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Liveblogging Obama's Press Conference (Iran only)

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Looking strictly at the Iran questions, off the top. (My paraphrases are approximate, the ones in quote marks are better, and all in all this the best I can do.)

About Iran: "Appalled," "outraged." He was careful to respect Iranian sovereignty, but did tack out a very careful answer to a question about the "international community" and engagement: The Iran government should recognize that what it does has consequences for how the international community will deal with it.

Second in line: Nico Pitney (Huffington Post) gets to ask an Internet-fed question from Iran (and Obama knew that he was collecting Iranians' questions: he's well-briefed on the internets): "Under which conditions would you accept the election of Ahmadinejad, and if you did accept it without any conditions, wouldn't that be a betrayal?"

Obama: We didn't have observers. But many Iranians have "significant questions about the legitimacy of the election....Ultimately, the most important thing for the government to consider is its legitimacy in the eyes of its own people. What we can do is to say unequivocally is that there are universal principles and norms....I think it is not too late for the Iranian government to recognize" that there is a good path.

Major Garrett (Fox News): "You said you were appalled and outraged. What took you so long?"

Obama: "We've been entirely consistent." The U. S. is "not going to be a foil for the Iranian government." Don't blame the CIA or the White House.

Garrett: Will Iranians be welcome at the Embassy party on 4th of July?

Obama: We have no relations with Iran. [Is this news at Fox?--TG] Still, "we are interested in healing some of the wounds of the last thirty years."

Question: McCain and Lindsay Graham have been saying you've been "timid" and "weak."
"Were you influenced at all?"

Obama: "What do you think?" Laughter in the room. "We all share the belief that we want justice to prevail...Only one of us is the president of the United States" and has to take American security interests into account. We shouldn't play into the Iranian government narrative.

Follow-up: Aren't you giving the Iranian government "fodder"?

Obama: "In the hohouse of Washington, there may be all kinds of things going back and forth." This is not relevant to the Iranian people.

Chuck Todd, NBC: "Why won't you spell out the consequences" to the Iranian government of what they do now?

Obama: "We don't know how the consequences [in Iran as a whole] are going to play out."

Suzanne Malveaux (CNN): Have you seen the video (of Neda)?

Obama: "It's hearbreaking. It's heartbreaking....I have concern about how peaceful demonstrators and people who want their votes counted may be stifled from expressing those concerns. As I said, there are certain international norms...and I think it's important for us to make sure that we let the Iranian people know that we are watching what's happening....Ultimately, though, what's going to be most important is what happens in Iran....We've all been struck by their coverage. You know one of my favorite lines is Dr. King's, 'The arc of the moral universe is long but it bends toward justice.'"


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Finally, a Democrat who is "appalled" and "outraged" because many people have "significant questions about the legitimacy of the election."

Okay, it's an election in Iran, but hey, it's a start.

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When the media decides to hold a circus, the media holds a circus.

http://www.stratfor.com/weekly/20090622_iranian_election_and_revolution_test

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