Cantor faces off with White House over Iran

[babylonsister]

Another rethug braintrust, making lots of noise, signifying nothing of importance. He has the balls to talk about 'moral responsibility'? He needs to take a good hard look in the mirror.

Cantor faces off with White House over Iran
By Bridget Johnson
Posted: 06/15/09 04:40 PM


The White House maintained its cautious tone on the disputed election and subsequent upheaval in Iran on Monday, while a GOP leader lashed out at "the administration's silence."

Meeting with the press before President Obama's speech to the American Medical Association in Chicago, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said, "I think there are a number of factors that give us some concern about what we've seen."

"Obviously we continue to have concern about what we've seen. Obviously the Iranians are looking into this, as well," Gibbs told reporters. "We continue to be heartened by the enthusiasm of young people in Iran."

The State Department said they "have doubts" about the election, but spokesman Ian Kelly said they weren't prepared to assess the election results beyond that.

House Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.) lambasted the White House in a statement Monday afternoon, as reports came out of Iran of at least one protester killed in the tumult after President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad claimed a landslide victory over challenger Mir-Hossein Mousavi on Friday.

"The Administration’s silence in the face of Iran’s brutal suppression of democratic rights represents a step backwards for homegrown democracy in the Middle East," Cantor said. "President Obama must take a strong public position in the face of violence and human rights abuses. We have a moral responsibility to lead the world in opposition to Iran’s extreme response to peaceful protests.

more...

http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/cantor-faces-off-with-white-house-over-iran-2009-06-15.html

[AndyA]

1. Someone get Cantor an enema before he explodes!

Seriously, anyone this full of shit needs an enema, pronto!

Nurse Jackie? Are you available?

[malaise]

2. Did Cantor have anything to say about the treatment of

Amy Goodman et al at the Rushican Convention last year?

[atreides1]

3. F***k Cantor

One person reported killed does not equal "brutal suppression", if it did then what was Kent State?

Cantor is a dick in every sense of the word, and has all the credibility of jack and shit, in my opinion.

To talk about moral responsibility, when I've never heard him say one word against the torture of detainees.

We have no moral responsibility to lead the world anywhere, this is not an empire and Cantor isn't Hadrian. We are one sovereign nation among 197 others, let some of them try leading the way for a change.

[liberalmuse]

4. I...don't think so.

I think the White House is well above and beyond facing off with someone of Cantor's ilk. Good publicity ploy on his part, though. Didn't work.

[shadowknows69]

5. I'm not wasting my time on the whole story but could someone summarize

What this bonehead suggests we do exactly?

[babylonsister]

8. He wants the US to get involved in internal Iranian politics under the

guise of diplomacy.

[shadowknows69]

10. Because that's worked out so well in the past.

[Prometheus Bound]

14. Summary

Cantor: Obama must get angry, blah blah, speak out, blah blah, our moral responsibility, blah blah, Obama must do everything within his power to stop Iran from getting nukes. (never mind that Mousavi is just as keen on continuing Iran's peaceful nuclear power program as Ahmadinejad.)

Lieberman: U.S. needed to be supporting the Iranian people demonstrating for democratic freedoms -- increase funding for Radio Farda, which broadcasts to Iranians in the same way that Radio Free Europe targeted residents behind the Iron Curtain.

[shadowknows69]

17. Lieberman actually has a sound idea there, but not real original.

Keeping the flow of information going is essential. Do whatever you can to help people gain their own freedom without messing in the politics of it or resorting to force, obviously (although probably not to Liberman). Eww, I just complmented Joe Lie-berman. I have to go bathe now.

[WeDidIt]

6. Eric Eric Eric

Didn't you learn ANYTHING from the elections, you idiotic douche whistle?

you can't goad Obama into doing something STUPID.

Look at what happened when those who are more politically astute than you tried!

[Prometheus Bound]

7. Cantor and Lieberman full of bluster. Democrats with a measured, wait-and-see attitude.

Who sounds more mature?

[BR_Parkway]

9. What a stupid headline - like Cantor has any power to "face off" anyone

[FrenchieCat]

11. Sounds like McCain on Georgia.

Some meddling MOFOs.....in where the meddling does not good but make things worse.

[Selatius]

12. What the fuck does Cantor want us to do? It's not like we have any fucking moral leadership.

After Bush's gulags and multiple condemnations by groups such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, I doubt the US is in a fucking position to lead on any morals.

[MiniMe]

13. Toles toon

And it doesn't apply to just climate change

[alsame]

15. The President is way too smart to take this bait. nt

[JDPriestly]

16. We don't have the facts about the election yet. It looks a bit suspicious,

but it is difficult to change results from a loss to well over 60% win. Once the evidence becomes available, statisticians have reviewed the numbers and everything gets a little quieter, we will be able to assess the situation rationally. Why do the Republicans always react with their emotions before they know the facts? Nothing wrong with reacting emotionally if you are reacting based on facts. But we are here, and Iran is there, and all we know is what we hear from the statements of interested parties. I'm sure the State Department is watching this carefully and will analyze the numbers and the facts and make a statement.

[EFerrari]

18. A lot of them are at it. And they're wrong as usual.

Thank God we have a sane adult in the White House and not these idiots.

[gratuitous]

19. Oh yeah, let's all listen to this lilliputian pipsqueak

Thanks for the input, minority party back-bencher. Here in Grown-Up Land, we kind of like to have facts before issuing all sorts of bellicose proclamations. See Mr. Cantor, it's your brand of knee-jerk reactionary saber-rattling that cost us so much money, lives, and standing in the world community. We don't really have the capital to live up to any of our moral responsibilities. War crimes and crimes against humanity will do that to a nation's prestige.

But let me just say, "Thank you for your concern, Mr. Cantor."

[Old and In the Way]

20. Shorter Eric Cantor: "Bomb 'em!" nt

[rucky]

21. Let's send Cantor to Iran to address the protestors. n/t

[Arkana]

22. Fuck you, Cantor.

You want to go over and stump for Moussavi? Be our guest--but you won't speak for the United States government.

[Rex]

23. Repukes fix the 2000 elections, drag us through hell and we are still

there - yet bitch about others unfair elections like they didn't do it first. That is a Repuke for you, if he can't say hypocrite then it ain't been done before.