Patterico's Pontifications

6/21/2009

The Capricia Marshall Story

Filed under: Obama,Politics — DRJ @ 8:18 pm



[Guest post by DRJ]

Why Obama appointees with tax problems like Capricia Marshall illustrate “the narrative of the Obama Administration’s ardor to raise taxes on everyone else when they themselves disdain their obligations, and only pay their taxes/file their returns when outed in the nomination process.”

With bonus quotes from Caddyshack.

— DRJ

Happy Father’s Day

Filed under: General — Patterico @ 2:30 pm



Hope all the fathers have a happy day. I’m working all day in the hopes that I get enough done to take time off to go out to dinner tonight. I think it’s gonna work out.

Enjoy.

Accepted Wisdom™ on Obama’s Response to the Iran Crisis

Filed under: General — Patterico @ 2:12 pm



(Accepted Wisdom™ is an occasional feature of this site, highlighting contradictory viewpoints held by the elite.)

It is Accepted Wisdom™ that:

It would have been counterproductive for Obama to unequivocally condemn the Iranian regime’s violence as soon as it happened. This would have played into the hands of the regime. The world is watching every move Obama makes. He is a symbol of America. Everything he does is closely monitored and is seen as representative of the United States.

And at the same time:

Republicans are cynically exploiting Obama’s ice cream jaunt during the most critical day of the Iranian uprising. Republicans are stupid to argue that the world is watching every move Obama makes. Republicans are playing politics when they argue that Obama is a symbol of America, and that everything he does is closely monitored and is seen as representative of the United States. What a stupid argument that is. Obama is just a dad taking his kids out for ice cream.

And at the same time:

Remember when Bush said “Now watch this drive” after making a statement about terrorists? What a doofus.

Riddle Me This

Filed under: International,Obama — DRJ @ 12:29 pm



[Guest post by DRJ]

The debate continues regarding whether Barack Obama should maintain a neutral position on the Iranian election and protests. Many liberals, including most liberal commenters here, support his neutral stance as nuanced leadership that will avoid injecting the U.S. into Iranian politics and inflaming Iranian opinion. Several Republicans agree, including Peggy Noonan, George Will, Henry Kissinger, Fred Thompson’s spokesperson Karen Hanretty, and others.

There are no easy answers in foreign policy but if U.S. neutrality was so important in the days following the election, why has Obama abandoned neutrality now that the turmoil in Iran has escalated?

— DRJ

Iranian Turmoil Continues

Filed under: International — DRJ @ 11:29 am



[Guest post by DRJ]

The protests in Iran continue with reports of 10 more deaths, while the New-York based International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran claims injured protesters have been arrested at hospitals after seeking medical treatment. According to the Campaign, the government has ordered doctors to report protest-related injuries.

The organization also reports prison communications have been cut off:

“In another development, the Campaign has learned that communications out of Tehran’s Evin prison have been cut off. Evin prison is where many of Iran’s long-term political prisoners and a number of intellectuals, opposition politicians, human rights activists and journalists detained over the past several days are incarcerated.

“Blocking contact with friends and family means that all in Evin are in a virtual state of incommunicado detention, a state that puts them at an intensified risk of torture,” Ghaemi said.”

In addition, the eldest daughter of former President Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani has been arrested. Bloomberg News describes Rafsanjani as a “behind-the-scenes supporter of opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi.” The AP describes this as evidence of a rift among the Iranian clerics:

“State-run Press TV reported that Rafsanjani’s eldest daughter, Faezeh Hashemi, and four other unidentified family members were arrested late Saturday. On Sunday evening, it said the four others had been released but that Hashemi remained in detention.
***
Rafsanjani, 75, heads two powerful institutions. One of them, the cleric-run Assembly of Experts, has the power to monitor and remove the supreme leader, the country’s most powerful figure. The second is the Expediency Council, a body that arbitrates disputes between parliament and the unelected Guardian Council, which can block legislation.

The assembly has never publicly reprimanded the unelected Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei since he succeeded Islamic Revolution founder Aytollah Ruhollah Khomeini in 1989. But the current crisis has rattled the once-untouchable stature of the supreme leader with protesters openly defying his orders to leave the streets.”

The article describes Rafsanjani as “deeply critical of Ahmadinejad during the presidential campaign” and a leader who “has the potential to lead an internal challenge to Khamenei.”

— DRJ

Video: Today in Iran

Filed under: General — Patterico @ 12:51 am



An awesome video comparing the momentous and tragic events in Iran with the feckless ice cream eating of the American president who is not equal to the moment. Set to “Land of Confusion” by Genesis. Well worth your time.


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