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Chuck Todd, NBC Political Director

Mark Murray, NBC Deputy Political Director

Domenico Montanaro, NBC News Political Reporter



Obama and Iran

Posted: Wednesday, June 24, 2009 9:22 AM by Mark Murray
Filed Under: , ,

The New York Times: “In his strongest comments since the crisis erupted 10 days ago, Mr. Obama used unambiguous language to assail the Iranian government during a news conference at the White House, calling himself ‘appalled and outraged by the threats, beatings and imprisonments of the past few days.’” 

AP's Burns writes, "President Barack Obama described himself on Tuesday as being 'entirely consistent' in his expressions of concern about the disputed Iranian election and the government crackdown that followed street protests. But his language clearly has gotten tougher since his first statement that the suppression of dissent was 'of concern to me.'"

Video: During President Obama’s afternoon press conference Tuesday, he refuted suggestions that he is only now getting tough on Iran. Is his measured approach still the right one? Rachel Maddow is joined by former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright.

Certainly, the president's rhetoric has gotten progressively tougher. But the White House would argue -- as the president did yesterday -- that his language has tracked with the situation. When Republicans first expressed outrage about what John McCain called a "fraud" election, Obama tempered his words. After all, the U.S. and the international community had no independent election monitors at polling stations in Iran. And as Obama said, he didn't want to inflame the situation and make the U.S. a "foil" or an excuse for the Iranian government to use violence against protestors. When the Iranian government threatened violence, Obama spoke out more strongly. And now that the government has acted, he has taken his toughest tone. That, the White House would argue, is consistent.

The New York Daily News' cover has a photo of an aggrieved Obama from yesterday's press conference with the headline: "Death that broke his heart." Subheadline: "Obama grieves for Iranian martyr Neda."

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I think the media's obsession with the "strength" of President Obama's language in relationship to Iran is yet another in a long line of "nontroversies".

And America yawns.
Certainly, the president's rhetoric has gotten progressively tougher. But the White House would argue -- as the president did yesterday -- that his language has tracked with the situation. When Republicans first expressed outrage about what John McCain called a "fraud" election, Obama tempered his words.
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FR: Rachel maddow disagrees with those parsed words
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26315908/#31514869
Interestingly, on Rachael Maddow last night, she showed clips that proved that he has been saying the same thing since the Monday after the elections, using almost the exact same words.  Unlike our previous President, President Obama knows that, a) you do not decide what you are going to do until you know what is actually going on, b) you do not forcast any actions you may be contemplating by telling the press and c) you do not tell the press everything you may already be doing, especially if that may hurt your allies.  Sorry, Chuck Todd, you blew it on that one.
"Obama grieves for Iranian martyr Neda."

Very sad.

At least our government isn't misrepresenting the protests right now in Iran. Iran state television is showing very different coverage: http://www.governmentalityblog.com/my_weblog/2009/06/detainees-aired-on-iran-state-tv.html
mcdunce is really become an angry old man.  How in the hell does anyone outside of Iran know for a fact the election was a fraud?  Without outside monitoring we can only speculate.  As for what the President has done so far, I would have to agree.  We can not be the basis for arguement that the election was influenced by us.  We must be careful in choosing what to say as not to give ammunition for the current leaders to squash the uprising.  They will claim so but the rest of the world will know by our actions that not to be true.  We can not kill the momentum the people of Iran have started.  The current leaders will try and the rest of the world to include the US will speak out with words and actions.  We must be careful in how we move in this or the momentum will die.  Sometimes you need patience to achieve greater goals!
"When Republicans first expressed outrage about what John McCain called a "fraud" election, Obama tempered his words."
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Tempering his words...

That is a skill that Senator "Bomb-Bomb" has not shown to possess.  Ever.  Does Senator McCain realize that his jokes about bombing Iranians cannot be explained away with his ridiculous "I never said that!" nonsense?  
President Obama has been playing the Iran situation perfectly and it's time for the whiners like McNasty to shut up and watch a real president handle a crisis.  McNasty had better remember that he lost last November and it's Obama's time to rule our country and dictate our response to the Iran election snafu.  We've had enough cowboy diplomacy that has ruined our reputation around the world.

We have to let the Iranians settle their own internal political problems, we've done enough meddling in their country over the past 60 years thanks to Idiot Ike and Crooked Nixon and let's not forget Ronny Raygunz's despicable deal (Iran-Contra) that kept our hostages in Iran longer because he wanted to be the one to get the credit for their release.

Thank the majority of Americans that we don't have Bomb Bomb McNasty and the Wasilla Hillbilly running off their mouths on foreign policy.

In Obama We Trust!
In Bomb Bomb McNasty We Bust!
As Rachael Maddox pointed out last night on her show the President has been saying practically the same thing since first after the elections in Iran.  This last time he said it in a different tone.  We all, (in our right maind)  know why he is right in his tone and words about the subject.  So it angered me to hear Congressman Dan Rohrabacher, R-CA say on the "Ed Show" that if the president had spoken out sooner less people would have died in Iran!  These Republicans are despicable and I have never seen a group of people so disrespectful to a president whether they agree with him or not.  If I were Obama, I simply ignore them.  They in most part are old white southerners who will never change, and lets face it they cannot stand to see a black man in power!
Y'all sound like the same Democrat cheerleaders who said the same thing about Jimmy Carter's handling of the hstage crisis in Iran.  what else can he do? He's doing all he can!  We're powerless to get our people back-the Swiss are helping all they can!

When that rocket lands in Hawaii or Alaska we'll hear the same thing about North Korea.
Remember the "OMG! Fraud in Iran" graph that circulated? Well it was propaganda, as the same trend can be found within real time US Election data.

http://voteforamerica.net/editorials/Comments.aspx?ArticleId=272&ArticleName=Realtime+Results+From+Iran+and+USA
The president must be careful with what he says and how he says it. We don't want to appear to be meddling in their affairs yet we also want them and the world to know that we don't approve of what is happening there. It is a fine line, a tight rope, that he must walk. So far he has done a good job. I just wonder if old bomb, bomb, bomb MCCain would have been as diplomatic or if we would have seen more Old West cowboy diplomacy. Thank God we'll never know.
The republicans, as usual, are being ridiculous in their accusations. After eight years of being responsible for more hate, distruct and anger towards our country, they are now experts??
Chuck, was very disappointed with your appearance on the news conference. You were demanding, obnoxious, disrespectful with a question that had been asked and answered. You appear to have a real chip on your shoulder when it comes to our president. You have changed, Chuck and not for the better.
Iran will never be the same no matter what the US does or doesn't do.  

The clerics that have controlled Iran are not gods and have no right to take the lives of people that simply want reasonable explainations for the actions of their government.  
What I find disgusting is that Congressman Dana
Rohrabacher R-CA said on the "Ed Show" yesterday that if the President had spoken up sooner less people would have been killed in Iran.  Ed tried to take him back to the statement but the Congressman danced around it.  I have never seen a group of people (The Republicans) show such disrespect for a president.  I am quite sure if the President was not Black they would not be so out spoken.  I feel they do not like a black man over them.  I emailed this statement earler and it has not been printed, I am trying again.  This country has to face some hard facts abut that.  No matter what Obama does they will find fault with it and exploit it.  And Rachel was right.  Obama said practically the same thing since afer the so called election in Iran.  This time he simply used a different tone.  We all know that anyone who is sane would know he is doing the right thing about Iran.  Guess that says the Repugs are either insane or know that their rhetoric will find "listening" ears.  One must wonder why.


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