Hot dogs

The Obama administration’s July 4 hot dog diplomacy with Iran symbolizes the administration’s embarrassing intellectual confusion. The Iranian regime is an evil tyranny supporting terrororists and terrorism against America and its friends.

In the struggle of the Iranian people against the regime, the Obama administration has all but supported the regime. What about the protesteres in the streets bravely chanting “death to the dictator”? Well, Obama allows, they’ve got the right. Gee, thanks, big guy.

Obama seeks to befriend the regime. He shows no understanding of its essential nature. He seems to have a difficult time distinguishing America’s friends from America’s enemies, or at least to treat enemies with greater deference than friends.

Before the June 12 presidential election and its aftermath, Obama’s liberal supporters at the New York Times thought the hot dog thing was kind of cute. On June 6, the Times ran Dan Barry’s reflections on the July 4 festivities under the apt heading “Ambassador hot dog.”

Up through Obama’s press conference earlier this week, the inviatations extended to Iranian diplomats still stood. Obama left it up to them to determine whether they would accept his hospitality at American embassies around the world. But not a single Iranian diplomat had accepted. Those mullahs are a tough crowd. They kept Obama hanging like a Florida chad.

Now comes word that the Obama administration has now stirred itself to action. It has pulled the plug on the July 4 invitations to Iranian diplomats. Secretary of State Clinton has sent out a cable rescinding the invitations: “Unfortunately, circumstances have changed, and participation by Iranian diplomats would not be appropriate in light of the unjust actions that the president and I have condemned,” she said. The Times adds that embassies that had already invited Iranian diplomats were instructed to disinvite them.

For the Obama administration, this is tough stuff. President Obama would be well advised to keep a paddle handy to ward off the killer rabbit lurking somewhere in the distance.

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