Joe Scarborough: Obama’s Critics on Iran are living in an Alternative Universe

Last updated on August 10th, 2014 at 05:28 pm

This morning on MSNBC’s Morning Joe host Joe Scarborough added his name to the growing list of conservatives who are criticizing John McCain and other Republicans for calling for action in Iran. Scarborough said that critics of Obama like Sens. Lindsey Graham and John McCain are living in an alternative universe.

Here is the video courtesy of Media Matters:

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Scarborough said of Sen. Graham’s criticism that Obama is being timid and passive on Iran, “I think you could say that the president has not been timid and passive, but he’s actually been restrained…The leaders over there haven’t asked the United States to be more involved, the opposition leaders, they understand that if we have a president who holds a press conference and demands freedom now. This is what surprises me. My good friend Lindsey Graham calls the president weak and tepid. Lindsey should know that anything Lindsey Graham from South Carolina says is going to be used from Ahmadinejad and other Iranian leaders that want to keep these peace marches down.”

Scarborough then took a big swing at Obama’s GOP critics, “These people are doing quite fine without screaming and yelling and beating our chests in self-righteous indignation, and for those Republicans who claim that the world doesn’t know what side we’re on, I would suggest that you are living in an alternative universe, because every student there knows, every student there knows, we are on their side.”

Here is the video of Scarborough’s comments about McCain from Think Progress:

Scarborough said, “What would John McCain and Lindsey Graham specifically have the president say? All of those people that are emailing in and telling me that I’m being liberal? Oh really? I’m being liberal? No I think it’s called restraint. Showing a little bit of restraint. Looking at the battlefield in front of you and not just running up Pickett’s Charge and getting gunned down. If you want to feel good about yourself — and you can only feel good about yourself by screaming about the evils of Iran — fine do that. But our leaders in Washington don’t need to do that because people will be routed in the street the second they are identified with the United States of America.”

Joe Scarborough is correct. I think Obama’s position towards the violent aftermath of the Iranian elections could be best described as measured. While the neo-cons want to jump in head first, and not worry about the consequences, the Obama administration is studying the situation. Obama’s approach has been smart, not timid.

If the Iranian protesters would ask for U.S. help, then Obama would be faced with a different decision, but the people on the streets know what U.S. intervention would do to their movement. The criticism of Congressional Republicans like Graham and McCain is nothing but self serving political grandstanding.

Jason Easley

Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.

Awards and  Professional Memberships

Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association