Naiveté on Stilts

Obama "excited" by Iran's robust election debate

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama said on Friday he was hopeful the robust debate taking place in Iran's presidential election would advance his administration's efforts to engage longtime U.S. rival Tehran in new ways.

"We are excited to see what appears to be a robust debate taking place in Iran," Obama told reporters when asked about the Iranian election during an event at the White House.

"Whoever ends up winning the election in Iran, the fact there has been a robust debate hopefully will advance our ability to engage them in new ways," he said.

I wonder, will his excitement continue as the opposition is rounded up and quietly "disappeared" during the coming weeks and months?

The United States has had no ties with Iran since shortly after the 1979 Islamic revolution, but Obama has expressed an interest in a dialogue if Tehran "unclenches its fist."

Obama said he had tried to send a clear message during a speech to the Islamic world last week in Cairo that his administration sees a possibility for a change in relations.

He said while "ultimately the election is for the Iranians to decide,"voters in the Middle East had shown they were looking at the possibility of a change.

Sorry, Mr. President, Ahmadinejad was reelected, the fist remains clenched and that "Hopey Changey" thing that worked so well on the American electorate doesn't work so well in Tehran.

How could anyone, even remotely familiar with Iran, think that the Iranians decided this election, or that they have any say in the "possibility of a change"?

Get a clue, Mr. President.