Map of the day.

Hat tip to John Cole.

Regarding START…

…a reminder that bears repeating from Steve Benen...

Remember, the only organized groups on the planet hoping to see the Senate fail to ratify this treaty are Iranian officials, North Korean officials, hardliners in Russia, and most Republicans in the nation's capital.

Isn't there something on the books about giving aid and comfort to the enemy?

In turbulent times…

…it's nice to know that some things never change...

“The former American president is not telling the truth,” (former German Chancellor Gerhard) Shroeder said Tuesday according to the German newspaper Der Spiegel.

George W. Bush is a liar. You can count on it. It's perversely reassuring.

Hat tip to Oliver.

Good question...

…from Col Pat Lang.

Does the Times now believe that armed resistance to a government, any government is by definition "terrorism?"

And furthermore...

By that standard was George Washington a terrorist? Were the Machabees terrorists? How about Simon Bolivar, was he a terrorist? Was Emilio Aguinaldo a terrorist?

Are the Baluchis? Really?

That's not rhetorical. I'm about as non-authoritative about Iranian political and religious factions as you'll find. It's not hard to imagine that a group that's a religious, cultural, geographic and language minority has a legitimate grievance or two with an authoritarian fundamentalist regime.

Of course, there's a counter-argument to be made along the lines of "So what?" Sure, insurgents and revolutionaries use terror. What else, in many cases, do they have? Terror is, by these terms, simply a tactic, to be used for good or ill, and shouldn't be considered a pejorative at all absent context. I confess that I'm pretty sympathetic to this notion.

Yep, good question. Got me thinkin'...

From the "Top things you should read today" file.

Top Things you Think You Know about Iran that are not True

According to Dr. Cole, who knows about these things.

Good question...

...from Darryl.

Why didn’t President Mohammad Khatami of Iran come out with more forceful statements when the 2000 U.S. presidential election was being stolen?

Maybe they bought his silence with a promise to take out his belligerent neighbor.

Maybe.

From the "Strange bedfellows" file.

Me and Barry and Hank and Pat. Brother Buchanan, via John Nichols...

It is impossible to believe a denunciation of the regime by Obama will cause it to stay its hand if it believes its power is imperiled. But it is certain that if Obama denounces Tehran, those demonstrators will be portrayed as dupes and agents of America before and after they meet their fate.

If standing up and denouncing the Ayatollah and Ahmadinejad from 7,000 miles away is moral heroism, it is moral heroism at other people's expense.

All I can say is, well, yep.

And the beat goes on…

Yes, yes, click!

Hat tip to jnfr, again.

Well, I thought so…

…but if ol' Henry Kissofdeath agrees...

Kissinger: Obama is handling the situation in Iran well.

…I could be wrong.

This is true.

Mo-ha-med, via Jeremy Scahill (and slightly bowdlerized by yours truly)...

You know nothing. Abso-f*cking-lutely nothing about what happened, or is happening across Iran at the very moment. Most of us don’t, actually. What we see is a tiny slice of reality, mind you, what is happening on the main squares in the big cities, under camera lenses.

Still, this is impressive...

Click it bigger? But of course!

Good question.

Walter Jon Williams, via Brad DeLong...

Does the use of Twitter in Iran somehow absolve it of totally sucking?

Maybe.

Prob'ly not, but maybe.

You say you want a revolution…

Tehran today…

By all means, click it!

Hat tip to jnfr.

From the "Elections have consequences" file.

Richard Holbrooke, US envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan...

"It is absolutely clear that Iran plays an important role in Afghanistan. They have a legitimate role to play in this region, as do all of Afghanistan's neighbors."

Wow.

No, Senator...

That's the extreme pro-abortion position, quote, "health."

…that's not extreme. This is extreme...

...the current McCain-Palin stance on abortion is identical to that in fundamentalist regimes such as Saudi Arabia and Iran.

I keep meaning to…

…pull together a Headlines piece, because I really want to use this one...

U.S. exports bras, bull semen to Iran

Kinda deserves its own space, though, doncha think?

Oh well...

Iraq has all but given up on bringing U.S., Iran together

…I've all but given up on Iraq bringing Iraq together.

Funny…

Bush says Iran threat to world security

…I was just saying that about Bush.

Headlines.

Odds are growing for economic recession

At least, that's how to bet whatever's left.

Iran agrees to give answers on nukes

Aw, they're no fun. They fall right over.

SC primaries could be pivotal for both parties

Yep. Or not, of course.

Yeah, maybe...

"We're saying that we cannot make a direct connection to the boats there," said the spokesperson. "It could have come from the shore, from another ship passing by…"

…or maybe that Petty Officer in the galley who thinks he's sooo funny.

Jeebus.

Those who cannot remember the past…

Bush strongly warns Iran on naval clash

Uh huh...

...not only is it not true, as (then US) secretary of defense Robert McNamara told Congress, that the evidence of an attack was 'unimpeachable,' but that to the contrary, a review of the classified signals intelligence proves that 'no attack happened that night.