You know, it's about time someone raised this question:

Would we be seeing this reaction from the Iranians if it weren't for what the Iranians are seeing in their transformed neighbor, Iraq?

Falze - Exactly.

As I have said many times before, history will be kind to George W. Bush.

At least there are a few members of Congress who have stones!

Tens of millions were illegally donated to Obama's campaign by middle eastern thugs, moguls and Kings. Anyone think the bow to the Saudi King was an accident? Obama is following the instructions of his big money Islamic supporters. You can bet the last thing these dictators want is another democracy in the middle east.

I guess those purple fingers were more than symbolic.

Ali Khamenei speaking to the guardian counsel: "What would Saddam do?"

The seeds have been planted thanks to our Military and the former President. Lets see if the current President can remember to water the garden.. So far its been a drought.

Michael -

I think history is going to be kinder to Warren G. Harding than it will be to Obama.

Michelle Obama is proud of America for the first time in her life.

I am ASHAMED of America for the first time in mine. Ashamed that America foisted this man on the world...and he turned his back on the Iranian people.

It is not in Obamalala to do the "right" thing or to stand for those that desire liberty. He believes America has been wrong and doing wrong for so long he will not stand up. In a way we are fortunate he has shown his true core beliefs this early in his presidency. Let's hope the American people will see through the smoke n' mirrors and cool, smooth, exterior in 2012.

I'm wondering when Obama and Clinton send Jimmah Carter on over to help the mullahs get this thing under control.

Worked 30 years ago....

I agree with Gayle. Nice to see Pence and Berman stepping up. Also think MPR makes a good point.

Side note:
In the first collage, if you were to replace the picture of the former President with one of the current President, you'd be declared as racist by the Left.

The Left wears rose..err.. racist colored glasses.

I was thinking that too Mike. Would be fun to see how they line up.

They illustrate, beyond question, that the people of Iran do not want war, do not want bombs and missiles, and do not wish to become a regional hegemonic power through conquest and intimidation.

We in the West should be very, very careful about the protests in Iran. This isn't a "we want freedom and democracy" play in the Tianamen Sq. or Berlin Wall sense. Make NO mistake, religious hegemony would still be the order du jour even if it was miraculously discovered that Moussavi won the election. Moussavi is a nationalist who is no friend to the West; let's not forget he was the Ayatollah Khomeni's PM from '81 to '89. Thousands of political dissidents were executed under his reign.

I've said this before: He's not Mikael Gorbachev or even Vaclav Havel--not by a long shot.

I agree with Max Boot on this one: putting a different "moderate" face in front of the Khamenei-led regime likely will not change Iran's hardline support for Hezbollah nor deter their nuclear ambitions. It could in fact buy them time to move forward with their quest for nukes.

No doubt we should cheer on the Iranian people, but we must be vigilant and extremely cautious in our optimisim.

We need to watch and learn from the Iranians. Now that the Justice Dept allows jack-booted thugs to "guard" the polling places, we may have to copy their demostration technique after the 2012 election.

Quote of the Day!

"To insist the American president, in the first days of the rebellion, insert the American government into the drama was shortsighted and mischievous. The ayatollahs were only too eager to demonize the demonstrators as mindless lackeys of the Great Satan Cowboy Uncle Sam, or whatever they call us this week. John McCain and others went quite crazy insisting President Obama declare whose side America was on, as if the world doesn't know whose side America is on."
~Peggy Noonan

In the last few days I've heard many supporting Obama's decision to remain quiet on the Iranian situation saying if Obama comes out offering his verbal support of the Iranian people, the mullahs will use it as an excuse for anything they might do claiming US interference. Each time I caught myself yelling at the TV or radio (yeah, I do that), "You think they're not going to claim US interference anyway?"

It's what they do. And yep - it's what they did.

And to think, Obama could have been on the right side of history by making a simple generic statement of support for anyone seeking liberty anywhere in the world. He didn't have to promise anything, nor did he have to urge them to do anything.

Meh.

Adrian Browne, the House of Representatives just declared whose side we're on.

and no, that is NOT the "quote of the day". She is the pet "Conservative" that the Left loves to trot out to justify, in this case, the willful abandonment of teh Iranian people.

Obama, Noonan and you feel it is just fine to rush past that person getting mugged...it's just none of OUR business!

The House has overwhelmingly approved Pence's resolution: 405-1...Paul, of course, was the dissenting vote. Apparently because he's against "government meddling"...nevermind that foreign affairs is one thing that the federal government is explicitly supposed to do.

Here's the most hilarious part of this AP piece:

Democrats, who are quick to voice their support for Israel anytime the Jewish state is seen as under siege, easily agreed to push through the mildly worded resolution.

Yeah, when they're not busily telling Israel to stop acting like Nazis the Democrats are all about supporting Israel.

Best quote from Pence:

"When Ronald Reagan went before the Brandenburg Gate, he did not say Mr. (Mikhail) Gorbachev, that wall is none of our business."

Obama, the community organizer is in the middle of something important. The socialization of America. He cannot be bother with the plight of the Iranian people who seek freedom from what Obama would like to impose. The difference between Iran today and America in 2012 is those millions in the streets will all be carrying guns.

On another blog, a commenter, on a post about "Freedom in Iran", observed...

I have to say right now that we should be very cautious about depicting the Iranians as liberal-thinking Westerners who want total freedom. This is a mistake that we make all the time.

Perhaps, but...

How many times have we partnered with, or dealt "pragmatically" with, some oppressive regime, using the justification that their people weren't "READY" for freedom (as if they were sub-human or something). I really think this is an EXCUSE for preserving status quo.

Can it be possible, just possible, that after recent events, there could be some Iranians wondering, "If the Iraqis and Afghans can pull off genuine elections, WHY THE HELL CAN'T WE?!!!"

(Just saw, over at Gateway Pundit, an Iranian protester holding a sign that translated into, "DON'T FORGET WHAT HAPPENED TO SADDAM!!!.)
-

A/P decided it was time carry some water for their boss (Mr. O):
Obama holds to measured course on unrest in Iran

"Measured course"??? Measured by a total lack of ANY course??

Pathetic!

Actually picture #6 looks more like Letterman.

How many times have we partnered with, or dealt "pragmatically" with, some oppressive regime, using the justification that their people weren't "READY" for freedom (as if they were sub-human or something).

The 1st clause is certainly true, but I question the second clause.

Can it be possible, just possible, that after recent events, there could be some Iranians wondering, "If the Iraqis and Afghans can pull off genuine elections, WHY THE HELL CAN'T WE?!!!"

Entirely! And IF that is the case, then the liberation of Iraq and the planting of (at least some form of) democracy in Iraq, smack int the heart of the M.E., is indeed beginning to take root and spread. This is not good for the BDS addled among us. ;-)

Then again the mullahs and the IRG could bloodily crush the entire movement over the weekend....

At least there are a few members of Congress who have stones!

Yeah, in their sweaty hands...

> They illustrate, beyond question, that the people of Iran do not want war, do not want bombs ...

How so? They're demonstrating because they feel their election has been stolen. From everything I've heard before the election, the Iranian nuke program has been popular with the Iranian public.

I'm so tired of the bush/chimp collage, when will we start seeing obama/chimp collages? It's gotta be more current than old bush stuff.

MichaelR -

We won't see that - it'd be racist. Un-PC, don't ya know...

We must be exquisitely sensitive to such things now. Why, look at how hyperventilatingly upset Lee got over on the Blue over a supposedly racist comment about Michelle Obama.

You can't use the M-word, the C-word, the G-word, probably should stay away from the S-word, B-word and L-word, and the A-word is right out when it comes to referring to our Commander in Chief and his family.

So - you ain't gonna see any of it.