The American Spectator : The Spectacle Blog : White House Throws Iranian People Under The Bus

Text Size

The Spectacle Blog

White House Throws Iranian People Under The Bus

By Philip Klein on 8.4.09 @ 4:42PM

In a slap in the face to Iranian people who have been jailed, beaten, and killed for protesting results of the Islamic regime's June election, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs declared today that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is the "elected leader" of Iran, thus legitimizing the results. President Obama dragged his feet in responding to the events in Iran as they unfolded because he claimed he didn't want to "meddle," but now his administration is weighing in on the side of a brutal regime. Truly sickening.

View all comments (10) | Leave a comment

Bob| 8.4.09 @ 5:00PM

These are indeed dark days for America. The once bright city on a hill now side with Thugs and dictators as a matter of official policy.

How proud must our forefathers be, to see their sacrifice so honored?

Whether it is cold political calculation or cowardice or a combination of both this administration spits daily on the principles on which we were founded.

Philip| 8.4.09 @ 5:36PM

Yes, in the face to Iranian people and dark days for this country as Bob said.

What's the matter America ? Don't like "Change" ? You voted for this Fraud, don't you remember ?

Gene| 8.4.09 @ 6:03PM

you got what you voted for , right on Phillip

Heather| 8.4.09 @ 6:47PM

Obama thinks the Iranian dissidents have been acting stupidly.

Liberal REader| 8.4.09 @ 8:58PM

Mr Klein --

Usually you employ more responsible rhetoric than this.

Surely you know that the President of the United States does not select the leaders of Iran.

Although the election was corrupt, many reports suggest that the tampering was done to secure a huge landslide win for Ahmadinejad, not to give him enough votes to skate by.

As incredible as it sounds, Ahmadinejad is still very popular in Iran. There is a great deal of opposition to his rule (much of now beginning to be directed at the conservative clerics), but Iran is a very populous nation. It's entirely possible that he received more votes.

Be that as it may, the president would do terrible damage to the cause of reform in Iran were he not to acknowledge the election's official results.

THE largest cause of resentment in Iran for the United State -- the undisputed winner -- has nothing to do with Palestinians or Iraq or anything else.

Rather, it is the U.S. back coup in the early 50s that Iranians believe ousted a democratically elected government and installed the Shaw, a man universally reviled in that country.

Obama would have been gravely mistaken not to hold the line. No doubt there are, as there have been, clandestine activities in Iran.

But the great victory of the protestors was that they maintained in front of the whole world an opposition that originated, developed, and asserted itself IN IRAN. It was of, by, and for the people of Iran.

So knock this locker room shit out.

You people complained ceaselessly for 8 years about any criticism of President Bush when it came to foreign policy. Myself, I believe sometimes you had a point, and Democrats went too far.

Now it's time to show some manly conviction and live by the rules you claimed to be so important during a Republican administration.

Bailey| 8.4.09 @ 10:34PM

LibReader/Jeremiah, you're just defending Ahmadinejad's fraudulent election because that's how your boss got into office. I'm sure our ACORN has been taking notes.

Liberal Reader| 8.5.09 @ 8:46AM

Bailey --

Don't be foolish.

People in Iran undertook great risk for the right to vote; some sacrificed their lives, some were beaten or imprisoned.

We, on the other hand, had the opportunity to vote without fear. Our votes were counted. Although there are irregularities and probably fraudulent votes in every election, our elections have enormous integrity. It is base, childish, and ungrateful to compare our system to Iran's.

Now, if you knew how to read properly, you'd know I was NOT defending the Iranian election of Ahmadinejad.

I was talking about a foreign policy position that the president is taking -- that ANY president would take.

Oh, and Bailey? Grow the fuck up.

You lost an election. It's not a big deal.

It's not Nazism, or statism, or totalitarianism.

It's just loss. That's what happens in this country. We have elections. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. Believe me I know: losing can hurt; it can be depressing. But there'll be other elections, and if you guys can prevail upon yourselves to simmer down and offer some sober, temperate, adult solutions to the problems facing the country, maybe you'll win.

Crusader| 8.5.09 @ 9:20AM

IN a related story, Iranian President Mau-Mau Ackmydinnersbad dismissed the election of Senator Al Franken as a fraud upon the American people. Said Ackmydinnersbad, "They just kept counting the votes until this kooky freak was declared the 'winner,' and yet they dare to question my country's election? Bah!"

All Bush's Fault| 8.5.09 @ 10:37AM

Somehow Katie, Brian and Charlie will blame this on Bush. And, guess what? They're right; The middle east has had it with crazy dictators; who took out Saddam? Was it France? I don't think so.