REVISED: House Resolution Tracks with Obama
Shame on me for overreacting (misreacting) earlier to the House vote based on one report.
Per Andrew Sullivan, the actual wording of the House measure seems to be about where it should be and is largely consistent with Obama’s stance earlier in the week:
Expressing support for all Iranian citizens who embrace the values of freedom, human rights, civil liberties, and rule of law, and for other purposes.
Resolved, That the House of Representatives —
(1) expresses its support for all Iranian citizens who embrace the values of freedom, human rights, civil liberties, and rule of law;
(2) condemns the ongoing violence against demonstrators by the Government of Iran and pro-government militias, as well as the ongoing government suppression of independent electronic communication through interference with the Internet and cellphones; and
(3) affirms the universality of individual rights and the importance of democratic and fair elections.
Ben Smith, in spotlighting Ron Paul’s loan dissension, apparently made the same original assumption I did, i.e., that the resolution surpassed rather than tracked with Obama. (For what it’s worth, the earlier drafts of the House measure were purportedly more confrontational in tone, prompting Obama’s team to intervene.)
And now even the President is upping the ante … slightly.
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10 Responses to “REVISED: House Resolution Tracks with Obama”
House goes Neocon, with a majority of Democrats you say? One group, either the house or the white house is standing on the wrong side of history. Which group could it be….
I would suggest that it is perhaps both inaccurate and unhelpful to use the slur word “neocon” to describe every single act of dissent on foreign policy. This is a growing habit in the leftist blogosphere, and it is annoying to those of us who would like a more substantial debate.
Unless resolutions can shield people from bullets, I don't see the point.
Gadfly — duly noted and revised.
This will be portrayed as US meddling, will be used as such by the government of Iran and will be hung around the necks of the protestors. “Condemns [the actions] by the government of Iran,” and assumes “ongoing violence” by Iran's government. This will not be received kindly in Tehran.
While I understand the sentiment, the House should have kept its powder dry on this one. The home grown political benefit of this kind of posturing is outweighed by the risks created to those in the streets and on the rooftops in Iran. Sometimes Congress just needs to shut up. Shame on every member of the House who voted for this and shame on Obama for going along.
This combination of condemnation and accusation is in your face to Iran's government. “When will they ever learn?”
Ben Smith, in spotlighting Ron Paul’s loan dissension
And when we're fighting so hard to restore the credit markets!
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“House goes Neocon, with a majority of Democrats you say?”
Well, both Dem and GOP members of Congress are playing NIMBY against Obama and trying and incarcerating Guantanamo prisoners here in US territory.
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Obama is smart not to risk making relations with Iran worse and making suppression of the protestors more harsh than it otherwise would be. It's likely the government there will prevail. There's no need to overreact to it here at home; it seems to me the best thing is just to observe and wait and see how it ends.
“Unless resolutions can shield people from bullets, I don't see the point.”
Symbolism over substance is like that, you realize already. And is this a non-binding resolution, a further favorite of Congress?