THE OBAMA FOREIGN POLICY RIPPED - AT 9:03 A.M. ET:  Bret Stephens, of The Wall Street Journal, has written one of the best, and one of the toughest, critiques of the crumbling Obama foreign policy.  Republican spokesmen, please note.  Stephens contrasts the treatment of the Israeli prime minister, an ally, with the treatment of the Iranian president, an enemy.

Question: Toward which of these two leaders does President Obama intend to play the heavy?

Not, apparently, with the Iranian. On Saturday, spokesman Robert Gibbs said the White House "was impressed by the vigorous debate and enthusiasm that this election generated, particularly among young Iranians." On Sunday, Joe Biden allowed that there "was some real doubt" about the election, but said the U.S. would continue its outreach to Iran anyway. It was only after 48 hours that the president finally echoed his spokesmen.

And...

Now a presidency that's supposed to be all about hope is suddenly in cynical realpolitik mode -- the only "hope" it means to keep alive being a "grand bargain" over Iran's nuclear program. This never had much chance of success, but at least until Friday's sham poll it wasn't flatly at odds with the interests of ordinary Iranians. Not anymore.

Here's a recent comment from one Iranian demonstrator posted on the Web site of the National Iranian American Council. "WE NEED HELP, WE NEED SUPPORT," this demonstrator wrote. "Time is not on our side. . . . The most essential need of young Iranians is to be recognized by US government. They need them not to accept the results and do not talk to government as an official, approved one."

Finally...

Rarely in U.S. history has a foreign policy course been as thoroughly repudiated by events as his (Obama's) approach to Iran in his first months in office. Even Jimmy Carter drew roughly appropriate conclusions about the Iranian regime after the hostages were taken in 1979.

Maybe this president will now draw roughly appropriate conclusions, too. Or maybe he'll just turn his gaze from his nonstarting overture to Tehran to the Holy Land, whose pastures look ever-so slightly greener thanks to Mr. Netanyahu's attempt at reasonableness and conciliation. Israelis shouldn't count on Mr. Obama responding in kind.

COMMENT:  But when will the in-the-tank Obama press finally realize what is happening?  There are some encouraging signs in some news organizations, like AP, but there are too few.  Too many journalists have their careers invested in Bush-hatred and Obama-love.  It's hard to leave the chosen one.

June 16, 2009