The Matadors of the GOP

In 2015, Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR), with a mere two months experience in Congress, penned a letter to the leaders of Iran, cautioning them that President Obama did not have the constitutional authority to reach an accord on Iran's nuclear program. This letter was signed by 46 additional GOP Senators.

This brought our dysfunctional Congress to a new and dangerous low. And, it may have been against the law. The Logan Act, enacted in 1799, is a federal law barring unauthorized citizens from corresponding with foreign governments that have a dispute with the United States. Both this, as well as then House Speaker, John Boehner's invitation to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to speak to Congress on the subject was a way to undermine President Obama's influence in negotiations with Iran.

The irony of Cotton's letter was that negotiations with Iran were not unilateral between the US and Iran. In fact, there were five other countries involved in this process. Obama would not have sole power to affect a solution to Iran's nuclear program.

In September 2015, presidential candidate Donald Trump stated "It was amateur hour for those charged with striking this deal with Iran, demonstrating to the world, yet again, the total incompetence of our president and politicians." In October 2017, President Trump decertified the arms pact giving Congress 60 days to determine whether to reimpose sanctions on Iran. And, in May 2018, Trump made good on his election promise by withdrawing the US from the pact.

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The posters in this series reflect the conflicts the American political system has been experiencing during the turbulent period between 2010-2018. They are meant to encourage an exploration and a dialogue about the cultural minefield we now find ourselves in.