IRANIAN POLITICAL BLESSING - AT 7:13 A.M. ET:  Big week for Iranian politics, with the Ahmadinejad scheduled to take the presidential oath on Wednesday:

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) -- Iran's supreme leader formally endorsed Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for a second term as president Monday in a ceremony that sought to portray unity among the country's leadership but was snubbed by prominent critics of the disputed election.

After Ayatollah Ali Khamenei gave his official seal of approval, he received an awkward kiss on the shoulder from Ahmadinejad. It cleared the way for Ahmadinejad to take the oath of office Wednesday in parliament, where many pro-reform lawmakers have echoed the claims of fraud in the June 12 election.

COMMENT:  Wouldn't you love to be at that inaugural ball Wednesday night - all guys, all kissing each other, then blowing each other up?  It'll be a blast.

But just remember - this dysfunctional family is within reach of nuclear weapons.

August 3, 2009