RIGHT SPEAK: On Iran Deal, Chuck Schumer Shirks A Grave Responsibility

Iran Deal: Democratic Sen. Charles Schumer may say he's done his duty by announcing his opposition to President Obama's surrender to Tehran. But he's actually just washing his hands of his responsibilities.

How pro-Israel has Schumer been in his career? Two words: John Bolton. He passionately backed President George W. Bush's appointing the hawkish diplomat reviled by the left as United Nations ambassador, telling fellow Democrat senators, "A vote against John Bolton is a vote against Israel."

Schumer also told off his party's own president on a "two-state solution" on Israel and Palestine, noting, "Palestinians don't really believe in a state of Israel."

Atlantic's editor-at-large, Steve Clemons, even complained to Schumer in HuffPost that he was "unable to find a single instance in which you criticized the behavior of the Israeli government at any time on any issue."

But today, Schumer's vote against the Iran agreement without rallying hard for other Senate Democrats to join him is inexcusably insufficient. It makes Chuck numero uno while relegating national security and the survival of Israel — and, in fact, the safety of the free world from nuclear terrorism — to secondary status.

Proof of that is the White House's quick expression of confidence that, even with Schumer and other pro-Israel Democrats opposing, it can prevent two-thirds of both chambers of Congress from overriding a veto should Congress oppose the pact. And unless a lot changes, the White House is right.

After his statement Thursday announcing his opposition, Schumer said that while he will "try to persuade" other Senate Democrats, "in my experience with matters of conscience and great consequence like this, each member ultimately comes to their own conclusion."