Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) criticized President Obama and the administration over the framework agreement to curb Iran's nuclear program and said the best deal will come with a new president.
Graham said the next president — Democrat or Republican — won't have the "baggage of Obama" and will be able to negotiate a better deal than the one outlined in the framework agreement announced last week.
After the agreement was announced, Obama questioned critics in a speech from the Rose Garden: "Do you really think that this verifiable deal, if fully implemented, backed by the world's major powers, is a worse option than the risk of another war in the Middle East? Is it worse than doing what we've done for almost two decades with Iran moving forward with its nuclear program and without robust inspections?"
Graham, who has called for tougher sanctions against Iran, rejected Obama's claim that the current framework yields the best deal. In particular, Graham said the agreement does not require or bind Iran to change its "provocative" behavior or agree not to attack Israel. Instead, it only gives more tools to Iran to become a bigger threat to the world, he said.
"Does anybody really believe that Iranians will take the billions of dollars that we're about to give them and build hospitals and schools?" Graham said. "I think we'd be nuts to give them more money and more capability."