Gibbs on A-Jad: Too Legit to Quit, But Not for Me to Decide

Asked if the White House considered Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's newly inaugurated government "legitimate," Obama's Press Secretary Robert Gibbs ducked and weaved, evaded the question, and finally, under pressure, acknowledged that he was indeed considered him "the elected leader" of Iran. State media in Iran rejoiced, headlining the story on the Farsi-language IRNA website and their English-language propaganda channel PressTV. As Newsweek blogger Holly Bailey observed, France "emphasized that they recognize states, not particular governments."

After the blogosphere exploded (Andrew Sullivan demanded a retraction and apology), Gibbs walked back from his comments today in typical Lionel Hutz fashion, still not quite managing to confess that Iran is ruled by election-stealing thugs:

Q: Switching topics slightly and then we might go back to North Korea. Do you have any reaction to the swearing-in of President Ahmadinejad in Iran today?

MR. GIBBS: Well, let me correct a little bit of what I said yesterday. I denoted that Mr. Ahmadinejad was the elected leader of Iran. I would say it's not for me to pass judgment on. He's been inaugurated, that's a fact. Whether any election was fair, obviously the Iranian people still have questions about that and we'll let them decide that. But I would simply say he's been inaugurated, and we know that is simply a fact.

Q: Do you recognize him as the leader, elected fairly or not?

MR. GIBBS: It's not for—it's not for me or for us to denote his legitimacy, except to acknowledge the fact.

Q: Does the White House believe the election was fair?

MR. GIBBS: That's not for us to pass judgment on. I think that's for the Iranian people to decide, and obviously there are many that still have a lot of questions.

Comments

[hmm]

Jesus. They can't just say no comment and shut the fuck up can they?

I guess it's hard staying quite when you think you are smarter than everyone else.

[Episiarch]

Ahh...the old trying to please everyone and pleasing no one. Except the Iranian state media, I guess.

[Tulpa]

I totally agree with his follow-up comments at the second briefing. Iranian election law is none of our business.

It would have been kickass if someone followed up by asking why it is for us to be the judge of the legitimacy of Honduran governments, but not Iranian ones.

[Lionel Hutz]

WORKS ON A CONTINGENCY BASIS?

NO, MONEY DOWN!

Oops, I shouldn't have this bar association logo here either.

[J sub D]

Q: Does the White House believe the election was fair?

MR. GIBBS: That's not for us to pass judgment on. I think that's for the Iranian people to decide, and obviously there are many that still have a lot of questions.

But this administration has no fucking problem passing judgement on who is the legitimate President of Honduras, does it?

Incompetent fools!

[ClubMedSux]

Incompetent fools!

Incompetent like a fox...

[J sub D]

I love ya, Tulpa. In a way that only manly heterosexual men can love each other.

[Underzog]

Those bums in the Obama administration are siding with evil over the people's yearning for freedom.

Pres. Bush may have gotten this one right and even I was skeptical before.

Of course, may of the Rhoemites in the Reasonoid audience are licking their chops in anticipation of Achmadinijad nuking Israel; however, the U.S. is also a target. The Rhoemites may smugly believe that they'll not be a target, but they may be mistaken.

"There's no need to fear. Underzog is here!"

The Jewish Defense League Marching Song

[thoreau]

Upon being sworn in, Ahmad's first words to the protesters were "You can't touch this!"

[libertymike]

Tulpa-

Nailed it. I won't go so far as J sub D....

Off-topic: Lest you think that I shirk from responding to your questions, was that History Channel piece on Lincoln a repeat? Sometime in the last few months I watched a History Channel presentation which featured the distinguished professor of African American Studies, Dr. Henry Louis Gates. In the documentary, Dr. Gates, to his credit, did consider and examine a few areas upon which many Lincoln crtics focus, by far giving the most attention to Lincoln's views on race. Lincon's suspension of habeus corpus and his willingness to jail journalists were the other issues examined.

[Joel]

It would have been kickass if someone followed up by asking why it is for us to be the judge of the legitimacy of Honduran governments, but not Iranian ones.

Or Haitian governments, or Panamanian, or Cuban, or Lebanese, or - heaven knows - Iraqi or Afghani? Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if they invade Mexico later this year because of a dispute over Drug War policy. What the hell's so sacred about Iranian thugs all of a sudden?

[Underzog]

You Libertarians are far out! I guess you guys weren't alive to support the original Adolf Hitler in his work against the Jews, but, now with Achmadinijad, you Rhoemites can.

The nuking of Israel and the murder of 5.5 million Jews is history in the making to you offal.

However, then it will be your turn.

"There's no need to fear. Underzog is here!"

The Jewish Defense League Marching Song

[Manifest Destiny Version 2.0]

why it is for us to be the judge of the legitimacy of Honduran governments, but not Iranian ones

[Anonymous]

Chavez is communistic and hates Jews, Armband hates Jews... what is there for a Muslim boy to complain about?

[Episiarch]

Underzog spun the cap back on the Concord Grape Manischewitz, then decided to take another swig. If muter thought he was such a boychick, why did she let him use the computer? He was no schmendrik, after all--that's why mume would kvell when he kvetched about the meshuggene over on that web site called "reason" full of goyim who he would potch around like a bunch of nebbishes.

He heard her coming and quickly shoved the bottle back into the pantry.

[Paul]

Obama's Press Secretary Robert Gibbs ducked and weaved, evaded the question, and finally, under pressure, acknowledged that he was indeed considered him "the elected leader" of Iran. State media in Iran rejoiced, headlining the story on the Farsi-language IRNA website and their English-language propaganda channel PressTV

Obama is improving America's image around the world. Score a point for Obama.

[Michael]

I totally agree with his follow-up comments at the second briefing. Iranian election law is none of our business.

You're correct in your sentiment, but Obama made it every bit our business with his statements about "tough, direct diplomacy". It certainly is not up to us to determine whether or not elections in other countries are fair. It's whether or not the administration recognizes the results that is important, and Gibbs' answer completely fails to address the issue. Who will they be all tough and direct and diplomatic with if not a recognized (legitimate!) government?

[Paul]

Q: Does the White House believe the election was fair?

MR. GIBBS: That's not for us to pass judgment on. I think that's for the Iranian people to decide, and obviously there are many that still have a lot of questions.That's only for Jimmy Carter to judge.

Better.

[Paul]

I love ya, Tulpa. In a way that only manly heterosexual men can love each other.

Not that there's anything wrong with the other kind of love.

[The Angry Optimist]

Epi, what is this, summer reruns? you used that one already.

[jtuf]

1) Tulpa nailed it.

2) Underzog, um, you can call off the attack. Everyone here is more or less on the same page, and none of us is against Israel.

[Episiarch]

TAO, do you know how much work it is to come up with that much intelligible Yiddish? I'm not Jewish, you know, so it takes some effort. So I'm going to recycle a little.

[BruceM]

Sorry, but Iranians get the government that they deserve, and the election can only be stolen if the people of Iran allow it to be stolen. They got pissed off for a week or two, yelled "allah akbar!" from the rooftops and then gave up.

They were not willing to have their blood spilled to preserve the legitimacy of their government. And with fundamentalist muslim idiot fucktwads on both sides of the ballot, is it any surprise that few Iranians were willing to give their lives for their candidate of choice? It's unfortunate, but the bottom line is Ahmedinijad IS the official President of Iran. It's not who we would have picked (though I'm not convinced anyone would be better off with the other guy), and the evidence certainly indicates that the other guy really won. I'm sure the Iranians thought the same thing about America's election in 2000. Hell, we even conceded that the loser got more votes, and then left it up to a partisan tribunal to vote down party lines and give the election to King Bush II.

I don't like it when our government pretends that people we don't like don't exist. It's kindergarten playground tactics. Ahmadinejad's the winner, legitimate or not (it's not for US to declare him legitimate/illegitimate, that's for the iranian people), and we shouldn't play games and be afraid to say so. If our government is asked who the president of Iran is, then answer - it's nothing more than a factual trivia question. There can't be anything controversial about saying who was declared the winner of a given country's election. And we shouldn't pretend like it's controversial.

[Justin Thyme]

Sorry, but Iranians get the government that they deserve,

Can we place a moratorium on the use of this trite and tired utterly meaningless cliche? A group of diverse people with diverse interests (after all only individuals can have interests in the first place) cannot be said to deserve anything. It is just lazy to throw that phrase out there and think it makes any kind of point.

They were not willing to have their blood spilled to preserve the legitimacy of their government.

Oh for fuck's sake, and you are? As someone who knows a few Iranians, I can assure you they have suffered (including, yes, seeing their friends blood spilled), struggled (including being thrown in prison) and risked more to deserve their own personal freedom then you have ever done for yours. So kindly shut the fuck up with the gratuitous platitudes.

[Anonymous]

then [sic] you have ever done for yours

That's very presumptuous.

[Justin Thyme]

[sic]

Yeah, sorry, I agree that was a dumb mistake that I hate to see anyone, much less myself, make... than. Anyway, congrats, that was a nice pedantic catch there. You should feel proud.

That's very presumptuous.

The fuck it is. I know what my friend went though and the odds that this guy has ever seen anything like it is close enough to zero that I feel pretty safe in making that statement I did.

But even if I'm wrong, the stupid "government they deserve" nonsense is just lazy bullshit regardless of who it's aimed at.

[Anonymous]

But even if I'm wrong, the stupid "government they deserve" nonsense is just lazy bullshit regardless of who it's aimed at.

Agreed, but it's still presumptuous to call an internet airmchair political analyst what amounts to "tenderfoot".

[Justin Thyme]

They got pissed off for a week or two, yelled "allah akbar!" from the rooftops

Oh, and speaking of presumptuous, my friend has never shouted "allah akbar" from anywhere and disdains the religous nutjobs in control of his country as much as anyone.

[JB]

haha! If Achmasuckmydickajad is the 'elected' leader of Iran, then I am the 'elected' leader of the US.

Gibbs, you are fired you stupid cockbag.

[joshua corning]

The beauty of it all is that Andrew Sullivan's hero just broke his little heart.

Priceless.

[Spoonman]

Andrew Sullivan will find a way to keep on loving Gibbs and Obama, though. Maybe he'll quit the green.

[R C Dean]

Q: Does the White House believe the election was fair?

MR. GIBBS: That's not for us to pass judgment on.

Bullshit. They are entitled, nay, obligated, to have an opinion on the legitimacy of the people they do business with. There is nothing stopping them from ripping the mullahs a new one in public.

They got pissed off for a week or two, yelled "allah akbar!" from the rooftops

The people on the rooftops yelling "allah akbar" were the mullah's snipers, in between taking potshots at their fellow Iranians.

[TallDave]

I'm sure Excitable Andy will quickly find a way rationalize his Dear Leader's sucking up to a thugocracy that brutally executes homosexuals by crushing them with rocks.

[TallDave]

There is nothing stopping them from ripping the mullahs a new one in public.

Open hand! Open hand!

It's fine if Iran beats its own people to death with one hand, we can still hope they extend the other.

[jester]

Who says that democracies can't 'elect' dangerous or stupid leaders. We even do that in America. Democracies suck. An angry armed public? Now we're talking. Keeps 'em a little more honest.

[Underzog]

TallDave: "I'm sure Excitable Andy will quickly find a way rationalize his Dear Leader's sucking up to a thugocracy that brutally executes homosexuals by crushing them with rocks."

It is something to be condemned.

And, of course, I also condemn that shooting in Tel Aviv, but it's not done by the Israeli government and I don't know the religious denomination of the perpatrator(s) that did this.

"There's no need to fear. Underzog is here!"

The Jewish Defense League Marching Song