WELCOME!

Dear friends,

We are promoting the candidacy of Barack Obama for the presidency of the United States.

We will face objections from two camps:

• The conservatives, who feel that any movement for peace between Iran and the United States implies a capitulation to the Islamic Republic. We believe the exact opposite is true: The American warmongers and neo-conservatives and the Islamic Republic's warmongers need and reenforce each other. Placing the relationship between these two countries on a rational basis will mean an opening up of Iranian society, as the rationale that Iran is under threat of Western aggression is taken out of reaction's arsenal.
  
• The leftists who believe that Obama is going to follow more or less the same war-mongering policies as Bush & Co. Although we have grave misgivings about much of what Obama says, we believe that an Obama presidency will mean a qualitative improvement in Iranian-American relations.
  

We look forward to a dialogue with those who disagree with us. We only ask them to respect عصمت قلم--the purity of the pen--and conduct themselves in a spirit of dialogue. Feelings run high on all sides, but we want to generate light and not heat.

Finally, the logo of our group is designed by Ostad Ali Reza Darvish. You are welcome to use the artwork to further Obama's candidacy or purchase buttons from us. Contact us at

Iranians4Obama@gmail.com.

Buttons are $2.00 a piece, plus postage (add 15% in the US).

Hawks in Obama's Cabinet

Watch this spot for more on this theme. Iranians and their friends have to remain vigilant even under an Obama presidency. The Republicans say we think he's the Messiah. But we know better. He's a politician. A damn sight better than his opponent, but someone we still need to keep our eyes on.

Here is an open letter from ZNet, a leftist journal generally associated with Noam Chomsky and friends. 

Here's an article by Jim Lobe on the presence in Obama's shadow cabinet of people who want to start a war with Iran. The comments also bear reading. Is this just political posturing--an attempt to win points while wooing the important Jewish Floridian demographic? Or does it go deeper? Only time will tell...

New York Street Scene

Tell them (and show them) that anyone can help get their candidate elected. Bunny and Wallie (or at least one of 'em) have been with me every time we've visited our local Barack Obama headquarters. I usually stop in to pick up stickers or buttons and I always let them choose one. Wallie was enamored with an "Iranians for Obama" button last week and who was I to stop her? We're all citizens of a world that is getting smaller so I have no problem with her wearing it.

Source: CityMama

That One in '08!

OBAMA IN A LANDSLIDE!

The Candidates And the Arab-Israeli Conflict

No, this blog does not intend to settle the status of Jerusalem or the plight of the refugees or the problem of preserving the Jewish character of the State of Israel. 

But the world has an interest in making sure that this volatile region not explode, an certain Iranians have a particularly strong interest, given the role of pro-Israeli groups pressing for a more confrontational line with the Islamic Republic.

Here is an interesting bit of analysis from an Iranian friend working in Israel. 

Iranians for McCain

As I mentioned in a previous post, our rightist friends have tried to use our blog, which proudly proclaims its support for a free and democratic Iran, to somehow show that Obama is in league with the Islamic Republic, which is increasingly neither free nor democratic. I guess any Iranian will do. Now another blog has joined the fray. Look, let me explain this once more. If an anti-Ahmadinejad Iranian blog supports Obama, it does not mean that Ahmadinejad supports Obama. 

But what do they make of the large number of Iranian Republicans, i.e., supporters of the GOP? Here is a good article about Iranian-Americans and the Republican Party in the 2004 elections.

But now, many good Iranian-American Republicans have become disenchanted with their old party. Not because they've suddenly become Islamic fundamentalists, but because they do not want their country getting the Iraq treatment, according to another article. 

In the meantime, I'd love to know what these people make of Amir Omar, a Republican Party candidate in Texas who is half Iranian and half (gasp!) Palestinian...

Palinology

We reluctantly explore Palinology (not to be confused with Paleontology!).

Here is a post from Politico summarizing a piece of Democratic opposition research before she hit the national scene.

Since I've started this line of writing, Palin has basically imploded. 

First, there's the Troopergate Scandal. Now, the guy Palin tried to get fired probably should have been fired; by all measure, he was a creep and should not have been at his post. But firing his supervisor for not firing him was, according to the Republican-dominated body which was investigating the matter, concluded that she was motivated in this by political considerations. Here are some more examples.

Then there is the small matter of Palin's friends.

Her witch doctor. Here's my favorite quote from him:

The second area whereby God wants us, wants to penetrate in our society is in the economic area. The Bible says that the wealth of the wicked is stored up for the righteous. It's high time that we have top Christian businessmen, businesswomen, bankers, you know, who are men and women of integrity running the economics of our nations. That's what we are waiting for. That's part and parcel of transformation. If you look at the -- you know -- if you look at the Israelites, that's how they work. And that's how they are, even today.

No, that's not Ahmadinejad blaming everything on Zionist financiers. It's Palin's favorite minister!

Then there is the matter of traitors and terrorists. Like the Alaska Independence Party, with which she is closely tied. This is an organization which, in turn, is closely tied to other extremist and secessionist groups. What do you think this means for Iran policy? Funding and supporting similar groups in Iran? Mahmud Chehregani, dust off your resume... And al-Ahwaz, the Neocons' favorite Arab nationalist movement, start arming your bombs! Jundollah, PJAK, the whole stable of American-approved terrorists, you'll have a kindred spirit in the Vice President's office once again.