President Obama tried to water down congressional sanctions last year and then declined to implement them last week, part of a long-term policy that leaves pressuring Iran to “leaders in Congress and Europe.” And because the administration has a political interest in convincing voters that it’s taking a hardline stance on Iran, it has a rhetorical and argumentative interest in silencing the critics who (a) point out how the opposite is true and (b) urge the president to do more.
Because intimidation comes naturally to this White House – witness last week’s demagoguery of the Koch Brothers and on birth control – their pushbacks have been marked by vague warnings delivered in tones of great significance. In his AIPAC speech this morning, Obama literally blamed high gas prices on Iran critics. Because why not?
I would ask that we all remember the weightiness of these issues, the stakes involved for Israel, for America, and for the world. Already, there is too much loose talk of war. Over the last few weeks, such talk has only benefited the Iranian government, by driving up the price of oil, which they depend on to fund their nuclear program. For the sake of Israel’s security, America’s security and the peace and security of the world, now is not the time for bluster.
Lest you think this warning was anything but a calculated brushback, here’s Anthony Blinken, National Security Advisor to Vice President Biden and Deputy Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs, telling pro-Israel advocates last week that the Israelis may want to consider that Obama’s going to be reelected… if they know what’s good for them:
And he was unusually blunt about the partisan political attacks on the president’s Middle East record: he said what could really harm U.S.-Israeli relations and Israel’s national security is “subjecting either to the vagaries of partisan politics or election year talking points….” He also noted, without explicitly directing his comments at anyone in particular, that “there is a decent chance that the Obama-Biden administration will be around next November, so folks who are looking how to address these issues should probably factor that in as a reasonable possibility.”
Nice country you’ve got there. It’d be a shame if anything happened to it. How thoroughly charming.
part of a long-term policy that leaves pressuring Iran to “leaders in Congress and Europe.” n nStill trying to do his job from the grandstands. It's hard to appreciate the reality that Obama could win re-election given the pattern of ineffectual bluster in place of real leadership in both domestic and foreign affairs.
That's the O team strategy–standing up to foes by resolutely doing nothing and threatening its allies. n nWinning!
And there's a good chance Iran will have its nukes by Inauguration Day so there's a nice symmetry to reasonable possibilities all around. Hopefully, the Iranian efforts as proclaimed from Tehran have their own healthy component of hooey, because as of yet there are still no reports that Israel actually has a workable military plan of preemption in hand and America is led, as ever, by a petulant SCOAMF whose measure has accurately been taken by the mullahs, currently putting "diplomacy" to use arming Alawite execution squads.
…In his AIPAC speech this morning, Obama literally blamed high gas prices on Iran critics… n nGood eye. I missed that nuance. n
It is certainly sad how the mighty have fallen. Back in the 60s and 70s Commentary Magazine stood above the rest with literate articles. This article, full of distortions, strange inferences and downright lies says much about how low the neocons have gone. For example, Blinken never said what this hack says he did. Notice that there are no quotes. It is simply made up. And it is not Obama's demagoguery but the Republican midgets who have chosen to play the W role. You know what that is – posing as cowboys who are all hat and no cattle. If neocon means new con artists then I get the point. Sad. Vey sad, indeed.