“President Barack Obama assailed critics of his Iran nuclear deal Wednesday as ‘selling a fantasy’ to the American people, warning Congress that blocking the accord would damage the nation’s credibility and increase the likelihood of more war in the Middle East,” according to U.S. News & World Report .  

“The president’s blunt remarks, in an hour-long address at American University, were part of an intense lobbying campaign by the White House ahead of Congress’ vote next month to either approve or disapprove the international agreement. Opponents of the agreement have streamed to Capitol Hill, too, to make their case, and they have spent tens of millions of dollars on advertisements.”  

“Drawing on more distant history, Obama said the Iran deal was in line with America’s long tradition of ‘strong, principled diplomacy’ with adversaries, including the former Soviet Union. He spoke at the same university where John F. Kennedy called for Cold War diplomacy and nuclear disarmament, and he referred to Presidents Kennedy and Ronald Reagan a number of times.”