Chuck Todd: Obama Used ‘Good Friday Press Strategy’ To Announce Iran Deal While Congress Is Away

‘It gives them time to sell it on their own without too much pushback’

GUTHRIE: “I think a lot of people were surprised that his deal happened at all, but also that it had as many specifics as it seems to.”
TODD: “Not only that. It was better than what it has been leaking out and that’s certainly something of a relief to the administration. They got Iran to concede to some things. There was this concern that the sanctions would somehow get lifted before there would be some verification. That wasn’t the case at all. You know, Savannah, one of the things that is benefiting the administration very early on is that this deal is being announced while Congress is not in town. They are all in recess for the holiday so it gives time to sell it on their own without too much push back.”
GUTHRIE: “I wondered about that because, Chuck, I don’t know if you agree, but it seems to me in a way as controversial as this deal is, the response to it, the criticism of it was somewhat muted. You don’t see people falling all over themselves to get on TV or issue these dueling press releases and that kind of thing. Are people holding their fire?”
TODD: “Call it the Good Friday press strategy, if you want to call it that because it's just simply they are not in town. I do think that there are some that are going to hold their fire. They want to see how this is going to play out. They want to see the details of the plan. The plan does have more details in it. There is two and a half months before you have the actual signed, sealed and delivered part of this deal. So I do think the timing of it and the timing of the announcement is beneficial simply because so many of these members are out of town.”
GUTHRIE: “But the president does have to sell it. Chuck, simply, can Congress scuttle the deal as a practical matter?”
TODD: “I think they can easily scuttle the deal and you have a lot of skeptical Democrats including the incoming highest ranking Democrat in the U.S. Senate, Senator Chuck Schumer. He put out a two-page statement that basically said, 'I'm going to review the details of this agreement.' That wasn't exactly a supportive comment from somebody that administration is desperately going to need on their side. So it’s possible they can kill the deal. The president could veto an attempt to do that, but there are enough Democrats to override potentially, to override a veto. The next two and a half months are going to be critical in this sale pitch.”
 

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