Mainstream media members and prominent members of the Democratic Party, generally counted on to be in President Obama's corner, have raised objections and voiced doubts about the many glaring weaknesses of the Iran nuclear deal trumpeted by the White House this week.
Democratic presidential candidate Jim Webb said the United States had now accepted the eventuality of Iran attaining a nuclear weapon. Reps. Steve Israel (D., N.Y.) and Tulsi Gabbard (D., Hawaii) criticized the lack of "anytime, anywhere" inspections originally sought after in the agreement.
Sen. Chris Coons (D., Del.) said Wednesday there was no way of knowing whether Iran would or would not get a nuclear bomb, and Sen. Bob Menendez (D., N.J.) expressed the skepticism of many in his party with sharp criticism of the lifting of an arms embargo against Iran as part of the accord.
For the record, Defense Secretary Ash Carter and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martin Dempsey agree that was a bad idea.
Rep. Brad Sherman (D., Calif.) pronounced himself "disappointed" by the agreement's terms and concessions in a hearing Tuesday, and he pointed out the Iranians would have more money now to kill Americans and Israelis and "work other mischief."
CNN reporter Jim Sciutto said that as recently as a year ago, White House officials would have looked at what the United STates gave up in negotiations and said they had gone too far. Another analyst for the network said Iran was "unquestionably" a big winner in the deal.
NBC's Richard Engel acknowledged Tuesday the strong possibility of a volatile nuclear arms race in the Middle East with Iran's path to a bomb paved by the deal, calling it a "gamble" by the United States.