The Moose avers that Ahmadinejad is not Bush.
If one reads the left wing blogosphere these day one would think that the greatest threat to the world today is not a Holocaust denying madman with apocalyptic visions, but rather the President of the United States. Even a former Secretary of State is in a tizzy over the frightening faith of George W. Bush (she should read some of the speeches of the sainted FDR if she wants to really see some scary invocations of the Lord).
In the view of the left, the Iranians are just misunderstood, while the Bushies are clearly moving us to war. Some Democrats on Capitol Hill are suffering from sleepless nights worrying about the October Surprise that will deny them the Chairmanships and the offices with the swell view of the Mall.
The Moose urges the lefties to take a Xanax and a deep breath. The truth is that the Bushies are following your advice on Iran. Mr. Unilateral of yesterday is Mr. Multilateral of today. For the past couple of years, the Administration has allowed the Europeans to try to talk reason to the Iranian mullahs - to no avail. Lefties, you don't have to rely on Administration "lies" about the Iranian race to go nuclear - the International Atomic Energy Agency has verified it for you.
And now, the Bush folks are attempting to build an international consensus behind sanctions at the U.N. - not war, but sanctions. One would think that the lefties would love this course - but no, they are in a fearful fit. Of course, the Administration has not taken the military option off the table. And neither has Hillary - good for her. Who is engaged in saber rattling with the exception of Sy Hersh's anonymous sources?
This is a time for a demonstration of national resolve against the Iranian nukes. If the mullahs sense weakness, it will reinforce their reckless behavior and make a military confrontation that much more likely.
Where is the left's outrage about the Russian and Chinese probable obstruction of sanctions with teeth? No, the only rage they offer is directed at the U.S. government.
Let's stipulate that the Bushies have made many errors. But so far, they have followed a prudent (perhaps too cautious), mulitlateral approach toward Iran. Yet, some of the same folks who once urged multi-lateralism are urging the Bushies to make unilateral concessions to the mullahs.
What is truly remarkable is that while the Iranians are clear about their intentions many are in deep denial. One of the lefties' favorite bloggers makes excuses for Ahmidinejad - he is just misunderstood when he threatens to "wipe Israel off the map." Charles Krauthammer writes,
"Last week Bernard Lewis, America's dean of Islamic studies, who just turned 90 and remembers the 20th century well, confessed that for the first time he feels it is 1938 again. He did not need to add that in 1938, in the face of the gathering storm -- a fanatical, aggressive, openly declared enemy of the West, and most determinedly of the Jews -- the world did nothing.
"When Iran's mullahs acquire their coveted nukes in the next few years, the number of Jews in Israel will just be reaching 6 million. Never again?"
This new Blame the Bushies First crowd reminds the Moose of the Blame Reagan First crowd of the eighties in the confrontation with the Soviets and the Blame Clinton First crowd in the nineties in the confrontation with the Serbs. Blame Iran first. -- | 
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