I Suggest Some Bold Words For Obama On Iran

The WaPo explains why Obama is tip-toeing around the Iranian demonstrations:

U.S. Struggling for Right Response to Iran
Obama Seeks Way to Acknowledge Protesters Without Alienating Ayatollah

By Glenn Kessler
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, June 18, 2009

The political unrest in Iran presents the Obama administration with a dilemma: keep quiet to pursue a nuclear deal with Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the country's supreme leader, or heed calls to respond more supportively to the protesters there -- and risk alienating the Shiite cleric.

...

The administration's stance is practical -- the real power in Iran rests with Khamenei, not with whoever is president -- but pressure for a shift in policy will mount if the protests continue to grow and begin to threaten the government's hold on power. Obama already has been criticized -- notably by his Republican presidential rival, Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) -- as abandoning "fundamental principles" of support for human rights.

If the cat has his silver tongue, perhaps Obama could make this statement:

Let me be clear: no system of government can or should be imposed upon one nation by any other.

That does not lessen my commitment, however, to governments that reflect the will of the people. Each nation gives life to this principle in its own way, grounded in the traditions of its own people. America does not presume to know what is best for everyone, just as we would not presume to pick the outcome of a peaceful election. But I do have an unyielding belief that all people yearn for certain things: the ability to speak your mind and have a say in how you are governed; confidence in the rule of law and the equal administration of justice; government that is transparent and doesn't steal from the people; the freedom to live as you choose. Those are not just American ideas, they are human rights, and that is why we will support them everywhere.

There is no straight line to realize this promise. But this much is clear: governments that protect these rights are ultimately more stable, successful and secure. Suppressing ideas never succeeds in making them go away. America respects the right of all peaceful and law-abiding voices to be heard around the world, even if we disagree with them. And we will welcome all elected, peaceful governments – provided they govern with respect for all their people.

A bit too pointed, perhaps?  If the United States welcomes all elected, peaceful government, what is our stance towards repressive regimes who maintain their power by way of rigged elections?

But maybe Obama will be brave enough to say something like this in response to the situation in Iran - after al, he said it to 'Hosannas' a mere two weeks ago in Cairo.

MORE:  The Daily Telegraph has lots.

Comments

[MayBee]

Can anybody tell me why Ayatollah Ali Khamenei would be the least big interested in meeting with Obama to come up with a plan to get rid of Iran's nuclear program?

[MayBee]

btw- Major Garret just reported that Geithner briefed all Dems, but no Republicans, regarding the new Financial Regulation proposals.

[Danube of Thought]

Great question, MayBee.

I kind of like what Reagan said when Solidarity started making moves in Poland: "We stand with the people, not the government." It comes with the job of being "leader of the free world." Does anyone seriously think Obama is fit for that title?

[Hal]

Can anybody tell me why Ayatollah Ali Khamenei would be the least big interested in meeting with Obama to come up with a plan to get rid of Iran's nuclear program?

Obama intends to offer forcing Israel to abandon its nuclear weapons in exchange for "flexibility" from the Iranians.

[William Teach]

Isn't this why Obama chose Joe Biden, because of his foreign policy experience? News is reporting that both Hillary and Joe are pushing Obama to give a stronger response.

It is interesting that Obama says he doesn't want the US to meddle in this Iranian issue, yet, he is more then willing to meddle with Israel and their settlements.

[hit and run]

I heard Joe is proposing splitting Iran into three separate regions.

[Rick Ballard]

C'mon. The man? hasn't even finished his waffle yet.

[Charlie (Colorado)]

Can anybody tell me why Ayatollah Ali Khamenei would be the least big interested in meeting with Obama to come up with a plan to get rid of Iran's nuclear program?

No, I don't think so.

[MayBee]

It comes with the job of being "leader of the free world." ... Does anyone seriously think Obama is fit for that title?

It is my impression Obama wants to be leader of the World, but he doesn't want the US to be leader of the world.
He said during the campaign again only recently that America should not be seen to hold itself above other countries.
I'll look for the quote.

[MayBee]

Thanks for answering my question, guys, as much as it can be answered.

It seems to me the most Iran has to lose w/Obama if they refuse to negotiate is that he might call Ahmandinejad's words "odious" again.

[Fresh Air]

Zero exhibits, on a daily basis, that his reading stopped at the freshman year of college. Even then, he was probably blowing off assignments. His entire world view is one an 18-year-old liberal arts student, stillborn with mediocre thoughts from mediocre professors.

He is exactly what I and many others said: an absolute nothing, back-bencher from the Illinois Senate who even there, in a chamber filled with dim bulbs, couldn't be bothered to take a stand on anything except his zest for abortion.

[Porchlight]

I don't know, MayBee. Hal's comment made me think. If Israel is to be the sacrificial lamb, Obama might *think* he has something to negotiate with. Worst case scenario is that Obama successfully kneecaps Israel and then Iran says ha ha, thanks chump, we're going forward with our nukes anyway.

[PDinDetroit]

The song remains the same...

Out of their depth in a parking lot puddle.

[hit and run]

Porchlight:
Obama might *think* he has something to negotiate with.

Remember http://campaignspot.nationalreview.com/post/?q=ZDVkZmYzM2FmYjM0NDYxYzFjOWIyMTBlZDFmMTMzMGM=>this passage from Dreams From My Father when Obama Sr. walked into a bar and was confronted by a racist.

The room fell quiet, and people turned to my father, expecting a fight. Instead, my father stood up, walked over to the man, smiled, and proceeded to lecture him about the folly of bigotry, the promise of the American dream, and the universal rights of man. “This fella felt so bad when Barack was finished,” Gramps would say. “that he reached into his pocket and gave Barack a hundred dollars on the spot. Paid for all our drinks and puu-puus for the rest of the night – and your dad’s rent for the rest of the month.

By the time I was a teenager, I’d grown skeptical of this story’s veracity and had set it aside with the rest. Until I received a phone call, many years later, from a Japanese-American man who said he had been my father’s classmate in Hawaii and now taught at a midwestern university… during the course of our conversation, he repeated the same story that my grandfather had told, about the white man who had tried to purchase my father’s forgiveness. “I’ll never forget that,” the man said to me over the phone; and in his voice I heard the same note I’d heard from Gramps so many years before, that note of disbelief – and hope.

Geraghty concluded his post on it with this:

But if you believed that your father had an almost-hypnotic capacity to calm the most troubled soul with the right words... might you also believe that you yourself could bring someone like Mahmoud Ahmedinejad to see reason?

He may not think he needs anything to negotiate with, other than his tongue. No pre-conditions necessary, because Obama believes that he'll walk away from any negotiations having schooled, humbled and changed whomever is across the table from him.

(Except Republicans, of course. They're unreasonable to the point of not being worth anything but the most nominal of bi-partisan efforts)

[PDinDetroit]

And now for something totally obvious and way off topic - LUN.

If they can't clean up things in their own backyard, why should we expect them to be able to anywhere else?

[Porchlight]

No pre-conditions necessary, because Obama believes that he'll walk away from any negotiations having schooled, humbled and changed whomever is across the table from him.

Good point, hit. I suppose it's natural that Obama would think that, since his con jobs have pretty much all been successful thus far. Except for Bobby Rush, who has ever defeated him?

[MayBee]

Posted by: hit and run | June 18, 2009 at 12:12 PM

That whole comment is spot-on.

[Barry Dauphin]

I'm sure that vignette from Dreams from my Father gave folks like Eleanor Clift the vapors. It is what Obama does today with the left---mesmerize them with fictions.

It is also what he "hopes" to do to the rest of us, namely get some people (AKA tax payers) to pick up the tab for other people (AKA non-taxpayers).

[maryrose]

Obama does not have the cojones to stand up and say what he knows the Americans think and whom they support in the Iranian election. The joke's on Obama because they already think we are meddling.

[boris]

It's like the saying "Living well is the best revenge".

If we are living well then Leftists and Islamists claim we are taking revenge on them. And must be stopped.

[MayBee]

What kind of person actually accepts the $100?

[Porchlight]

What kind of person actually accepts the $100?

An Obama.

[Parking Lot]

((His entire world view is one an 18-year-old liberal arts student, stillborn with mediocre thoughts from mediocre professors))

which explains why much of the world's youth, even in Iran, is mesmerized by him

[hit and run]

What kind of person actually accepts the $100?

And the payment for his rent for the rest of them month.

Well, if the former racist was rich, Obama Sr. was just facilitating a little spreading of wealth. He didn't earn the money, but for fairness, he deserved it.

[Lola]

The mid east countries will always blame the United Stats for all their problems no matter what it is. There have been lots of times that the United States has stuck it's nose in other people's business when it had no right to, and they shouldn't have. But what if we would have just let Hitler continue to carry on killing innocent people and just stepped backed and watched. Grant you, we should have done something sooner. The United States can't win no matter if it gets involved or not. We get criticized no matter which way we go. The Mid-East has to find someone to blame for their problems. They have been throwing the same rock back and forth forever.

[PeterUK]

"It comes with the job of being "leader of the free world." ... Does anyone seriously think Obama is fit for that title?"

Obama,"Leader of the free ride".

[Wil]

Why don't we set them up with 800 Chrysler dealerships, have them order a whole bunch of cars, ship them to them and than pull all of their franchises. Their economy would collapse as would their government. Problem solved

[Fresh Air]

Wil--

Or we could offer them free healthcare for life at any VA hospital.

[JM Hanes]

Too bad Obama couldn't just refer folks to his Campaign website:

Obama supports tough, direct presidential diplomacy with Iran without preconditions. Now is the time to pressure Iran directly to change their troubling behavior.

Alas, pressure disappeard beneath the bus a long time ago, and left him holding the nuance on Tuesday:

I have always believed that as odious as I consider some of the statement of Ahmadinejad, as deep as some of the differences that exist between the United States and Iran on a range of core issues, that the use of tough, hard-headed diplomacy, diplomacy with no illusions, about Iran and the nature of the differences between our two countries is critical when it comes to pursuing a core set of our national security interests.....

My decoder ring says: Obama remains open to tough, hard-headed diplomacy anytime Iran is ready.

[Terry Gain]

keep quiet to pursue a nuclear deal with Ayatollah Ali Khamenei,

The one opportunity to perhaps peacefully resolve the Iranain nuclear issue is being shunned because this stupid narcissist arrogantly believes he can sweet talk the mullahs out of their nuclear ambitions.

This is madness.

The problem here is that no one in America had ever told this fool he was dead wrong. About anything.

[Flannigan]

Obama votes "present" on the Iranian election.