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 Monday's open letter to Iran's leaders, signed by 47 Republican
senators, sparked a political firestorm.
Vice President Joe Biden also sharply criticized the lawmakers while
three potential 2016 Republican presidential candidates, Louisiana
Governor Bobby Jindal, former Texas Governor Rick Perry and former
Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum, threw their support behind the
letter.
Clinton, a likely Democratic presidential candidate, said the Obama
administration is in the midst of intense negotiations for a
diplomatic solution to close off Iran's pathway to a nuclear bomb
and provide unprecedented access to its nuclear program.
"And one has to ask, what was the purpose of this letter?" Clinton
said in an appearance at the United Nations.
"There appear to be two logical answers. Either these senators were
trying to be helpful to the Iranians or harmful to the
commander-in-chief in the midst of high-stakes international
diplomacy. Either answer does discredit to the letters'
signatories," Clinton added.
 Biden said in a statement on Monday night the letter was "expressly
designed to undercut a sitting president in the midst of sensitive
international negotiations" and was "beneath the dignity" of the
Senate.
"This letter, in the guise of a constitutional lesson, ignores two
centuries of precedent and threatens to undermine the ability of any
future American president, whether Democrat or Republican, to
negotiate with other nations on behalf of the United States," Biden
wrote.
Biden said he could not recall another instance in which senators
wrote such a letter to advise another country, much less a longtime
adversary.
In the letter, the Republicans told Iran's leaders any nuclear deal
with Obama could last only while he remains in office.
Senator Tom Cotton, who spearheaded the letter, on Tuesday defended
it and questioned Biden's foreign policy wisdom.
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"The only thing unprecedented is an American president negotiating a
nuclear weapons deal with the world's leading state sponsor of
terrorism without seeking congressional approval at the end of that
deal," Cotton told CNN.
Jindal said on Twitter that anyone thinking of running for president
from either party should sign the letter to make clear Iran is
negotiating with a "lame duck" president.
Jindal said Biden owes an apology to Cotton, a first-term senator
from Arkansas who served in the Army in Iraq and Afghanistan. "He
wore the boots in Iraq. He's earned our attention, not your
insults," Jindal said.
Many Republicans contend Obama is so eager for a nuclear deal that
he would sign off on an agreement leaving Iran able to easily make a
nuclear weapon.
World powers and Iran are trying to reach a framework agreement this
month and a final deal by June to curb Iran's nuclear program in
exchange for easing sanctions. Iran says the program is for peaceful
purposes only.
(Reporting by Will Dunham; Editing by Christian Plumb)
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