This isn’t the first time Senator Ted Cruz has had to call out the Obama administration for the dangerous dealings with Iran.

As early as last Summer, when the talks of lifting sanctions on Iran began, with the only promises from the regime being that they would do their own inspections (?!?), Cruz was denouncing the administration for its foolhardy move.

Let’s face it. If a government is a known sponsor of terrorism and continuously breathes murder against you and your allies, you don’t make it easier for them to prove they mean it.

From the Washington Examiner today:

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, once again denounced the nuclear deal with Iran as an “illegitimate” agreement following news that President Obama gave the regime $400 million pertaining to an unrelated matter in conjunction with the release of four American hostages.

“It is nothing but a series of bribes and secret agreements that will do nothing to prevent Iran from reaching nuclear capability, yet will provide funding for their sponsorship of terrorism and encourage them to detain more of our citizens. This ‘deal’ should be ripped to shreds immediately before more damage is done.”

President Obama has insisted that the $400 million was simply an installment payment on $1.7 billion that was promised to Iran by the Jimmy Carter administration in 1979, supposedly for military equipment that they never received.

Yes. Democrats were making bad deals as far back as the 70s.

Lawmakers are concerned, and with good reason. With all the dangerous regimes in the world, who have the common thread of animosity towards America and her citizens, it is unwise to give the appearance of weakness and willingness to pay ransom when an American is kidnapped and held by that regime.

Of course, the Obama administration court jester, Josh Earnest, was as evasive as ever, when asked about the details of the payment.

Iranian officials insisted on the payment in the context of releasing the prisoners because they “wanted the cash to show they had gained something tangible,” according to the Wall Street Journal. Earnest refused to say if the prisoners would have been released without the payment being made.

Was this a ransom payment, another misguided Democrat administration, falsely believing that weakness will win favor on the world stage, or is it a legitimate attempt to pay a debt?

Either way, it smells bad, and Senator Cruz was right to speak up.