A TALE OF TWO PAPERS – AT 8:33 A.M. ET:  From the Washington Post:

President Obama cautiously criticized the Iranian government Tuesday for carrying out a deadly crackdown on street demonstrations, as hard-line legislators in Tehran called for the execution of several prominent opposition leaders.

Obama's careful formulation - calling on the government to allow protesters to express their grievances but stopping short of calling for a change in leadership - highlighted the sharp differences between the political dynamic that his administration faces in Iran and the one that shaped the recent revolt in Egypt.

From The New York Times:

President Obama accused Iran’s leaders of hypocrisy for first encouraging the protests in Egypt, which they described as a continuation of Iran’s own revolution, and then cracking down on Iranians who used the pretext to come out on the streets....

...Mr. Obama’s words on Iran...were among the strongest he has ever voiced in encouraging a street revolt, something his administration initially shied away from doing in June 2009, after a disputed presidential election provoked an uprising that was crushed by the government....

...“What’s been different is the Iranian government’s response, which is to shoot people and beat people and arrest people,” he said.

Oh well, it must be one or the other.

February 16, 2011