Dem Sen. Menendez: Obama Admin on Iran Sounds like Talking Points from Tehran

MENENDEZ: "Thank you, Mr. Chairman. You know, I have to be honest with you. The more I hear from the administration and its quotes the more it sounds like talking points that come straight out of Tehran. And it feeds to the Iranian narrative of victimization when they are the ones with the original sin and elicit nuclear weapons program going back, over the course of 20 years, that they are unwilling to come clean on. So I don't know why we feel compelled to make their case when in fact -- do you dispute any of the things I said in my opening statement about actions that they have taken as it relates to the U.N. monitors, as it relates to fueling that rod, as it relates to those other elements. Do you dispute any of those? Just yes or no?"

BLINKEN: "No, Mr. -- ranking member, no, I think you are largely correct."

MENENDEZ: "So then the bottom line is they get to cheat in a series of ways -- I'd call it cheat, you won't -- but they get to cheat in the series of ways and we get to worry about their perceptions. To quote from your testimony, and I will quote directly, 'Even if such sanctions are not arguably a technical violation of the joint plan of action, we believe they would be perceived as such by Iran.' So we are worried about their perceptions, but our perceptions of what they are doing to advance their nuclear interest can be just clearly swept underneath the rug?"