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Christie rips Booker for supporting Iran deal

by Mark Hensch - 09/05/15 11:32 AM ET

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) says he is disappointed in Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) for backing President Obama’s nuclear deal with Iran.

“Listen, everybody – if you want to understand the disease of Washington, D.C., that piece by Cory Booker is about as good a statement as you’re going to see,” Christie told listeners Friday during a stop in New Hampshire, according to The Washington Post.

Christie, a 2016 GOP presidential candidate, said the senator’s own concerns with the diplomatic pact don’t jibe with his overall support.

{mosads}“He talked about how it was a deeply disappointing deal, and it was deeply flawed, gives us awful choices, and that he’s deeply disappointed in the president,” he said, referencing Booker’s statement supporting the agreement Thursday.

“Politics matters more than what’s right,” Christie added of Booker’s announcement.

Booker became the 35th senator to support Obama’s historic diplomatic pact with Iran earlier this week after months of wrestling with its details.

“We have now passed a point of no return that we should never have reached, leaving our nation to choose between two imperfect, dangerous and uncertain options,” he said Thursday.

“Left with these two choices, I nonetheless believe it is better to support a deeply flawed deal, for the alternative is worse,” the New Jersey lawmaker added. “Thus, I will vote in support of the deal.”

Booker’s support of Obama’s diplomatic bargain with Iran is notable given his a longtime support for Israel — a vocal critic of the deal.

It also puts him at odds with Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.), a major opponent of the agreement.

The Obama administration announced it had reached its landmark nuclear accord with Iran earlier this summer after months of international negotiations.

It eases economic sanctions on Tehran in exchange for greater restrictions on its atomic energy capabilities.

Obama scored a major political victory earlier this week by securing enough Congressional support for protecting the deal against any potential challenges.

Congress plans on voting over a resolution either approving or disproving its details during a session Sept. 17.

Tags Chris Christie Cory Booker Iran