Progressive Maryland rips Cardin over Iran deal stance

"Shame on Cardin!" is the subject line of an email sent out by the Progressive Maryland organization, after U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Maryland) announced he will vote against the Iran nuclear deal negotiated by the Obama administration and several other nations. In a Washington Post op-ed, Cardin wrote that "ultimately this should be a vote of conscience, not a litmus test of party loyalty or political acumen." Maryland's other senator, Barbara Mikulski (D), announced her support for the deal earlier this week.

Progressive Maryland says it plans to protest Cardin's decision at several Montgomery County locations this weekend. The organization will join Peace Action, Pax Christi, MoveOn, Code Pink, and other organizations who support the Iran deal, to "stand in protest" at two Labor Day parades Cardin will march in, in Kensington and Gaithersburg.

Cardin cited the 24-day waiting period for inspections of Iranian facilities, and the lifting of the United Nations arms embargo on Iran as two deciding factors in his decision. In her statement announcing and explaining her support of the deal, Mikulski concluded that "this Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action is the best option available to block Iran from having a nuclear bomb."

Photo courtesy office of Senator Ben Cardin