Henry: How Can You Criticize GOP Letter to Iran When Obama Made Open Video to Iran?
HENRY: “To follow up on Kristen’s question about the video that the presidents send -- basically an open letter, if you, will, an open video to the Iranian people. Since you were so critical of the Republican senators for sending an open letter to the Iranian leadership that might interfere with this potential deal, how can you say that this video might not interfere because the president is essentially attacking hardliners in Iran in saying they don’t want a deal? If this -- couldn’t this also interfere?”
EARNEST: “I don’t [indecipherable] that it will. The president on a number of occasions has -- I think every year on Nervuz -- has issued an open message to people around the world who were celebrating this --”
HENRY: “He specifically talks about the deal and why they should be supportive of it.”
EARNEST: “Right. But the point is that people all across the world, throughout the caucuses in Afghanistan and in other places, who celebrate Nervuz --the beginning of the message is actually even notes that many Americans celebrate Nervuz, so that’s the first thing. The second thing is I think the message to people around the world who are celebrating Nervuz is entirely different from on open letter to the hardliners in Iran. The third thing I will say is that there was I think a pretty obvious partisan ting to the letter from the 47 Republican senators to the leaders of Iran, and this one is obviously -- it wasn’t as if the president sort of tried to gather support only among Democrats for this message. So that makes a difference as well.”
HENRY: “He’s addressed the Iran people about the deal. Why isn’t he addressed the American people and talk about the status and talk about the details and be transparent about what’s on the table?”
EARNEST: “Well, Ed, I think in the context of interviews including one that the president has scheduled to do latter today, and in the context of news conferences, the president has talked quite a bit about what our priories are in terms of trying to resolve diplomatically the international community concerns with Iran’s nuclear program. But what’s also true is that there’s no deal, and if we are able to reach one by the deadline of the end of this month, I am confident that there will be ample opportunity for the president to speak publically about why this agreement, if one is reached, is clearly in the national security interest of the United States of America.”
