WHY ARE WE NOT SURPRISED? – AT 8:55 A.M. ET:  The Russians, who should know, are now actually warning of a nuclear Iran:

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said Monday that Iran was approaching the point at which it would be able to make nuclear weapons, Reuters reported.

During a meeting of international ambassadors in Moscow, Medvedev said "Iran is moving closer to possessing the potential which in principle could be used for the creation of nuclear weapons."

Russia, helpful as always, is building a reactor for Iran.  It must know a great deal about the Iranian nuclear program. 

The statement was a rare public admission by the Kremlin that Iran may have the intention of building a nuclear weapon. Reuters said the statement came after an argument with Iran over Russia's support of sanctions against Iran.

COMMENT:  Welcome to 2011, President Obama.

I don't think I recall a president heading for more trouble than this one:  an economy still in the tank, an Iranian nuclear bomb, illegal immigration out of control, and probable major losses in November.  Add to that the possibility of setbacks in Afghanistan, and you've truly got "times that try men's souls." 

Nothing Mr. Obama has done has dented Iran.  There are some reports that the newest sanctions are hurting the country, but even CIA Director Leon Panetta says that it's highly unlikely that they will stop the nuclear program.  Still, the prevailing mentality of the Obama White House is to make sure that Israel doesn't launch a preemptive strike on Iran to take out the nuclear facilities, rather than taking action that will prevent the weapons from existing in the first place.

This is starting to have the feel of the 1930s.

July 12, 2010