U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet Announces Support for Iran deal

U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet on Friday became the latest senator to publicly declare his support for the White House nuclear deal with Iran — ending weeks of speculation on how he would vote on the controversial agreement.

As part of his declaration, the Colorado lawmaker and former Democratic campaign chief also unveiled a new legislative proposal that Bennet says will strengthen the deal while steering more money to Israel for its national defense.

Both the timing and the context of his announcement are striking, as each provide a window into Bennet as both policymaker and politician as he moves forward with his 2016 run for re-election.

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Mark Dubowitz, a vocal opponent of the deal, said he has spoken with more than 200 members of Congress, either one-on-one or in a group setting, and he described Bennet as “very open-minded and thoughtful and serious in these conversations.”

But he said he sensed deep conflict too in Bennet and other congressional Democrats.

“They are all anguished about this agreement and I would use the word anguished,” said Dubowitz, who serves as executive director of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. The Obama “administration has given them no choice.”

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