AND ANOTHER DISGRACE – AT 8:34 A.M. ET:  I sometimes feel there's a celestial camera aimed at the Obama administration, and the lens becomes more and more focused every day.  Now, as the focus gets even sharper, the image reveals still one more disgrace for our country.  From Fox:

VIENNA -- The U.S. has backed away from pursuing a number of tough measures against Iran in order to win support from Russia and China for a new United Nations Security Council resolution on sanctions, according to people familiar with the matter.

Among provisions removed from the original draft resolution the U.S. sent to key allies last month were sanctions aimed at choking off Tehran's access to international banking services and capital markets, and closing international airspace and waters to Iran's national air cargo and shipping lines, according to the people.

Why bother with anything?  The softer sanctions aren't worth the non-acidic paper they're written on.  Maybe 16-pound yellow draft paper.

The U.S. and allies are trying to force Iran to rein in a nuclear program that they worry is aimed at developing atomic weapons. Tehran says its nuclear activities are peaceful. The U.K. and Germany, concerned that Russia and China would reject the resolution outright and preferring to turn up pressure on Iran gradually, persuaded U.S. officials to drop or soften several elements, including some of the document's harshest provisions, the people said.

I love it.  They prefer to "turn up the pressure on Iran gradually."  They've been negotiating with the Iranians for more than seven years, with no result.  How much more "gradual" can this get?

U.S. officials said they wouldn't comment on the day-by-day negotiations taking place among the Security Council members. But they stressed that the Obama administration is seeking the toughest measures possible against Tehran while maintaining unity among the five permanent members of the Security Council and Germany, which are drafting the sanctions.

Oh please.  Oh please, please.  How dumb do the Obamans think we are?  They're seeking the "toughest measures possible against Tehran while maintaining unity among the five permanent members..."

Translated into English:  We'll be tough until someone says no.

The late Gen. Lauris Norstad, a NATO commander in the 1950s, once observed that toughness is not a policy.  You have to decide what to be tough about.  We've apparently decided, and then reversed the decision.  Great.  The Iranians must really be impressed. 

So, to sum up the foreign policy of The One in the last few weeks:  Cancel trips to Indonesia and Australia, bash Israel, order American troops to march in Red Square, and soften proposed sanctions on Iran.

Aren't you proud?

March 25, 2010