HOUSE SPEAKER TO OPPOSE IRAN DEAL – AT 9:53 A.M. ET:  No doubt where Speaker Boehner stands on the Iran agreement.  He is opposed, and his opposition signals that his party will fight hard to sink the deal.  From Fox:

House Speaker John Boehner vowed Wednesday to do "everything possible" to stop the newly struck Iran nuclear deal, as Congress formally begins consideration of the hard-fought pact.

The warning comes just days after the U.N. Security Council endorsed the deal, over the objections of many in Congress. Republicans, and some Democrats, had wanted the administration to wait until Congress reviews it before seeking approval from the United Nations.

Congress nevertheless will have its say. Fox News has learned the administration formally sent the deal to Capitol Hill on Sunday -- this starts a 60-day clock for lawmakers to consider it, and then vote to approve or disapprove it or take no action.

The White House has launched an aggressive campaign in recent days, trying to sway wavering Democrats while publicly ripping Republicans for opposing the deal.

In an appearance on "The Daily Show" Tuesday, Obama portrayed the controversial deal as the best compromise the government could achieve. In a jab at the George W. Bush administration, he joked that his critics think if only former Vice President Dick Cheney had been on the U.S. negotiating team, "then everything would be fine."

COMMENT:  Forget Obama's sarcasm.  Reports from Washington say that the administration is genuinely worried about Congressional reaction, not that it has done anything to ease Congressional concerns.  Going to the UN before submitting the agreement to Congress was not a wise step.

As things now stand, it's a good bet that both houses of Congress will vote down the deal.  That judgment, of course, can change in the 60 days of Congressional examination. 

Obama will veto a negative bill of rejection, and the question will be whether the veto can be overridden.  Former Senator Joe Lieberman of Connecticut said a few days ago that he believes the votes are almost there to override.  He's the first prominent person I've heard who's said that.  I have no idea whether it's accurate.  I think some Democrats who are on the fence will be guided by public-opinion polls, which are currently against the agreement.  And the polls that count will be ones taken in their home states or districts.  Self-preservation is the key in politics, especially as we approach an election year.

July 23, 2015