On Wed, 28 Jan 2009 10:55:17 -0500, BAR wrote:

jps wrote:
On Wed, 28 Jan 2009 08:55:44 -0500, BAR wrote:

...and Iran kicked it open.

http://www.reuters.com/article/topNe...Name=topNew s

If you've been tracking info on Iran, you know the president is more
figurehead than executive and has a weak hand in dictating politics.
If the clerics who run the country thinks it's in their best interest
to engage, they will.

He does what the clerics tell him to do, he isn't a lose cannon, he is
on a short leash.

This is bluster and what was expected from Ahmadinigad, his rhetoric
is very predictable and a show for the region. Has little to do with
what will happen through diplomacy.

His rhetoric is calculated and controlled.

Did you expect them to bow down as say "Yes, sahib, whatever you
say!"?

No. And, I don't expect us to role over and expose our belly to every
petty dictator, the head cleric in Iran, in the region.

I love how you use Obama's offer of diplomacy to belittle him. You'd
obviously prefer Bush's "dead or alive" approach.

Yes I prefer Bush's approach to Obama's approach of throw away the stick
and then sit down and talk.

He is anything but controlled. A large percentage of his countrymen
think he's a lunatic.

GW spouted the same kind of crap in their direction. Do you expect
them to now trust us with open arms?

Stupid is as stupid does.

Obama is a lot smarter than Bush and will engage them in order to
affect the situtation. We can't starve them out, they have the oil
and will likely have more influence over Iraq once we leave.