Ziro Desilijic Tiure? If so, was Barney Frank with him?
Posted on 06/19/2009 10:24:56 AM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach
WASHINGTON (AP) - In the strongest message yet from the U.S. government, the House voted 405-1 Friday to condemn Tehran's crackdown on demonstrators and the government's interference with Internet and cell phone communications.
The resolution was initiated by Republicans as a veiled criticism of President Barack Obama, who has been reluctant to criticize Tehran's handling of disputed elections that left hard-liner President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in power.
Rep. Mike Pence, who co-sponsored the resolution, said he disagrees with the administration that it must not meddle in Iran's affairs.
"When Ronald Reagan went before the Brandenburg Gate, he did not say Mr. (Mikhail) Gorbachev, that wall is none of our business," said Pence, R-Ind., of President Reagan's famous exhortation to the Soviet leader to "tear down that wall."
Democrats, who are quick to voice their support for Israel anytime the Jewish state is seen as under siege, easily agreed to push through the mildly worded resolution.
Rep. Howard Berman, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and co-sponsor of the resolution, said "it is not for us to decide who should run Iran, much less determine the real winner of the June 12 election.
"But we must reaffirm our strong belief that the Iranian people have a fundamental right to express their views about the future of their country freely and without intimidation," added Berman, D-Calif.
Sens. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Joseph Lieberman, I-Conn., have proposed a similar measure in the Senate, although a vote was not certain.
The policy statement expresses support for "all Iranian citizens who embrace the values of freedom, human rights, civil liberties and rule of law" and affirms "the importance of democratic and fair elections."
(Excerpt) Read more at breitbart.com ...
Ron Paul's vote on this is pathetic.
“Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.), one of two Muslim members of Congress. He said Congress should “not allow ourselves to be used” against the people it is trying to protect.”
WTF are you talking about, al-Keith? You’re FOR the resolution or what? Make some sense, boy!
Nothing from his lips - just a message from the White Hut.
Paul is an idiot.
No he sticks it up his @$$ to make sure he is still full of $#i+.
L.Ron is such a strutting self-righteous hypocrite.
Ziro Desilijic Tiure? If so, was Barney Frank with him?
Too bad all the Paulistas have yet to figure that one out.
For just a minute there, I thought I was on DU.
Ron Paul brings out the worst in everyone.
>> Ron Paul doesn’t like the US meddling in foreign political affairs, so this seems like a consistent vote for him. <<
I may not agree with his vote but at least Ron Paul is consistent in his beliefs and his political ideology which makes him one of the few honest members of government.
R(ue)n Paul is a certified nut job.
Unfortunately, I understand completely. ;-)
I never did want him for president, but I’m glad he’s in the Congress. I do not agree with him on this, but he’s consistent and many times right.
We call that an external locus of control.
Ron is the latter day Barbara Lee opr sumthin’, the only House member to vote No to taking action in Iraq way back when.
No doubt, after news of this resolution, the Iranian rulers will be fleeing the country.
“Gotta wonder how the St. Pauli Girls are gonna defend this one.”
Here is what Ron Paul had to say about it, in his own words:
“I rise in reluctant opposition to H Res 560, which condemns the Iranian government for its recent actions during the unrest in that country. While I never condone violence, much less the violence that governments are only too willing to mete out to their own citizens, I am always very cautious about “condemning” the actions of governments overseas. As an elected member of the United States House of Representatives, I have always questioned our constitutional authority to sit in judgment of the actions of foreign governments of which we are not representatives. I have always hesitated when my colleagues rush to pronounce final judgment on events thousands of miles away about which we know very little. And we know very little beyond limited press reports about what is happening in Iran.
Of course I do not support attempts by foreign governments to suppress the democratic aspirations of their people, but when is the last time we condemned Saudi Arabia or Egypt or the many other countries where unlike in Iran there is no opportunity to exercise any substantial vote on political leadership? It seems our criticism is selective and applied when there are political points to be made. I have admired President Obama’s cautious approach to the situation in Iran and I would have preferred that we in the House had acted similarly.
I adhere to the foreign policy of our Founders, who advised that we not interfere in the internal affairs of countries overseas. I believe that is the best policy for the United States, for our national security and for our prosperity. I urge my colleagues to reject this and all similar meddling resolutions.”
Seems reasonable to me.
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