PrintApril 27, 2009
Dems getting nervous about Iran
David Cloud of Politico reports that some Democrats are joining Republicans in calling for tough sanctions against Iran and are telling the president that his strategy of engaging the mullahs in Tehran should have limits:
Democrats in Congress are joining Republicans in calling for tough new sanctions on Iran and warning the Obama administration that its policy of engagement shouldn't last too long before turning to harsher steps aimed at halting Tehran's nuclear program.
This week, as many as 20 senators, including several senior Democrats in the House and Senate, are expected to join in introducing a bill that would authorize sanctions against companies involved in supplying gasoline and other refined petroleum products to Iran.
A similar bill is also in the works in the House. Last month, seven senior Democrats, including Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), warned President Barack Obama against "open-ended engagement with Iran."
The administration is so far moving on a slower timetable, refusing to commit itself to new sanctions until it sees whether its diplomatic outreach to Iran produces results.
What "results" have there been relating to the administration's softening of America's position on Iran?
Well, the Iranians convicted an American journalist of espionage after first charging her with trying to buy alcohol. I would say that signals something, wouldn't you?
And the Iranian President Ahmadinejad hasn't stopped leading chants of "Death to America" after Friday prayers. Nor has his anti-American rhetoric toned down any. Nor has his hatred of Israel cooled much.
In short, for all the unilateral concessions offfered by the naive fools who are running our foreign policy, Iran has done nothing, nada, zipadeedooda nothing to reciprocate.
Maybe the president should listen to his more realistic, experienced colleagues in the Democratic party and start getting a little tougher with the gang in Tehran who are busy building the ultimate defense against insults to Islam.
