One of my Twitter friends was grousing about the President’s decision not to mention in his State of the Union address the “crisis” of Iran’s detention of ten American sailors who strayed into Iranian waters yesterday.
The detention barely had the chance to reach “crisis” level: those ten sailors were released in their two boats early this morning. Our sailors were released not because the President pounded on the podium and postured with public demands. Our sailors were released because the President followed his policy of engaging with Iran, opening channels of communication that allowed U.S. and Iranian officials to get on the horn right away, reach a common understanding of what was happening, and defuse the situation before it turned into a real crisis. No big drama, no sword-rattling, just diplomats talking about mechanical malfunctions.
Not that I want to get into apologizing to or for Iran, but if John Thune can write letters to the Iranian mullahs to undermine U.S. foreign policy, I think I’m allowed one small effort to walk in the Iranians’ shoes. Suppose the Coast Guard catches ten armed Iranian soldiers boating in U.S. waters off Florida. “Allah is great, but our engine is crap!” the Iranians shout. Do we throw our hapless Iranian friends a wrench and wish them well? No, we tow them to Naval Station Mayport, interrogate the invaders, and strip their boats while Fox News runs banners under its around-the-clock coverage reading, “DRY RUN FOR NUCLEAR ATTACK?” and Donald Trump proposes erecting a seawall that Bermuda will pay for.
That Iran released these ten U.S. sailors in under 24 hours shows that cooler heads on both sides prevailed. And cooler heads only prevail when people talk to each other, not at each other. If anything, by keeping the issue out of the State of the Union speech last night, President Obama was being prudent in not snarling the negotiations with some public comment and perhaps even humble amidst a whole lot of swagger in not bragging prematurely about the imminent success of the engagement policy that he adopted over heated Republican objection.
What are the chances that wingnuts paid Iran to seize hostages? It isn’t like they haven’t tried to make Obama’s job harder or cause him to fail. It isn’t like they haven’t undermined his foreign policy efforts before. It sure isn’t because they are red-blooded,gawd fearing,’murrican patriots,because they aren’t. They do have the koch bros best interests at heart,not America’s. Nice guys-not!
Mike, we’ll have subpoena Thune and Rounds’s last letter to the mullahs to find out. ;-)
On the otherhand red neck hawks like harney were rewarded for viciousness by creation of the department of harney city, ft., basin and county, OR 1858
Brilliant,Cory. Then we can redact parts of the letter and accuse them of leaking classified information,just like Trey Gowdy with HRC’s emails. No,wait. Thatwould probably be a crime ,wouldn’t it?
Check out Trump’s tweet about Obama sending Iran billions for the sailors re;ease.
Bravo President Obama!!! Great speech. He definitely has been a timely president and man for the hour. Can anyone imagine if we’d had a blustery Neo-con hawkish man as POTUS with military/industrial ties calling the shots? Far too many people think the way to prosperities of wealth and pride is thru war but hardly any of them ever had their life on the line for it, did they? Fear and hate =the trademarks of the Republican right.
And, it may be time to remember the contacts GOP operatives made with Iran to delay release of US hostages from the US embassy until minutes after Reagan was inaugurated. It was a factor in the defeat of President Carter. That was accompanied perhaps with arms deals (find Ollie North) , but right now I don’t remember those details.
To be politically incorrect in the style in which the Republicans like to put things, I think what irks the GOP the most is that the Obama administration handled this situation before they could even twist their panties in a knot.
President Obama had this figured out. The GOP criticized him for not mentioning it; the capture; in his State of the Union. It was taken care of.
I’m waiting for someone to claim it’s all a plot by Obama in collusion with the Iranians to make him look good.
It’s all a plot by Obama in collusion with the Iranians to make him look good, Nick. ;-)
Didn’t want you to lose a days work waiting, Nick.
Oh rush is all over it. Obama paid them billions. Equally he slams a reasonable republican female voice in nickie haley gov. S.C. Illutrates how Feminine Restraint Might Keep Us Out Of War And Other Republican Obstructionism. Ryan Is OneWho Will Be A Problem.
Iran Reagan And Hostages Were Indeed The Republican Letter To Iran Of Its Day To Beat Jimmy Carter. Its Time We Learned Those Lessons By Now Too About Republicans.
Thanks Les. I figured someone would make that accusation.
If Obama dumbass dubyaed the Iranians,they’d have nukular weapons by now and there would be clarion calls of impeachment for Obama,again. Ah,but……Obama outfoxed wingnuts by using diplomacy and our allies to keep nukes out of Iranian hands and left the right brokenhearted and cursing the black guy some more. Kumbaya.
Les-I must admit I am taken aback. I had no idea you possessed a funny bone. Good one. :) I learn new stuff everyday here.
http://www.rightwingwatch.org/content/louie-gohmert-wanted-start-bombing-iran-over-captured-sailors
Never hunt pheasants with Republicans. They can’t be trusted not to overreact and do something dangerous.
Meaning they will investigate obamas role in this incident timed to make him look good for SOTU but putting lives of navy/marines at risk. Use The young rep. Vet senator to do another trey gowdy Of Iran 47 letter Infamy. Btw repubs have just started up another congressional investigation of something dire.
Sorry nick missed your 13:22
Fwiw: ryan’s left ear is bigger than obama’s though the speaker is in the back of the bus, behind the prez.
!!
(Porter, I’ve been out to two hunts at the Nemec ranch with high-profile and well-armed Republicans. No buckshot in my backside!)
Yeah? I took a BB right above my heart while blocking at age 16. I’ve been mostly a road hunter, since. (Kansas birds were a bit sparse, this season).
Point being that Republicans tend to be overly hasty in decision making which has led USA to numerous poison situations that we liberals eventually have to clean up … over and over. e.g. George W. thought it would be a good thing to help low income people buy homes. A good idea but the lack of regulation on banking led to credit default swaps and Republican greed drove our economy into a deep ditch.
My favorite thing about President Obama is his measured approach to governance. Hardly any situation needs action before a couple weeks contemplation. If McCain and Graham were in power you could hardly count the wars we’d be involved in.
I shot my friend above the eye at 16 across a big duck pond out past the air base. BB must have skipped off the waves. Thank god it didn’t penetrate.
We Dems make mistakes too but Republicans make the them in the false causes of god, guns, money and patriotism laced with racism, lack of education or humility.
Good one, Leslie.
You really can’t blame the conservatives who think we should declare war on Iran and bomb them. They suffer from premature warjaculation.
I took a BB on the bridge of my nose from about 15 feet and it did penetrate. From a Daisy air rifle.
Cory-buck is for close up,frontal demolition. You’re more likely to get rock salt from the rear and 4,6 or even dove shot from pheasant hunters. On the other hand,pheasants will allow you to walk past them and flush behind you,so there is precedence for watching behind you.
Don’t hunt pheasants with Republicans. Don’t socialize at all with Republicans. Granted, it’s hard in SoDak which I maintain is why there are so many “Silent Democrats”. Everyone needs each other up there because of the weather and it’s foolish to isolate anyone. Dem’s tolerate the right but it doesn’t reciprocate.
Mike@”I took a BB on the bridge of my nose from about 15 feet and it did penetrate. From a Daisy air rifle.”” Aaah. Explains a bit, Mike.
Dems don’t tolerate Dems in SD. It appears they don’t tolerate anything of pubs at Free Press, Porter. Pick a lane.