes with Iran, Obama said he’s confident the next president will be “knowledgeable enough” to know the executive branch may reach agreements with other countries without the express consent of Congress.
“If that [power] starts being questioned, that’s going to be a problem for our friends and that’s going to embolden our enemies,” he told Steve Inskeep on NPR’s Morning Edition Tuesday. “And it would be a foolish approach to take, and, you know, perhaps Mr. Walker, after he’s taken some time to bone up on foreign policy, will feel the same way.”
In response to Obama’s dig, Walker told The Daily Caller News Foundation that Obama should focus on his leadership skills instead of attacking governors and members of Congress who disagree with him.
“Americans would be better served by a president who spent more time working with governors and members of Congress rather than attacking them,” Walker said. “Whether it is cutting a bad deal with Iran, calling ISIS the JV squad, or touting Yemen as a success story, Obama’s lack of leadership has hurt America’s safety and standing in the world.”
Obama has made it clear he will not seek the consent of the Senate before making a final deal with Iran, which has ticked off Republicans convinced that would be unconstitutional, because a deal of this magnitude must be ratified by a two-thirds majority in the Senate. Outgoing Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid’s chosen successor, Sen. Chuck Schumer, backed that opinion, saying this week, “I strongly believe Congress should have the right to disapprove any agreement” on a treaty with Iran.
Iran and a six-country delegation led by the United States reached a consensus on the parameters of a potential deal last week, which is supposed to be drafted by June 30. The deal requires Iran to roll back two-thirds of its supposedly civilian nuclear program under 10 years of United Nations supervision.
Walker’s comments echo vocal critics who say the deal not only gives Iran a path to a nuclear bomb, but also encourages surrounding countries to start acquiring nuclear capabilities. (RELATED: Congress, US Allies Raise Concerns Over raft In Iran Deal)
“This deal essentially puts Iran on the Autobahn to getting nuclear capability, while it tranquilizes us,” foreign policy expert Robert Kaufman, who is a political science professor at Pepperdine University, told TheDCNF. “Even if Iran abides by every single letter of this agreement, it gives them a nuclear capability. It will trigger a nuclear arms race.”
“Governor Walker, in this case, is right on steroids,” he added. “He is absolutely unequivocally right.”
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