WASHINGTON (CNN) - Republican Rep. Mike Pence, criticizing President Obama for not saying more in support of protestors in Iran, said Wednesday that he is taking another step to show solidarity for the dissenting citizens of the country.
"I appreciate the fact that the president said the protesters have a right to be heard and represented, and I appreciate the fact that he said he is troubled," Pence said in an interview with Wolf Blitzer on the Situation Room. "But I respectfully disagree with the administration's decision to essentially draw the line at not meddling and not interfering."
Pence, a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, introduced a resolution in the House that he said would "speak a word of support for the people of Iran." He said he didn't think the United States should endorse the opposition candidate, but should instead show support for the protesters who are "risking their lives for free and fair elections."
Pence said showing support could lead to a "fresh start" with the citizens of Iran.
"I really believe we may have an opportunity for a fresh start here, not with the tyrants in Tehran, not with Ahmadinejad, who even looks at what this administration is doing and accuses them of meddling," Pence said. "But rather with the good and decent and courageous people of Iran who are stepping forward and risking their liberty and their lives for principles that we as Americans cherish."
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"But I respectfully disagree with the administration's decision to essentially draw the line at not meddling and not interfering."
Bush was all about meddling and interfering, and that sort of foreign policy did not work out so well. Also, "Iranian protestors" is much more innocuous than "US-backed Iranian protestors"
To Mike Pence:
Go to Iran and Serve the People there.
We need to take care of our own Important issues:
1. Economy
2. Health Care
3. Wars
4. Unemployment
5. Crimes, Homicides and Gang Violence
i disagree...we need to stay out of this country's business...another idiot republican talking crazy...anything to try to undermine Pres. Obama...
let the people speak
Rudi
One gets the idea that President Obama cannot even "breathe correctly" as defined by the GOP.
Yes, Mr. Pence, let's create another Taliban or Al Qaeda, like the WE did in Afghanistan to fight the Soviet Union, or let US back another Saddam Hussein, like WE did to fight Iran, but let's hope that after OUR creation defeats our enemies, that WE then take time to destroy OUR creation before it comes back to bite US.
I don't see how it's meddling to tell the protesters we are in support of them. We support them, we supported the people in Lebanon, we supported the people in Tianemen Square. I understand it's a tough position, but it's right to be on the side of freedom and democracy.
now you talk about shutting down access to the masses; we believe Cnn pulls the same crap when one of their boys is getting squeezed; ala, cutting of comments at ( 6 ), in the Walpin sagga..you wouldn't do that now would you Cnn.. someones toes were really going to get burned if this guy kept singing..maybe Fox will pick up the trail, and give the American people the straight scoop..
We need to let countries figure out their own democracy. These people are standing up for themselves. It's hard and it's great and I hope they win. We don't want anyone else telling us what to do or how to do it. This isn't a situation where we have to protect ourselves, or it's not Darfur, a completely different situation. It's not always our business.
The worst thing the US could do right now is to show strong overt support for the protesters. This would discredit them in the eyes of other Iranians and rescue Ahmadinejad and the clerics, who are on the defensive. Ahmadinejad would love to have the US inject itself into the conflict on the side of his enemies. President Obama is taking the appropriate approach and should ignore the sabre-rattling republicans who are constantly looking for an international crisis to exploit.
Here! Here!
Please be quiet!
Just another way for the Republicans to show they do not support the President........sad isn't it......they are still acting like sore losers.......we do not need to be sticking our nose in Iran, let them figure it out......we have enough problems right here at home to deal with
Show support by sending Kathryne Harris to certify the election results
It is not our job to police how other countries conduct their affairs. How would we feel if some other country told us how to decide our elections?
No, we need to mind our own business. We are not the world police! Iranians should work this out on there own. Obama is not interfering and that is good. We should NOT dictate to the world, rather work with them.
The first time this guy got elected PM of Iran, I think bush was president, but then may be it was cheney, they are interchangeable. So he didn't stop him from getting elected. He didn't do anything about it.
But here we have a REPUBLICAN senator who was present along with bush the first time, who is whining and moaning that Obama should do something about it....gee what a crock....republicans we sure could live without em'
I think the people of Iran will welcome US involvement in their election on either side about as much as the people of Indiana welcome out-of-state involvement in their elections. You are from Indiana, Mike Pence, aren't you?
Let them have their revolution.....We had ours.....It is their business and we shouldn't meddle!
Currently the protests and divisons in Iran are because the Iranian people want to protest and not because America has moved them towards this. As soon as the American government gets involved we will see the Iranian government use this as a way of creating a united front. Let's not forget we still have 8 years of hate to get rid of.
America doesn't have to step into every country's dispute and solve their issues. We tried that and 6 years later we still can't straighten it out..
Just like a neo-con, never let foreign domestic unrest in a country get by without trying to start a war and add another nothc to the repub agenda of imperialism..
Yeah, let's do it the rethuglican way and invade them right buddy?? Boy, you guys make me sick, the President could heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, cast out devils and you would still find fault with him. I truly hate the fact that I ever considered myself a repub but that's ok, NEVER AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Stay out of it. Completely. The GOPers only believe we shoudl interfere so we can later claim they owe us something. Iran deserves to own its freedom and democracy fully an din order to do so it will have to shed it's own blood, sweat and tears. They're evolution is not our responsibility, nor is it our prerogative.
As to moral support? They know they have it from (almost) all 350 million of us. Our government doesn't have to do that job on our behalves.
Obama will hurt the opposition in Iran by too much enthusiastic support. The religious rulers and ahmadinejad will color them as western agents supported by US to create chaos in Iran as opposed to freedom seeking people of Iran who wants their democratic right of voting to mean something. That will weaken the cause of the protesters. Khameni is already saying election result is divine assessment and protest against voting fraud is like act against god. And then they will add that US is using the protestors to destabilize their religious form of govt. It won't do any good to Iranian cause. Let them shed their blood, let them stand up against their own tyranny and earn their rights in hard way.
How would WE feel if another country invaded us cause they disagreed with our policies or didn't like us? Or better still, how wouild you feel if they meddled during our elections. The arrogance of you rethugs is unbelievable. How do you guys get elected?