Here's what I thought you'd like to hear about today:

1. Dennis Ross on Iran: Sanctions have to Bite
2. Long Term Consequences of the Port SNAFU
3. What is the Biggest Threat to National Security?
4. Scolding the President

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Dennis Ross on Iran: Sanctions have to Bite

Dennis Ross was Bill Clinton's special envoy to the Middle East. He is now Counselor & Ziegler Distinguished Fellow, Washington Institute for Near East Policy. He is credited with bringing Israel and Arafat to discuss peace arrangements, such as they were. Clinton cannot be faulted for wanting to bring peace to this region, even if he was ineffective. Ross clearly knows more about this area than any other Democrat. He gave a speech titled "What's Next in the Middle East?" and answered questions on February 23, 2006 at Princeton University, Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. The University Channel (feed here) podcast his talk. The first part of the talk was on Iran, and he had some excellent suggestions. Listen to this short section from the hour long talk.

Play clip.

Never underestimate the power of popular revolution in Iran. Keep them out of world cup soccer and you would see a million Iranians protesting in the street. I like that. His other suggestion is to impose economic sanctions that hurt, but we have to be willing to put up with $60 to $100/barrel oil. Ouch. But imagine what oil would cost if Iran got the bomb, Saudi Arabia decided they needed one too, and Syria felt threatened. Double ouch, I'd say.

Long Term Consequences of the Port SNAFU

President Bush spoke to the National Newspaper Association Conference last week. He directly addressed the Dubai Ports World issue during his talk. Thanks to C-SPAN for the video.

Play clip.

Notice the reference to Dubai helping in the capture of A.Q. Kahn. Many of the components of the illicit nuclear parts network of Kahn were shipped through Dubai. This is one of the reasons Duncan Hunter, the California Congressman who lead the now successful effort to kill the Dubai Ports World deal cited as a reason to oppose the deal. He appeared Sunday on Fox News Sunday with Chris Wallace. He claimed that Dubai was instrumental in the shipment of nuclear parts. And here we have the President claiming they helped halt the network. We will never know of DP was involved in facilitating or aprehending elements of this network. We have to chose who to believe, and move on.

What is the Biggest Threat to National Security?

After his 20 minute speech, he answered questions for another 40 minutes. One of the questions 55 minutes into the session was: "Who do you think the biggest threat is: Iran, North Korea, or China?" Here is the President's response, off the cuff, and right to the point. Notice the diplomatic way he avoids calling the Iranians "liers".

Play clip.

Scolding the President

Russ Feingold wants to censure the President. Well, actually, he wants to run for president, and he is manuvering to be the lefty answer to the Anybody-but-Hillary Democrats. He is clearly going left with this latest effort. As Jeff Goldstein at Protein Wisdom notices:

And so I give you Russ Feingold: ...author of a resolution that will attempt to censure President Bush for following Article II precedent and his mandate as Commander in Chief and directing the NSA to listen in on the conversations of our Al Qaeda enemies, using a military asset, the National Security Agency, during wartime.

And the "civil libertarians" and leftists rejoice! This is PATRIOTISM at it's most brave, they shout! (leaving aside that every single one of Feingold's charges is utterly bogus and meant to grab him headlines; I mean, is Feingold really attempting to censure the President for "misleading the country" about the existence of a highly classified program? Have we reached such a state of populist arrogance that we are now arguing that the very existence of "highly classified" information that remains highly classified is a crime against the American people?)

Listen to this clip from Representative Virginia Foxx, Republican from North Carolina, with her comments on Feingold's lunacy. Thanks to Expose the Left for the video.

Play clip.

Shingle on their front door, now that's a great idea.