Top administration officials are at Congress today for a hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on the Iran nuclear deal, a subject that has always brought out the crazy in American politicians.
No one expected this hearing to be anything other than a circus: the deal is politically contentious, and Republicans are trying to out-hawk one another for the coming presidential primaries. Congress did not disappoint. This tweet, from New York Times economics policy reporter Jonathan Weisman, captures the scene pretty nicely:
Now Sen. Ron Johnson is lecturing MIT physicist Ernest Moniz on electro-magnetic pulse weapons.
— Jonathan Weisman (@jonathanweisman) July 23, 2015
A bit of context: Johnson is the senior senator from Wisconsin and a Republican. Ernest Moniz is the secretary of energy and one of the lead US negotiators on the Iran deal. Electromagnetic pulse (EMP) weapons are a nonsense science fiction “threat” and a longtime point of obsession among certain conservatives, such as Newt Gingrich and Ron Johnson. Johnson’s line of questioning, to a top-of-his-field nuclear physicist, is a little like asking Neil Armstrong if he thinks the moon landing might have been faked.
—Max Fisher
The Clown Show That Was the Senate Iran Hearing, in One Tweet
Hilarious! Well, actually deeply sad, but also hilarious.
I didn’t remember which thread you mentioned Ta-Nehisi Coates and the arc of history, but here’s a clip of him worth seeing if you haven’t already:
http://thedailyshow.cc.com/videos/q0a05w/exclusive—ta-nehisi-coates-extended-interview-pt–2
He’s a huge patriot who believes America can be better. I’m not sure I share that belief. But without people like him who believe we can be better, we’re doomed.
I saw the broadcast interview. I didn’t bother watching the extended interview, because I know his work well and I’m waiting for the book. He is great — one of my favorite political writers. Of course, now he doesn’t write as much; I think he is now a college professor. Plus, he’s been writing a lot about comic books. It’s probably great work too, but I haven’t been able to take it seriously enough to read it.