Fleischer ... ‘Substantial Reform Movement In Iran’ Is ‘Because Of George W. Bush’s Tough Policies’

[struggle4progress]

Fleischer Claims ‘Substantial Reform Movement In Iran’ Is ‘Because Of George W. Bush’s Tough Policies’

The Washington Post’s Al Kamen reports this morning that former Bush flack Ari Fleischer emailed fellow Post reporter Glenn Kessler before any results had been issued in Iran’s hotly-contested presidential election to give credit to his former boss for the “reformists’ surge” there. “<O>ne of the reasons there is a substantial reform movement in Iran — particularly among its young people — is because of George W. Bush’s tough policies,” Fleischer wrote ...

It is also worth noting that hardliner Mahmoud Ahmadinejad became Iran’s president in 2005 (during Bush’s presidency), supplanting a former moderate who held the office. In fact, reformers there said at the time that they wanted the Bush administration to tone down the harsh rhetoric:

“You are harmful for us. We try to tell politicians in Washington, D.C., please don’t do anything in favor of reform or to promote democracy in Iran. Because in 100% of the cases, it benefits the right wing,” said Saeed Leylaz, a business consultant and advocate of economic reform and greater dialogue with the West.

Steve Benen notes of Flesicher, “<W>hat’s a ‘veteran spinmeister’ to do? Tell reporters on Friday that before anyone looks favorably on the current American leadership, it’s more important to extol the previous American leadership — you know, the one who was widely reviled throughout the Middle East.”

http://thinkprogress.org/2009/06/15/fleischer-bush-spin-iran/

[Turbineguy]

1. Ugh..... yeah..... right....

Those protesters are getting the shit kicked out of them because they like George Bush.

[LynnTheDem]

2. No, actually, it isn't.

But let's continue to not let FACTS get in the way of rightwing America's alternate reality.

[Captain Hilts]

3. It's all about us. Right. WRONG. nt

[spanone]

4. bwahahahhaaa bwahahahahhaha

bwahahahhaaa bwahahahahhahabwahahahhaaa bwahahahahhahabwahahahhaaa bwahahahahhahabwahahahhaaa bwahahahahhahabwahahahhaaa bwahahahahhahabwahahahhaaa bwahahahahhahabwahahahhaaa bwahahahahhahabwahahahhaaa bwahahahahhahabwahahahhaaa bwahahahahhahabwahahahhaaa bwahahahahhahabwahahahhaaa bwahahahahhahabwahahahhaaa bwahahahahhahabwahahahhaaa bwahahahahhahabwahahahhaaa bwahahahahhahabwahahahhaaa bwahahahahhahabwahahahhaaa bwahahahahhahabwahahahhaaa bwahahahahhahabwahahahhaaa bwahahahahhahabwahahahhaaa bwahahahahhahabwahahahhaaa bwahahahahhahabwahahahhaaa bwahahahahhahabwahahahhaaa bwahahahahhahabwahahahhaaa bwahahahahhahabwahahahhaaa bwahahahahhahabwahahahhaaa bwahahahahhahabwahahahhaaa bwahahahahhahabwahahahhaaa bwahahahahhahabwahahahhaaa bwahahahahhahabwahahahhaaa bwahahahahhahabwahahahhaaa bwahahahahhahabwahahahhaaa bwahahahahhahabwahahahhaaa bwahahahahhahabwahahahhaaa bwahahahahhahabwahahahhaaa bwahahahahhahabwahahahhaaa bwahahahahhahabwahahahhaaa bwahahahahhahabwahahahhaaa bwahahahahhahabwahahahhaaa bwahahahahhahabwahahahhaaa bwahahahahhahabwahahahhaaa bwahahahahhahabwahahahhaaa bwahahahahhahabwahahahhaaa bwahahahahhahabwahahahhaaa bwahahahahhahabwahahahhaaa bwahahahahhahabwahahahhaaa bwahahahahhahabwahahahhaaa bwahahahahhahabwahahahhaaa bwahahahahhahabwahahahhaaa bwahahahahhahabwahahahhaaa bwahahahahhahabwahahahhaaa bwahahahahhahabwahahahhaaa bwahahahahhahabwahahahhaaa bwahahahahhahabwahahahhaaa bwahahahahhahabwahahahhaaa bwahahahahhahabwahahahhaaa bwahahahahhahabwahahahhaaa bwahahahahhahabwahahahhaaa bwahahahahhahabwahahahhaaa bwahahahahhahabwahahahhaaa bwahahahahhahabwahahahhaaa bwahahahahhahabwahahahhaaa bwahahahahhahabwahahahhaaa bwahahahahhahabwahahahhaaa bwahahahahhahabwahahahhaaa bwahahahahhahabwahahahhaaa bwahahahahhahabwahahahhaaa bwahahahahhahabwahahahhaaa bwahahahahhahabwahahahhaaa bwahahahahhahabwahahahhaaa bwahahahahhahabwahahahhaaa bwahahahahhahabwahahahhaaa bwahahahahhahabwahahahhaaa bwahahahahhahabwahahahhaaa bwahahahahhahabwahahahhaaa bwahahahahhahabwahahahhaaa bwahahahahhaha

[opihimoimoi]

5. Ari lost his creds a long time ago....despite numerous search attempts, never found them again

He even hired private searchers....no luck....

[olegramps]

7. The right wing nuts are totally delusional.

[opihimoimoi]

25. Delusion allows them to skirt the obvious... rejecting Reality & Truth

is another way of puting it

[KharmaTrain]

6. Purposely Naive...But That's Our Ari...

You can always count on this turd with ears to spew a spin that is so simplistic it's raw meat for the wingnuts and the corporate media while the rest of us see it for the manure it is.

Ahmaddinejad won over the "reformers" because of the "axis of evil" of his ex-boss georgie boooosh. All back channels were shut, even when Iran was cooperative in the days following 9/11. The 1979 mindset was to use Iran as another convenient boogieman...memories (especially of the wingnuts) of 1979 and the hostage crisis still run deep and the boooosh regime was as much about settling past scores as it was in "reforming".

Just like booooshie overplayed his hand...blew out the economy and discredited his entire regime, so has Ahmadinejad. In Iran's limited political system, real reform took the face of another right winger...one who claims not to be as extremist, but that isn't that hard to be. Ahmadinejad lost support of the young (a major force emerging inside Iran) but the power is still very much in the cleric, right wing hands. Either way, to improve and try to bring the country together, whomever emerges as the winner will have to appear to be less confrontational...playing into opening dialogue with the U.S. It's 180 degrees from what Ari and his neo-con asshats had predicted...but then they have never been right.

[caraher]

15. See, Ari was right

Bush deserves credit for what we are seeing today because if he hadn't provided a hostile outside threat for the Iranian hardliners to rally against they wouldn't have had Ahmadidinejad in office. Without his presidency the reformists would not be bravely fighting for democracy. So we can only "thank" Bush for the present drama.

How can we have stories of brave people fighting for freedom without oppressive villains for them to fight against? :sarcasm:

[JaneQPublic]

8. And the peace and prosperity during Clinton's administration were the result of...

...Ronald Reagan.

Typical Repuke: Grab credit for everything positive that happens when the Dems are in power but deny responsibility for all the negative that happens when they are in power.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

10. And, of course blame the previous Democratic Administration for anything negative

:eyes:

[liberalmuse]

9. This little weasel is such a tool.

And the sad thing is, he really believes that the little fantasy playing in his head is real. Poor Ari. How would it be to feel like you have to follow Bush around with a poopie bag and pick up after him for the rest of your miserable life?

[Veruca Salt]

11. I just threw up a little in my mouth.

:puke:

[chelsea0011]

12. You can say anything because the media only reports what you say

How many repukes since Obama has returned have called his speech an apology mad not once have I seen any media type ask them exactly where the apology was read. It never happened but no one will challenge their talking points. Same here. Ari spouts and no one will counter.

[Johonny]

13. So we can totally blame Bush for the fixed elections in Iran

good to know. Iran's total fake elections. Totally Bushes fault. Thanks Ari.

[marmar]

14. Why does Ari feel he still needs to whore?

Apologies to legitimate sex workers.

[jpak]

18. You can't spell LIAR without ARI

:evilgrin:

[jpak]

16. Well that didn't take long....

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=5849078&mesg_id=5849078

[struggle4progress]

23. Actually, I went looking for this after reading that post -- but couldn't remember where I'd seen it

[Vickers]

17. How soon they forget Reagan...

:(

[WeDidIt]

19. Ahamadi-nejad was the response to tough Bush policies

Moderation in Iran is a direct reaction to Barack Obama.

[underpants]

20. Ahcma.. repeatedly played them (like everyone else) he stoke the fire and they responded

and Iranians (they have nationalism too) defended their own and his ratings went up

If they had not talked about him he would not have been re-elected (if he was) Obama knew this and stayed silent

[AzDar]

21. In a way, he's right. The Iranians, courtesy of GW Bush, now see how even

ONE stolen election can RUIN a perfectly good country.

They ain't gonna let it happen there.
Good for them.

[Joanne98]

22. HAHAHAHAHA! Hasn't he found a real job yet?

[nadinbrzezinski]

24. Uh shat up Ari, though that does not shock me

you guys would take credit for anything OTHERS are doing, in this case the youth