TOUGH TALK FROM HILLARY - AT 10:16 A.M. ET:  Secretary of State Clinton, having apparently read the latest public opinion polling on President Obama, talks much tougher on the Iranian nuclear program than she was talking earlier in the week.  Is she staking out her own turf:

WASHINGTON, July 26 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Sunday that Iran would not be allowed to have a nuclear weapon and major powers were united to prevent that from happening.

"Your (Iran's) pursuit is futile," she told NBC's "Meet the Press" program, adding that Iran did not have the right to develop a nuclear weapon.

COMMENT:  I wonder if she's told Obama about this new, rigid "not allow" stand.  A note would do.  Maybe an e-mail.  She should tell Biden, or tell someone to tell Biden.  Or put a "Dear Joe" message in the personals.

The question, of course, is how she's going to enforce her words.  The president barely made it to a microphone to denounce the violence against freedom demonstrators in Tehran.  Will he develop some spine?  The secretary speaks of major powers being "united" in preventing an Iranian nuke.  Really?  Russia, too?  Will Germany surrender its lucrative trade with Iran to stand with us?

We have a critical five months coming up.  Obama has given Iran until the end of the year to show progress in curtailing its nuclear program.  What happens then?

July 26, 2009