Hello Everyone:

From what I have seen so far this week, a consensus of experts and commentators from the left to the mainstream right basically agree with how Obama is handling the Iran crisis now. It is mainly Neocon politicians and commentators who are complaining about how Obama is handling Iran right now which does not surprise me at all.

I will start by saying that there is very strong evidence to suggest that the election in Iran was rigged:

http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/meast/06/15/iran.elections.qa/

Q & A: Was the Iranian election rigged?

June 15, 2009 -- Updated 1959 GMT

"According to official results, Ahmadinejad won in all regions and among all classes and ages -- again, something that Taheri said was unlikely, "but I can't prove it."

Had he not exaggerated the scale of his victory, Taheri said, unlike in previous presidential elections, it is possible there wouldn't be the outcry there is now. "Many Iranians feel insulted by the results because they feel their vote didn't count. Everybody knows, for instance that Ahmadinejad is unpopular in cities but he still won the vote there. That is why people are so angry."

Another Iran expert Karim Sadjadpour agreed, saying he believed this was "a stolen election." Watch Sadjadpour explain why election was "stolen" »

"There are a lot of signs there were major improprieties. First of all there were 40 million votes cast and just two hours after the polls had closed they announced Ahmadinejad's victory: and these votes are hand counted in Iran...

Sadjadpour, an associate at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, added: "Another example I give is that (opposition leader Mir Hossein) Moussavi, who is an ethnic Azeri Turk, lost the province of Iranian Azerbaijan. This is the equivalent of Barack Obama losing the African American vote to John McCain in 2008."

Every credible commentator I have heard so far agrees with this analysis about the Iran election. So the question is what is Obama supposed to do about this and about human rights abuses in Iran?

I think that Obama and Robert Gibbs have a good understanding about the big picture of this situation:

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0906/19/ec.01.html

CAMPBELL BROWN

More Bloodshed Ahead in Iran?; Obama Speaks at Radio and Television Correspondents Association Dinner

Aired June 19, 2009 - 20:00 ET

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: "So what I've said is, look, it's up to the Iranian people to make a decision. We are not meddling...

ROBERT GIBBS, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: There are people in Iran who would love not to make it about one side in Iran versus another, but to make this about Iran versus the West, Iran versus the United States of America. It worked great for years. The president is not going to do that..."

Here is a list of some of the experts and commentators from the left to the right who basically agree with how Obama is handling the Iran crisis:

1) Joe Klein of Time Magazine:

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0906/19/sitroom.03.html

THE SITUATION ROOM

Obama Health Care Reform in Critical Condition?; Iran's Supreme Leader Speaks Out

Aired June 19, 2009 - 18:00 ET

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: "John McCain would really like the president of the United States to be more vocal and assertive and express his support for the opposition, the dissidents.

Is McCain right?

JOE KLEIN, TIME MAGAZINE: McCain is dead wrong, I'm sorry to say. I think the president has been absolutely right.

You know, I interviewed a lot of the leading reformers in Iran about the chances of U.S./Iranian negotiations. And they are very aggrieved. They don't like us very much, even the reformers. They talk about -- they talk about our support for the Shah. They talk about our support for Saddam Hussein during the Iran-Iraq War. They talk about axis of evil.

They -- the idea that we're always meddling in their society is very, very central, even to the reform movement.

So it's right for the president not to meddle now. And, also, if he did, if he did start spouting off the way McCain did, it would give the mullahs an excuse to put the tanks in the streets, kill a lot of people and say we're doing this because the Americans are meddling -- the Americans have aroused the -- the population. We have to get things under control..."

2) Nicholas Burns, the former undersecretary of State under George W. Bush:

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0906/19/sitroom.02.html

THE SITUATION ROOM

"You Will Be Held Accountable"; "My Faith is with Those Women"; U.S. Strike Killed Civilians; "A Very Dangerous Moment"; Iran's Nightmare on the Net

Aired June 19, 2009 - 17:00 ET

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: "Joining us now, the former undersecretary of State, Nicholas Burns.

He was the Bush administration's top Iran negotiator...

Take us behind the scenes.

What's going on right now, because we know there's been a very cautious statement coming from the president?

NICHOLAS BURNS, FORMER UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE: You know, I think President Obama has been right to be balanced in his statements this past week. We had to, given the poisonous relationship between the U.S. and Iran over the last 30 years.

I think if he had done otherwise -- if he had come out with a loud and aggressive statement, it would have given Ahmadinejad the club to beat the demonstrators with and to say you are tied to the United States' government. I think Obama prevented that.

But clearly, now that the supreme leader has given his speech, it's time for the international community to warn Iran about the consequences of a Tiananmen-like crackdown of people who have been demonstrating piece peacefully in the streets and who, obviously, Wolf, represent a very broad-based movement in Iranian society.

BLITZER: Because it seems like the public statements coming from the leaders of France, let's say, or of Britain, are much more robust than the statements coming from President Obama.

BURNS: Again, I -- I would defend President Obama. I think he's done the right thing here. But the international community -- that means countries all around the world -- need to warn the Iranians -- the Iranian government -- that a severe crackdown is going to reduce their credibility even further than it's been reduced -- and that's quite a bit -- this week...

BLITZER: Here's another, Alireza in Tehran says this: "My hand was hanging out of the taxi window with a little green ribbon, the color of the reformists, tied around my finger. One of the militiamen told me to throw that ribbon away. When I refused, 15 people attacked me inside the car. They beat me with their batons and tried to pull me out."

You hear stories like that and you're a high-ranking United States government official, what do you do?

BURNS: Well, I think what you've got to do is you've got to say what you think, in terms of the importance of maintaining human rights. And I think you -- you have heard that from the Obama administration this week. They've talked about the denial of rights. They've talked about police brutality. We need to hear more of that not just from the United States, but from countries all around the world..."

I was surprised to hear Nicholas Burns say this because I have heard him carry Bush's water on cable news shows like this in the past but I was really glad that he did say it and also with his saying that "We need to hear more of that not just from the United States, but from countries all around the world."

3) Reza Azlan and David Gergen on CNN (Gergen also made this same point about "a consensus of nations" along with describing the very fine line that Obama has to draw when dealing with this situation):

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0906/15/acd.01.html

ANDERSON COOPER 360 DEGREES

America's High: The Case For and Against Pot; President Obama Speaks Out on Iranian Presidential Election

Aired June 15, 2009 - 22:00 ET

REZA ASLAN, AUTHOR, "HOW TO WIN A COSMIC WAR: GOD, GLOBALIZATION, AND THE END OF THE WAR ON TERROR": "He (Obama) couldn't talk about sort of the "national security, America is coming to get us," you know, campaign that has basically been so much a part of his platform for the last four years.

And I think Obama wants to make sure that he sort of steps back, that he doesn't give the state in Iran or the Ahmadinejad supporters an opportunity to point at the United States and say, this is America meddling once again.

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: David, what about that?

DAVID GERGEN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Yes, but -- well, I -- I -- I think that is right, up to a point. He does not want to inflame tensions.

But, as world leader, I think it is not just what he says; it's now what he does. And it is very important, if he really wants to turn the page, for him now to reach out to other leaders in other nations and -- and to form a consensus. No, it is not just America telling Iran, but it's -- rather, it's a consensus of nations that he leads.

And that is where he will get his strength and power and the respect that he needs, because he does -- he has many interests here. This is a very delicate moment for him. He can't be too weak, but he can't interfere too much. And that requires a lot of balancing and a lot of finesse.

COOPER: We -- we have got to leave it there, unfortunately..."

4) Henry Kissinger:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/20/world/middleeast/20policy.html?em

Obama Resists Calls for a Tougher Stance on Iran

By MARK LANDLER
Published: June 19, 2009

"The Obama administration has resisted such language, worrying that full-throated American backing for the protesters would harm their cause by making them more susceptible to being labeled by Iranian officials as tools of Washington. Administration officials note that their muted response has not prevented the turnout at protests from growing by the day.

Mr. Obama has won support from across party lines. Henry A. Kissinger, the former secretary of state, said on Fox News: “I think the president has handled this well. Anything that the United States says that puts us totally behind one of the contenders, behind Moussavi, would be a handicap for that person,” he said..."

5) Robin Wright:

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0906/19/lkl.01.html

CNN LARRY KING LIVE

Obama: Commander of Comedy?; Pivotal Day in Iranian Contested Election

Aired June 19, 2009 - 21:00 ET

WOLF BLITZER, HOST: "This is a potentially very significant moment in the history of Iran right now. Let's get the latest on what's going on, because it's a very fluid and dramatic situation. Joining us here in Washington is the journalist, Robin Wright. She's traveled to Iran nearly every year since 1979, has interviewed Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Her latest book is called "Dreams and Shadows, The Future of the Middle East."...

BLITZER: Robin Wright, you have been in these situations. You covered it for many years. Next few hours, am I exaggerating, could be critical?

ROBIN WRIGHT, INTERVIEWED AHMADINEJAD, KHAMENEI: The escalation today really is remarkable. He's taken this to a whole new level. He has given notice to the opposition that he will broken no demonstrations and he's prepared to use the instruments of the state in order to make sure that doesn't happen.

This division is now no longer about just who is the next president of Iran? It's very much pitting the supreme leader, the symbol of the revolution, against those who are arguing for a different vision of the Islamic republic. And the stakes, now, are much greater...

BLITZER: Let me ask Robin, you think he's (Obama) got to be tougher? Or is he just right?

WRIGHT: No, I think he's actually being very wise in holding back. The real danger for the United States is that it becomes the issue in this confrontation, rather than allowing it to play out domestically at home among the different factions..."

6) Arianna Huffington (she agrees with Obama on North Korea and Iran but not on Afghanistan) and Bay Buchanan (she is Pat Buchanan's sister and is very conservative):

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0906/17/lkl.01.html

CNN LARRY KING LIVE

Day 5: Protests in Iran

Aired June 17, 2009 - 21:00 ET

WOLF BLITZER, GUEST HOST: "Let me ask Arianna. A preemptive strike by the United States to try to destroy North Korea's long-range and short-range missiles and its nuclear capability. A good idea?

ARIANNA HUFFINGTON, CO-FOUNDER, HUFFINGTONPOST.COM: Actually, you know what, Wolf, I think that when it comes to North Korea, and when it comes to Iran, this president has it absolutely right. What concerns me is what he's doing in Afghanistan, where every day, we see more evidence that we are making ourselves even more enemies that we need there without necessarily protecting our best national interests.

Because al Qaeda, that the president claims we are after in Afghanistan, is actually solidly ensconcing Pakistan. So I thinks that the Achilles' heel of his foreign policy...

BLITZER: Bay Buchanan, the former presidential candidate, John McCain, he wants the president of the United States to be tough tougher with the Iranian regime, given the election -- the disputed election results.

BAY BUCHANAN, PRESIDENT, THE AMERICAN CAUSE: But, you know, I think the president, and, James, you'll be happy to hear this. I think the President Obama has done brilliantly when it comes to Iran. He -- really he went over there, he tried to make it clear. He wants to work with them. They have a right to nuclear power if they're going to use it responsibly..."

7) Fareed Zakaria:

http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/meast/06/19/zakaria.iran.elections/index.html

Zakaria: 'Fatal wound' inflicted on Iranian regime's ideology

updated 8:35 p.m. EDT, Fri June 19, 2009

CNN: "What should the United States do?

Fareed Zakaria: I would say continue what we have been doing. By reaching out to Iran, publicly and repeatedly, President Obama has made it extremely difficult for the Iranian regime to claim that they are battling an aggressive America bent on attacking Iran. In his inaugural address, his New Year greetings, and his Cairo speech, there is a consistent effort to convey respect and friendship for Iranians. That is why Khamenei reacted so angrily to the New Year greeting. It undermined the image of the Great Satan that he routinely paints in his sermons. In his Friday sermon, Khamenei said that the United States, Israel, and especially the United Kingdom were behind the street protests, an accusation that will surely sound ridiculous to most Iranians. The fact that Obama has been cautious in his reaction makes it all the harder for Khamenei and Ahmadinejad to wrap themselves in a nationalist flag.

CNN: But shouldn't the U.S. be more vocal in support for the Iranian protesters?

Zakaria: I think a good historic analogy is President George H.W. Bush's cautious response to the cracks in the Soviet empire in 1989. Then, many neo-conservatives were livid with Bush for not loudly supporting those trying to topple the communist regimes in Eastern Europe. But Bush's concern was that the situation was fragile. Those regimes could easily crack down on the protestors and the Soviet Union could send in tanks. Handing the communists reasons to react forcefully would help no one, least of all the protesters. Bush's basic approach was correct and has been vindicated by history..."

As I said in the first paragraph of this post, it is mainly Neocon politicians and commentators who are complaining about how Obama is handling Iran right now:

1) Sen. John McCain (R-AZ):

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/06/17/mccain-rips-obama-cautious-response-protests-irans-election/

McCain Faults Obama for Cautious Response to Disputed Outcome of Iran's Election

John McCain says he's disappointed in President for Obama for asserting that it was "not productive, given the history of U.S.-Iranian relations, to be seen as meddling."

FOXNews.com
Wednesday, June 17, 2009

"John McCain told FOX News that he didn't think President Obama was doing enough to show his support for fair elections in Iran and civil rights for Iranians after a presidential election there that "everybody knows" was corrupt.

Sen. McCain, Obama's Republican challenger in the 2008 election, suggested Wednesday in an interview with FOX News that Obama wasn't standing up for American principles.

"I'm disappointed, it is an American principle ever since our founding that we are dedicated to the principle that all are created equal and the fact is they have the right to free elections and to select their leadership," McCain said..."

2) Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN):

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/06/14/pence-obama-should-speak-out-in-favor-of-iranian-reformers/

June 14, 2009

Pence: Obama should speak out in favor of Iranian reformers

Posted: 06:20 PM ET

From CNN Associate Producer Martina Stewart

WASHINGTON (CNN) – "On the same day that Vice President Biden said he had doubts about the validity of the Iranian election results, Indianan Republican Rep. Mike Pence urged President Obama to speak out in favor of the forces of reform in the Middle Eastern country.

“First and foremost, we need to take a half step back from this administration’s olive branch-and-apology approach to enemies and countries that have been hostile to the United States of America and our allies,” Pence said Sunday on CNN’s State of the Union.

“I’m hoping, before the end of the day today, the President of the United States will speak a word of support for Mr. Moussavi and for the dissidents and the reformers within Iran,” said Pence, referring to the defeated challenger to incumbent Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad..."

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0906/19/ec.01.html

CAMPBELL BROWN

More Bloodshed Ahead in Iran?; Obama Speaks at Radio and Television Correspondents Association Dinner

Aired June 19, 2009 - 20:00 ET

CAMPBELL BROWN, CNN ANCHOR: "Now President Obama under increasing pressure tonight to turn up the volume on Iran, Republicans urging him to denounce the ayatollah, the election, and the efforts to squash dissent.

Leading the charge, Congressman Mike Pence of Indiana, and he made the rounds today. He was very much on message.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. MIKE PENCE (R), INDIANA: When Ronald Reagan went before the Brandenburg Gate, he didn't say, "Mr. Gorbachev, that wall is none of our business."

But just like Ronald Reagan did when he stood in front of the Brandenburg Gate, Chris, he didn't say, "Mr. Gorbachev, that wall is none of our business."

Ronald Reagan, you know, stood before the Brandenburg Gate. He didn't say, "Mr. Gorbachev, this wall is none of our business."

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Got you.

PENCE: He said, "Tear down that wall."

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: We got it, Congressman..."

For those who may not be aware of his background, Mike Pence was an extreme right wing talk radio show host (basically a lesser known version of Rush Limbaugh) right before he was elected to Congress:

http://www.whorunsgov.com/Profiles/Mike_Pence

Mike Pence (R-Ind.)
Current Position: U.S. Representative (since January 2001)

"He was the president of the Indiana Policy Review Foundation, a conservative think tank, and the radio host of “The Mike Pence Show, a right-leaning talk program that was syndicated across the state from 1994 to 2000..."

3) The Weekly Standard (a hard core Neocon magazine):

http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/016/652qvgrz.asp

Resolutely Irresolute
Obama dithers while Tehran burns.
by Stephen F. Hayes & William Kristol
06/29/2009, Volume 014, Issue 39

http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/016/651kqpio.asp

There's No False Choice on Iran
The consequence of a weak president.
by Fred Barnes
06/29/2009, Volume 014, Issue 39

4) Hugh Hewitt of Townhall.com (a hard core Neocon website):

http://hughhewitt.townhall.com/blog/g/29310427-43c2-4b27-84cc-061b45c71798

Saturday, June 20, 2009

"Why Is Obama AWOL On Iran?"

Posted by: Hugh Hewitt at 8:58 AM

Powerline's John Hinderaker reviews the possible explanations and posts a poll.

http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2009/06/023849.php

5) Paul Wolfowitz (Deputy Secretary of Defense under Donald Rumsfeld):

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/18/AR2009061803496.html

'No Comment' Is Not an Option

By Paul Wolfowitz
Friday, June 19, 2009

"President Obama's first response to the protests in Iran was silence, followed by a cautious, almost neutral stance designed to avoid "meddling" in Iranian affairs..."

As I also said in the first paragraph, what these Neocons are saying about Obama's handling of Iran does not surprise me at all.

I think that James Carville got it exactly right about what the Neocons think of Obama's foreign policy on CNN (the context of what Carville is referring to below is Obama's Cairo speech but the exact same anti-Neocon foreign policy principles about how Obama is handling Iran still applies in my opinion):

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0906/04/sitroom.01.html

THE SITUATION ROOM

Making Muslim Outreach Personal; President Obama Never Says 'Terrorists'; 30 Rounds of Applause for Obama

Aired June 4, 2009 - 15:59 ET

JAMES CARVILLE, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: "And I think that, look -- I think, if I'm -- if I'm going a cowboy diplomat, if I like the Bush foreign policy, the go-it-alone stuff, this was not a good day. This was a -- this was a very -- this is a very significant day in the history of American foreign policy.

Look, the people who liked the Bush foreign policy are not going to like today. This is engagement. This is going -- but the fact that it even happened is breathtakingly historical. That a United States president was there in Cairo at the university giving this speech was -- was -- was enormous.

And I think the -- this president, unlike the last president, is making this -- to try to get some resolution to this conflict a priority. And I think he's trying to push forward here...

CARVILLE: I understand that people who like the foreign policy of the previous administration are not going to like this speech. And I think this is a very legitimate discussion to have is, is, which policy makes us safer, a policy of leadership and engagement, which we -- which we saw today, where -- where we actually had an American president at Cairo University, which could have never -- we couldn't imagine this happening two years ago? So, this is a -- a remarkable thing. And -- and -- and this debate will continue, but I think that this president's gotten us off to a really good start..."

What the White House said to George W. Bush is exactly what I would say these Neocons:

http://www.newsmax.com/insidecover/white_house_bush_response/2009/06/19/226994.html

White House Responds to G.W. Bush: We Won In November; Enough Said

Friday, June 19, 2009 8:38 AM

By: Christina Bellantoni, The Washington Times

"President Obama's White House swatted back at former President George W. Bush's critique of the administration's economic and national security policies with a reminder that Mr. Obama won the election and had to take over a fiscal mess...

We've had a debate about individual policies ... we had that debate in particular [on Guantanamo]. We kept score last November," he (Robert Gibbs) said, adding Mr. Obama won..."

I think that "we won and you lost" is the right response to the Neocons who are complaining about Obama's foreign policy right now. Many Neocons in my opinion are acting as though they did not lose an election and as though they have not gotten used to being out of power yet!

Neocon Republicans in my opinion have to realize that this is a case where Obama gets his way with foreign policy because he won the 2008 election while they and their ideas lost badly. Bush and Cheney shoved extreme Neocon foreign policy ideology down our throats while they were in power for 8 years so the Neocons are just getting a taste of their own bitter medicine right now after they lost an election!

The evidence in this post also suggests to me that it is the Neocons who are out of touch with most of the country and it is they who are in the minority when it comes how to handle foreign policy issues!

Mitch Dworkin

http://mitchdworkin.com/
Check out my new website!

http://www.securingamerica.com/

http://securingamerica.com/ccn/node/16039
RESOURCES: Speeches, Articles, and Career Highlights to help define Gen. Clark!
Submitted by Mitch Dworkin on July 7, 2008 - 2:51pm.

http://www.securingamerica.com/ccn/node/7191
Listen to Gen. Wes Clark fight for Dems on Sean Hannity's radio program: An excellent example for all of us to follow and what we all need to be doing to help fight back against extreme right wing Neocon smear propaganda!