Mere weeks after the United States invaded Iraq, Richard Perle said publicly of neighboring Iran and any other country who would dare to oppose the United States: “You’re next.” Behind the scenes, the Iranians are reported to have approached the Bush administration in the spring of 2003 with an offer to negotiate an end to their nuclear program in exchange for normalized relations (Nicholas Kristof posted the docs on the NYT blog).

The Bush administration’s response? “No comment.” Instead, they effectively let Richard Perle do the talking for them. Within a few years, the small circle of reformers who had been willing to reach out to the United States were gone from power, replaced by Holocaust-denier Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Since then, pro-democracy advocates in Iran have had a simple message for the Americans who purport to be their saviors: butt out. Most notable among this group is Nobel-laureate Shirin Ebadi, who has been outspoken in calling the elections a fraud, but has been equally clear in urging American leaders not to anoint the Iranian reform movement as America’s choice. Ebadi has praised Obama’s approach. A more outspoken, or even hostile, posture by Washington would certainly evoke a counterreaction among fiercely nationalistic Iranians.

’s a tough job and millions of prayers are going up for him everyday for wisdom and strength.

dcwvu on June 19, 2009 at 5:46 PM

Why in the hell would God even listen to those prayers? Barry doesn’t believe in a higher authority beyond himself. And he certainly wouldn’t give thanks to God for any success he would miraculously attain. Those prayers are futile.

Just saying.

obladioblada on June 19, 2009 at 6:46 PM

Thanks. LMAO! I had forgotten about that vid. Could be right on the id.

Now he’s voting, “Concerned.”

Check out this related Onion-style parody entitled “Obama Sends Sterner Message to Iran from His Personal Blackberry, But Experts Say His Use of Emoticons ‘May Cloud Message’: http://www.optoons.blogspot.com/ (June 19 entry)

Mervis Winter on June 19, 2009 at 7:36 PM

LOL, great link

Obama let his inclinations as a two-bit Chicago ward heeler take over, and appointed people based on political considerations….

JohnGalt23 on June 19, 2009 at 7:23 PM

Well these considerations turn out to be voices from the Carter, George senior(the Snowcraft crowd who openly criticized junior’s policy) and the Bill Clinton admins.

These folks, I might add, all have one main connection, they disliked Reagan and George W’s approach to foreign policy. Especially W, Reagan without the charm.

They are definitely not into “tear down this wall”.

- The Cat

P.S. Might have been someone else though.

He’s a good man. He has the weight of the world on him to try and create world peace overnight while fixing all of Dubya’s financial messes here at home. It’s a tough job and millions of prayers are going up for him everyday for wisdom and strength.

dcwvu on June 19, 2009 at 5:46 PM

Okay; let’s unpack this one:

He’s a good man.

This is a fact not yet evidenced; what has he done that is demonstrably “good?” How has he shown any innate compassion, or sacrificed for the good of others?

He has the weight of the world on him

He has the “weight” of an office he sought –

to try and create world peace overnight

There’ll be no overnight here; there’s evil in the world. If he acts to defend us from it, and promotes freedom, peace will eventually follow. If not, not.

while fixing all of Dubya’s financial messes here at home.

Dear “random talking point generator;” the current financial mess, as you call is, is complicated; (I know, I’ve lost you already,) and is owned by many people in leadership positions, including current congressional leadership, as well as both the current and prior administrations.

It’s a tough job

Okay, you’re right about this one.

and millions of prayers are going up for him everyday for wisdom and strength.

And, you’re right about this one as well.

Glad to be of service. Stop by anytime.

Doughboy on June 19, 2009 at 7:19 PM

Well spoken!! Agree 100%

He is SOOOO far in over his head.

Cicero43 on June 19, 2009 at 5:38 PM

That’s not really the problem. Most Presidents are over their head when it comes to foreign policy, as most of them have very little foreign service or diplomatic experience.

The real problem here is that, when Obama was choosing his foreign policy people, from the top on down, he didn’t choose them because of their foreign policy chops. If he had, Anthony Lake would be SecState instead of Frau Pantsuit.

Obama let his inclinations as a two-bit Chicago ward heeler take over, and appointed people based on political considerations. There is very little problem doing that for domestic politics. But statecraft is exactly that – a craft. It is something that takes years of interest in and practice of to master. And Hillary and her second rate cohort are way out of their league.