Iran violence continues…

As Victor Davis Hanson points out at The Corner,  the world yearned mightily for a post-Bush,  post-American world,  and it is indeed interesting to watch the reaction to having the wish granted.

Candidate Mousavi may be under only house arrest,  as he has appeared in public.    Philip Klein has some good links on the violence.   For some stunning  photographs,  go here.

This is a useful timeline of election events.    For a selection of US editorials on the Iranian election, go here .   Iran expert Michael Rubin has some  comments.   And you must read another post by Dr. Hanson with the engaging title “Thugophilia Isn’t Moral”.

Other musings on the Iran situation here here    can be found  here.

Obama has been silent on the protests,  the violence,  and the election results,  after having praised the “vigorous debate.”     I don’t know why, but if this report of Dennis Ross being retracted as special envoy to Iran is true,  it’s a bad sign for democracy.     The Wall Street Journal wants to know if His Oneness will stand with those clamoring for democracy.

Will he continue claiming theocracy and democracy are compatible?  If so,  expect much more from Christopher Hitchens and John Bolton.    I ‘m afraid I hold out little hope that Obama will speak in defense of the Iranian people,  and certainly haven’t seen any signs that he might do so.    All we’ve had is VP Joe Biden saying on a Sunday talk show that no one seems to actually know what happened, and the State Department expressing “concern.”     Color me supremely unimpressed.

UPDATE:    Now Obama is saying that he is “deeply troubled.”    Wow, what a bold statement after a weekend of silence,  during which the rest of the West sent blasts of criticism and disgust.  But despite Obama’s  “disgust”  with some of  Iran’s statements,   he is still going to deal with the leaders.   No,  he didn’t actually say that,  but it’s what he meant,  now that he’s decided it would be “wrong” of him to “remain silent.”    What a poll-watching pantywaist!

Another nominee withdraws…

No,  not the incoherent and illogical Judge Sotomayor,  but the pick to be the Army’s top lawyer .     It appears Donald Remy referred to Fannie Mae not by name,  but as a “major U.C. company”,  a red flag of major proportions even if you aren’t in the Senate.

And the White House has made a mistake in refusing a request from Sen.  Chuck Grassley for all the exemptions it’s granted to Pres. Obama’s  ethics policy.    Grassley is now on a mission to see which high-level appointees received the waivers and why.     The administration is trying to ignore it,  pointing to the 4 waivers it has released,  often months after the hire,  but it looks bad for Obama’s claims of openness and transparency.    The good senator is a tenacious man,  and I expect this issue will pop up every other week and get coverage.

Sotomayor and guns…

Sen.  Mark Udall is saying the nominee accepts Heller vs. DC as settled law,  affirming Americans’ right to own guns for self-defense.   Well,  that’s just dandy,  but it’s a straw man which doesn’t solve Sotomayor’s problem,  which is that she believes,  when it suits her,  that the Constitution doesn’t apply to States,  so States can have whatever gun laws they wish.

I know — the logic employed makes your teeth hurt,  but under that reasoning,  DC’s essential gun ban for ordinary citizens is just fine.