Obama 'Kowtowing' to Iran: Kristol

More tripe from a sabre rattling neocon has been. Billy and his ilk need a bogey man to fight against, otherwise their war mongering, regime change language and fear tactics seem oddly out of place. Strangely, the Evin prison he refers to reminds me all too much of Guantanimo. President Obama's approach is a well balanced first foray into Iranian dilpomacy. It appears to be designed to use his positive image in the Middle East to isolate the Mullahs from the Iranian people. Given the angry reaction of the mullahs to his speech, it seems to be working. If and when the Iranians are ready for full western style democracy they will move towards it. They don't need some arrogant neocon talking head stuffing it down their throats. Until they do, the best way to keep nukes on the sidelines is to retain an open dialog, continue to build bridges with other countries that can influence Iran and keep the diplomatic pressure on. Reply

He gave they an invite-they didn't exactly refuse it-but they didn't accept the open-hand either-so the political talks etc will continue and we'll see where it goes-much of what was said to us might not have been direected at us but at our relationship with Isreal and what the Jewish State said after Obama said on TV. Reply

After our foreign relations arrogance has isolated us from so many nations around the globe the last eight years, a bit friendlier approach is a nice change and something many have been hoping for. Contrary to more narrow definitions, applying yourself to getting along with your neighbors isn't a sin. And after the way we've acted, it would be expected for others to wait and see if we back up habitually empty rhetoric with positive actions. Reply

This is the right wing mind set in matters diplomatic. It goes as far back as Nixon and his overtures to China. At that time, any democrat who proposed dialog with China was branded soft on communism and not to be trusted in the area of national defense, they were 'selling out.' But of course when Nixon established relarions, it was smart diplomacy. The same meme was repeated about any democrat who even suggested a thawing in relations with the soviets, 'democrats can't be trusted in matters of defense, they're appeasers.' Again though, raygun reaches detente, and he's a foreign policy genius, according to the right wing. And of course, bush in his final year in office, reaches out to Iran and pox news gushes about his moderation. This crap from kristol is just more cut and paste diatribe about 'appeasement' when it is initiated by democrats, but 'common-sense diplomacy' when accomplished by a republican. I used to think these people (the right wing 'pundits') were hypocrites, but I am beginning to realize that they are not. They have simply realized that their readership and listeners are bat sh!t crazy and/or stupid. Reply

Obama is right . We cannot ignore Iran. They are not going away. To establish a stable safer world , engaging in dialog with governments you don't particularity like is an option that should be explored. War is not always the answer. Diplomacy can go a long way. Give it a chance. Reply