To the editor:

The near-unanimous assumption that every Republican in Congress will vote to torpedo the nuclear agreement with Iran can only mean that these people are letting someone else make the decision for them. Clearly, there are legitimate differences of opinion on the matter. For example the leaders of France, Britain, Germany, Russia, China, U.S., Iran, The Vatican, and many other nations think it is the best solution available; those of Saudi Arabia and Israel, in rare unison, think not.

The American public is very divided and awash in propaganda from both sides. Surely someone in the Republican delegation would rationally arrive at the conclusion that the few alternatives pose much greater risks to the U.S. and to world peace and stability — if they would not allow the leadership and deep pockets to lead them by the nose. I want my elected representatives to think for themselves and have the courage of their convictions.

At the onset of the cold war in 1947, Sen. Arthur Vandenberg, R-Mich., pleaded, “We must stop partisan politics at the water’s edge.” Today’s Republican leadership is demonstrating that partisan politics stops at nothing. Must the world suffer for this?