BOLTON: MILITARY FORCE SOLE OPTION IN IRAN

There’s no evidence that Iran will jettison its nuclear program, according to former State Department missile-counter John R. Bolton, who offers a stark reality check as negotiations between Iran and P5+1 — the U.S. and five other nations — drag on.

“Iran fully intends to continue its nuclear weapons program and is solely interested in getting free of the economic sanctions. There is no evidence Tehran has made the strategic decision to give up its pursuit of deliverable nuclear warheads,” Mr. Bolton tells Inside the Beltway.

“The only way to stop Iran from getting a nuclear weapon is through military force, which President Obama will not undertake. That is why the spotlight has long been on Israel, which twice before in its history has struck preemptively against nuclear weapons programs in hostile states,” he says.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also weighed in Monday, telling reporters, “This deal as far as we can see comes on almost daily concessions from the P5+1 to growing Iranian demands. Every day more concessions are made, and every day the deal becomes worse and worse. This deal will pave Iran’s path to a nuclear arsenal.”

And this from House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce, who plans hearing on the matter Thursday: “Obama administration officials have talked themselves into the delusion that the regime in Tehran will use a sanctions relief jackpot to help its people. But Iran’s Supreme Leader isn’t looking to cut this deal because he cares about ordinary Iranians. He’s making it so that he can consolidate power at home, dominate the region and gain acceptance of Iran’s nuclear program, paving the path to a nuclear weapon.

“Helping Iranians doesn’t even make the list. The Obama administration’s fundamental misread of the Iranian regime is part of what makes this potential agreement so dangerous to our national security,” the California Republican adds.

HILLARY’S NAGGING NEWS CHALLENGE

Hillary Rodham Clinton did not choose Fox News for her very first national interview since she announced her White House bid some three months ago. That honor goes to CNN, though the network draws a much smaller audience: Fox News typically draws 2.2 million during prime time to CNN’s 619,000, according to Nielsen. But no matter. Mrs. Clinton will veer off the Iowa campaign trail on Tuesday long enough to sit down with CNN’s senior political correspondent, Brianna Keilar. The exchange will air at 5 p.m. and again three hours later, and will likely prove a ratings boost for the network.

“The Democratic front-runner has largely stayed away from the press, only occasionally taking questions from reporters and granting interviews to local news outlets in early-voting states like Iowa and New Hampshire,” points out CNN political reporter Eric Bradner, who adds, “One nagging challenge for Clinton is that polls show voters generally don’t consider her honest and trustworthy — potentially the result of ongoing controversies about her family foundation’s acceptance of foreign contributions and her use of a personal email account on a private server during her tenure as President Barack Obama’s secretary of state.”

Notes a sullen observer, “I remember when we used to call CNN the Clinton News Network back in the day.”

Well, things are a little more cozy between Mrs. Clinton and her interviewer.

“Interestingly, Keilar recently attended the wedding of an aide to Hillary Clinton,” reports Weekly Standard scribe Daniel Halper, citing the CNN anchor’s presence at the June nuptials of Adam Parkhomenko, currently a staffer on Mrs. Clinton’s presidential campaign and a co-founder of Ready for Hillary, to Kirby Hoag, a former staffer of the organization.

MR. HOLDER’S RETURN

Former U.S. Attorney General Eric H. Holder has returned to Covington & Burling, the Washington law firm where he was partner from 2001-2009.

“Mr. Holder will be resident in the firm’s Washington office and focus on complex investigations and litigation matters, including matters that are international in scope and raise significant regulatory enforcement issues and substantial reputational concerns,” the organization said Monday.

GLENN BECK HITS THE PAUSE BUTTON

Independent media maven Glenn Beck has decided to curtail appearing on radio and TV broadcasts for a month on advice of his doctors, who’ve diagnosed him with severe vocal cord strain.

“I know what I have to do. And I know how much work is left to do. And this is just another irritant in the long road of irritants. But it’s not going to stop me, and it’s only going to sharpen my focus. I intend on using the next few weeks on intensive study on figures of the past, on figures of courage, and figures of people who have really made a difference,” Mr. Beck said.

“There’s a lot of people in the world who are celebrating this, but it’s only going to be for a few weeks. I believe it will humble me, it will make me a better man, and will perhaps teach me of the things that are worthy to be said, as I measure every word now that I can speak. I think this will be a very good thing,” he adds.

GOING VIRAL

“When word leaked that the president had been taken to the Bethesda Naval Hospital for observation, panic set in. If the president of the United States wasn’t safe from the virus, no one was. Scot Harvath swerved around the car in front of him and sped through the intersection as the light changed. The traffic was worsening. Quarantine rumors had sent people rushing to stores to stock up. Even the best-case numbers were devastating. The cities would be the hardest hit. Hospitals were already at surge capacity, and were being overrun by otherwise healthy people who had convinced themselves they were showing one or more of the virus’s symptoms. It was beginning to make it impossible for real emergencies like heart attacks and breathing problems brought on by severe asthma to be seen. And it was only going to get worse.”

— Excerpt from “Code of Conduct,” a new thriller by best-selling author Brad Thor, in bookstores Tuesday.

FOR THE LEXICON

“Ocean Trash Footwear”

— New line of concept athletic shoes by Adidas, made of yarn and filament reclaimed from plastic trash in the ocean and deep-sea fishing nets retrieved by the manufacturer’s partner Parley for the Ocean, a research group. The shoes, incidentally, are an attractive sea green, accented with swirling fishing net fibers.

POLL DU JOUR

• 55 percent of Americans expect their household financial condition will “stay the same” in the next six months: 57 percent of Republicans, 55 percent of independents and 53 percent of Democrats agree.

• 49 percent overall say the U.S. economy will “stay the same” in the next year: 48 percent of Republicans, 50 percent of independents and 49 percent of Democrats agree.

• 27 percent expect the U.S. economy to get worse: 39 percent of Republicans, 29 percent of independents and 13 percent of Democrats agree.

• 25 percent overall say the U.S. economy will improve: 13 percent of Republicans, 21 percent of independents and 38 percent of Democrats agree.

• 23 percent overall expect their household financial condition will get better: 13 percent of Republicans, 20 percent of independents and 35 percent of Democrats agree.

• 22 percent overall expect their household financial condition to get worse: 30 percent of Republicans, 25 percent of independents and 12 percent of Democrats agree.

Source: A Harris Poll of 2,220 U.S. adults conducted June 17-22 and released Friday.

• Ultimate truths, mere hearsay to [email protected]

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