Taylor Marsh – TaylorMarsh.com – News, Opinion and Weblog on Progressive Politics

Democrat Harry Reid Steps Out to Lead
(cross-posted on firedoglake)

Update: FDL reader smiley reminded me of an important post Kevin Drum did yesterday. Drum compiled multiple tracks and sources on the opportunities Bush had for diplomacy on Iran, none of which were taken. Read it.

WHERE ARE THE REST OF THE DEMOCRATS?

If you were wondering where the Democrats stand on Iran, Senator
Harry Reid just let it be known. The wing-nuts are beside themselves, or
at least Michelle Malkin is, talking about “silly,
silly Harry Reid.” He didn’t look so silly when he emasculated
the Republicans and shut down the Senate, now did he? Of course, the real issue
is that there’s an election coming up so the Republicans have to start
it up again, especially since they’re in such
deep trouble. You know what I’m talking about. The now legendary Bush
campaign of fear.

I’d suggest you take the time to send Ms.
Malkin a note on what you think about her post on Reid, but she doesn’t
allow comments. She’s just another GOP chick that with a click of her
keyboard makes a charge then runs to friendly territory on Fox to fulminate.

The Bush administration is relying too heavily on other countries in the international effort to stop Iran from developing nuclear weapons, according to Sen. Harry Reid. Reid, D-Nev., said the administration should be taking the lead, but instead is relying on Germany, France and Great Britain to convince Iran to end its uranium enrichment program. “It is hard to comprehend,” Reid said Tuesday in Reno. “We should be involved at trying to arrive at a diplomatic solution. … Not just these three countries.” Reid said the Middle East is a “powder keg” because of U.S. failures in Iraq, the rise of fundamentalism and the recent election of Hamas in Palestine. “Our not being involved diplomatically in trying to solve the situation in Iran shows the Bush failure in foreign policy there and elsewhere.” And he said the U.S. has no military option in Iran. “We don’t have the resources to do it” because of the ongoing war in Iraq,” he said. Reid Blasts Bush During Reno Visit

Yes, Michelle, isn’t it silly to come out and speak up on Iran,
emphasizing that there are no GOOD military options. Talk about how it’s
not only a bad idea to even consider surgical strikes, but that it could make
our situation in the region and the world worse. That terrorist attacks by Hezbollah
would ignite an already volatile world with more terrorism, which this time
could include inside the United States. Michelle also doesn’t like listening
to the experts,
which Senator Reid has undoubtedly consulted. But the one thing that really
makes her nuts is that Reid used the “d” word.

Diplomacy with Iran? Perish the thought. But when you’ve got Condi the
incompetent on the job, no wonder Malkin goes mental when thinking about talks.

However, when Malkin goes berserk over Reid leading Democrats on Iran, while
Republicans make frighteningly ignorant meandering statements about all “options”
being on the table, you’ve really got to wonder if Republicans can be
taken seriously anymore when it comes to the world stage. What exactly is Bush’s
foreign policy? What is the Republican policy for national security and moving
the world to where we can actually sustain life, talk about our differences
and try to find ways to bridge them short of bombing each other to oblivion?

Senator Harry Reid seems to suggest that the Untied States should be involved
in talks with Iran; diplomatically engaging with a country that sits next to
Iraq, which is in the midst of a civil war that George W. Bush and Donald Rumsfeld’s
incompetence created out of whole cloth through a war of choice. Yes, Democrats
want to broaden the choices to include a “diplomatic solution.” It’s
a sane approach to apply when only insanity seems to be ruling the day.

Memo to President Bush and the Republicans: regime change is not a viable foreign
policy strategy.