In the wake of the peaceful Iranian protests in response to what most certainly was a fraudulent election, President Obama has been near pitch perfect in his response while the GOP has once again fumbled the ball. They are actually stupid enough to want President Obama to insert himself directly into Iranian politics!! (Do these dip shits really refuse to open a book once in a while and learn a little Iranian history??) As brain dead a talking point as it is, the GOP's message on Iran has been permeating the media conversation, and it's about time to see someone of considerable standing pulverize their grade school logic. John Kerry, Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, was the Democrat to do it, and do it well he did. From an appropriately titled op-ed in the NYT (With Iran, Think Before You Speak) to appearances on cable yesterday, it's nice to see a compelling defense of the President.
Kerry's op-ed takes direct aim, at the GOP's spokesman for Bomb, Bomb Iran diplomacy:
No less a figure than Senator John McCain, the Republican presidential nominee in 2008, has denounced President Obama’s response as "tepid." He has also claimed that "if we are steadfast eventually the Iranian people will prevail."
Mr. McCain’s rhetoric, of course, would be cathartic for any American policy maker weary of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s hostile message of division. We are all inspired by Iran’s peaceful demonstrations, the likes of which have not been seen there in three decades. Our sympathies are with those Iranians who seek a more respectful, cooperative relationship with the world. Watching heartbreaking video images of Basij paramilitaries terrorizing protesters, we feel the temptation to respond emotionally.
There’s just one problem. If we actually want to empower the Iranian people, we have to understand how our words can be manipulated and used against us to strengthen the clerical establishment, distract Iranians from a failing economy and rally a fiercely independent populace against outside interference. Iran’s hard-liners are already working hard to pin the election dispute, and the protests, as the result of American meddling. On Wednesday, the Iranian Foreign Ministry chastised American officials for "interventionist" statements. Government complaints of slanted coverage by the foreign press are rising in pitch.
We can’t escape the reality that for reformers in Tehran to have any hope for success, Iran’s election must be about Iran — not America. And if the street protests of the last days have taught us anything, it is that this is an Iranian moment, not an American one.
Thank God the grown ups are now in charge of our government!! No less than Great Britain's Foreign Minister, David Miliband,concurs wholeheartedly:
People ask whether or not we are doing enough to back Mousavi supporters. Fair question - Senator John Kerry also addressed this issue in a typically eloquent piece today. The fact is that those on the streets have not asked for us to be their spokesmen. We need to stand for our deeply held commitment that it is for the Iranian people to decide on their government, and we will continue to call for peaceful respect for media and protestors. The fact is that many Iranians have severe doubts about the outcome announced on Friday. They deserve to have their doubts addressed.
These are fine lines but we know the cost of crossing them. The memory of foreign intervention throughout their history is deep within all Iranians. A proud people wants to decide its own future. We should defend that.
As for the GOP, with the exception of ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Senator Dick Lugar, who, you know, actually is a foreign policy expert, they have shown themselves to be as irresponsible here as on any of the economic issues this country has faced in these past months. Daniel Larison sighs:
One reason why Cantor and Pence have been demanding that the President take a stronger public line in support of the protesters in Iran is that supporting Mousavi’s voters openly is the emotionally satisfying, easy, almost mindless thing to do, so it is very appealing for opposition figures who have no ideas. But there is more to it than that. All of this comes back to the problem of Republican denial about why they lost power. They are supremely confident about their views on national security and foreign policy, and they cannot conceive that a majority of the country would reject them because of the policies they advocated and enacted. Worse still, they remain wedded to the hectoring, moralistic and aggressive approach of the last administration, in which sanctions and condemnation are the only "soft" tools they understand. They are so wedded to this approach that that they think this is not only the best kind of foreign policy, but that anything other than this is fecklessness and surrender. To a disturbingly great extent, replacing the current leadership may not have much of an effect on shoddy foreign policy thinking on the right, because the rot is so deep and widespread, but it is particularly important that Republicans in positions of responsibility at least attempt to play the role of credible, informed opposition, which may sometimes mean acknowledging that the President has handled an issue correctly.
(h/t Andrew Sullivan for Miliband and Larison quotes)
I will leave the last word to this Hardball segment to illustrate the difference between someone who knows what he is talking about (John Kerry), and a rather hilarious response from Senator Saxby Chambliss (who remarkably starts out discussing Obama's "mutation" -- new birther talking point, Senator?), who clearly doesn't:
Link to Hardball segment
A job well done, Senator Kerry!