While Obama’s domestic agenda was being roundly snubbed by voters in New Jersey and Virginia, his foreign-policy approach was getting a thumbs-down from the Supreme Leader. This report tells us:

Iran’s supreme leader, spurning what he described as several personal overtures from President Obama, warned Tuesday that negotiating with the United States would be “naive and perverted” and that Iranian politicians should not be “deceived” into starting such talks. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, 70, said Obama has approached him several times through oral and written messages. It was the second time that Khamenei, who wields ultimate political and religious authority in Iran, has referred to the president’s outreach.

It was indeed the “harshest” response — mocking and brimming with contempt for the obsessive entreaties of the president. It seems that our quietude over the June 12 elections and the ensuing crackdown, our willingness to look the other way on the Qom facility, and our fervent efforts at engagement have not gotten us much. Only the ridicule of the Iranian regime, which is now emboldened and unafraid of any consequences that might flow from telling the president to take a flying leap.

But Hillary was so sincere, so heartfelt in her plea for the Iranians to accept the enrichment deal. Well yes, which likely convinced the mullahs, if they needed any more convincing, that the Obami are desperate to stay engaged. Funny: the more cowering and cringing we appear, the more bellicose becomes the Iranian regime. Almost like the entire gambit of apology, remorse, willful blindness, and engagement was counterproductive, right?

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This entry was posted on Wednesday, November 4th, 2009 at 9:39 AM and is filed under Contentions. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.