Quote of the day

Joe Klein raises some questions about Barack Obama, the neoconservative establishment and Iran.

Published May 16, 2008 4:38PM (EDT)

Why is it that the neocons always assume that when Barack Obama says he wants to talk to the leadership in Iran, he's talking about the clown Ahmedinejad, who has no power over foreign policy or the nuclear program?

Isn't it possible that Obama is talking about meeting with Iran's actual leader--indeed, it's there in his title: Supreme Leader--Ali Khamenei?

Could it be that the neocons want to associate Obama with the relatively powerless, Israel-hating Ahmadinejad for other reasons? ...

[W]hom do we think Hamas and Hezbollah and Ahmadinejad are really supporting in the 2008 election -- the candidate who increases their street cred by demonizing them, or the candidate who increases our street cred by proposing talks?

Finally, are talks capitulation? Didn't Churchill say something about preferring jaw-jaw to war-war? And did Obama say anything to indicate he wouldn't use force where necessary--as in Afghanistan? Didn't McCain criticize Obama for proposing that we go after the Al Qaeda infrastructure in "our ally" Pakistan?

That's from a post Joe Klein wrote Friday at Time Magazine's Swampland blog.


By Alex Koppelman

Alex Koppelman is a staff writer for Salon.

MORE FROM Alex Koppelman


Related Topics ------------------------------------------

2008 Elections Barack Obama George W. Bush Iran Middle East War Room