Middle East mess

In the midst of Secretary of State John Kerry’s negotiations with Iran on the country’s development of a limited nuclear program that would exclude weapons, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu commented that doing so “paves Iran’s path to the bomb.” Here at home, there is a growing difference in how Democrats and Republicans view the threat of Iranian nuclear weapons. A year ago, 86 percent of Republicans and 80 percent of Democrats said in a Gallup poll that Iran having nuclear weapons was a critical threat. The results of a poll taken last month indicate a shift, with 91 percent of Republicans and 68 percent of Democrats deeming the threat critical.