Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal on Tuesday challenged his fellow 2016 Republican presidential nominee contenders to add their names to a controversial letter to Iran from 47 Republican senators that rebukes the Obama administration’s nuclear negotiations.
The letter earned the senators’ a “Traitors” headline in the New York Daily News and an admonishment from vice president Joe Biden, a former senator, who, in a scathing statement, called the letter “beneath the dignity of an institution I revere.”
But four other potential Republican presidential candidates – Sens. Marco Rubio of Florida, Rand Paul of Kentucky, Ted Cruz of Texas and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina – had already signed the letter -- and former Texas Gov. Rick Perry quickly tweeted Tuesday that he “would be proud and honored to sign the letter.”
Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush didn’t say whether he’d sign the letter, but backed it, saying the senators were “reacting to reports of a bad deal that will likely enable Iran to become a nuclear state over time.
“They would not have been put in this position had the administration consulted regularly with them rather than ignoring their input,” Bush said.
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker also backed the letter without saying that he’d sign it, saying that Republicans need to ensure that any deal Obama reaches with Iran receives congressional review.
“Unless the White House is prepared to submit the Iran deal it negotiates for congressional approval, the next president should not be bound by it,” Walker said.
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, a likely Democratic presidential contender, criticized the letter, calling it "out of step with the best traditions of American leadership."
Clinton's remarks came as she appeared at the United Nations to answer reporters' questions about the controversy over her private email account.
She said the letter raises questions about the senators' intentions, adding “either these senators were trying to be helpful to the Iranians or harmful to the commander- in-chief in the midst of high-stakes international diplomacy. Either answer does discredit to the letters' signatories."
By Tuesday night, the hashtag #47traitors was trending on Twitter and more than 100,000 had signed a petition on the White House’s We the People website, calling on the administration to press charges against the 47, alleging they had “committed a treasonous offense when they decided to violate the Logan Act, a 1799 law which forbids unauthorized citizens from negotiating with foreign governments.”