Posted by Mark Silva at 11:36 am CDT
Don't hold your breath waiting for the public debate that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is seeking with President Bush over Iran's right to enrich uranium.
Certainly not at the United Nations -- where the leaders of two nations which have not had diplomatic relations since the Iranian hostage crisis nearly three decades ago both plan to address the General Assembly on Sept. 19. The White House vowed today that this will not be "a steel cage grudge match between the president and Ahmadinejad.''
It was Tony Snow, the White House press secretary and former Fox TV and radio news commentator, who was making both Worldwide Wrestling Federation and cable television talk show analogies about the appearances today, as he spoke with reporters aboard Air Force One en route to the president's delivery of another address about the war on terror in Georgia.
"You may recall, President Ahmadinejad spoke last year at the U.N. General Assembly,'' Snow said, downplaying the idea that there is anything significant about both leaders speaking there this year. "I believe that's where he thought people perceived a halo. And it was standard practice at the General Assembly to have heads of state attend and, if they wish, speak. So it's standard procedure.''
But is Bush at all concerned that Ahmadinejad, who has been calling for a public debate over the United States' objections to Iran's enrichment of nuclear fuel, will get that forum at the UN?
(The Iranians insist that they are developing a civilian nuclear power program. The White House smells an atomic bomb. The UN Security Council has demanded that Iran cease its enrichment.)
"There's not going to be a steel cage grudge match between the president and Ahmadinejad,'' Snow said. "The president will deliver his speech and at some other juncture, President Amhadinejad, if the General Assembly so decides, will speak. This is not going to be a U.N. version of "Crossfire.'''







Comments
Pesident DumDum won't speak to any country that he doesn't like.
It's part of his foreign policy that was outlined by an angry third grader.
Posted by: John E. | September 7, 2006 11:55 AM
Bush would "CHICKEN"out just like the Viet Nam days.
Or,he'd have to have a transmitter on his back so someone could tell him what to say.
Then he could say "it's hard word amanajad".
Or,he could call his daddy,and Papa Bush will fix it for him.
Posted by: Raving loon | September 7, 2006 12:09 PM
Without the radio transmitions uttered in his ear by Dumbya's 'Brain by Proxy', aka, Darth Cheney and KKKarl Rove, Bush couldn't debate his way out of a paper bag, let alone a 'steel cage'. The funniest thing would be counting how many times the dim-wit said, 'nukular', and 'ummm'.
As impossible as it seems, Ahmadinejad would make Dumbya look like an even bigger idiot than he already has proven to be.
Posted by: B Grice | September 7, 2006 12:15 PM
Man, I was hoping for the rope match where the combatants are tied together. Insert your own joke here:
OFF TO WASHINGTON: Clay Aiken in line to be named to President's Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities, the White House said Wednesday. It figures Bush's a Claymate.
Posted by: Bill | September 7, 2006 12:36 PM
We apparently care what Osama bin Laden thinks - isn't that why President Bush is quoting him nowadays on the campaign stump? Why not listen to what the President of Iran has to say?
Posted by: Bud McFarlin | September 7, 2006 1:29 PM
The sad thing about a debate between Dubya,and the President of Iran.
The President of Iran is a moron,who has an engineering degree,and is well spoken.
President Chimpy McFlightsuit hasn't even mastered the english language yet,and he has a degree in putting his silver boot in his mouth.
This,my friends,would be an interesting debate.
Posted by: John E. | September 7, 2006 1:38 PM
It figures you loony, pro-head-chopping terrorist left-wing loons believe Bush or anyone from the U.S. for that matter should even dignify the presence of Ahmadinejad with any kind of debate.
This man, who took part in the hostage crisis in 1979-1980 and who wants to take Israel off the face of the map, who denies the Holocause ever happened, has the support of the loony left-wing kooks. As I've stated previously, the loony left is just as much an enemy of the U.S. and western world as are Al Qaeda.
Posted by: John D | September 7, 2006 1:48 PM
Has it occurred to anyone that the incessant use of these cute names (President Chimpy McFlightsuit) really just drops you down to the just mentioned president's level. There is no doubt Bush has had successes, but his failures far outweigh them. But using this as an excuse to digress to the intelligence level of the average politician is not the way to go. Politicians show everyday that they are morons, so the last thing I want to do is put myself at that level. That said, a debate, between leaders of two nations!? I don't think Rod Serling OR Alfred Hitchcock could dream up something like that.
Posted by: Rob S | September 7, 2006 1:57 PM
I know you loony left wing conspiracy nuts are out there. Please explain this news item, since you folks think Bush flew airplanes into the WTC by remote control and then pushed a button to blow the buildings up floor-by-floor.
Here it is:
CAIRO, Egypt — Al-Jazeera aired on Thursday what it called previously unshown footage in which Al Qaeda chief Usama bin Laden is seen meeting with some of the Sept. 11 hijackers.
The station did not say how it obtained the video, which was produced by As-Sahab, Al Qaeda's media branch.
The video showed bin Laden sitting with his former lieutenant Mohammed Atef and Ramzi Binalshibh, another suspected planner of the Sept. 11,2001 suicide hijackings.
Atef, also known as Abu Hafs al-Masri, was killed by a U.S. airstrike in
Afghanistan in 2001. Binalshibh was captured four years ago in Pakistan
and is currently in U.S. custody, and this week U.S. President George W.
Bush announced plans to put him on military trial.
In the video, Bin Laden was wearing a dark robe and white head gear
walking outdoors in a mountainous area. He smiled as he received several
of what the tape said was several of the Sept. 11 hijackers.
Posted by: John D | September 7, 2006 2:19 PM
Come on Little Johnny D, lightin up a little.
Even undercover Bill has a sense of humor every once in a while.
Rob S ,you're wound a little tight to,chill out.
I know we're solving all the world's problems here,but don't take it all so serious,the politicians we pound on a daily basis don't.
Now,everybody take a deep breath,exhale,doesn't that feel better.
Dr.Loon
Posted by: Raving Loon | September 7, 2006 2:19 PM
Hey John D...
I have a photgraph of the buffoon Donald Rumsfeld with a big grin on this face shaking hands with Saddam Hussein. This was taken shortly after Hussein gassed the Kurds. If you wand it I can e-mail it to you and you can post in your bedroom.
As for Dubya Bush debating the Iranian President...that's a laugh.
Bush can't even speak correct English how can he possibly debate anyone on any kind of issues??
Posted by: Doug D. | September 7, 2006 2:27 PM
It's funny Dougy D and the rest of you left-wing loons. You folks continually insist Bush is a blithering idiot who can't debate the head-chopping, hostage-in-chief president of Iran. But it seems ole W cleaned Gore's clock in debates as well as John F Kerry. And that dummy was so smart he pulled off the biggest terrorist attack in worldwide history, if you believe you loony conspirary 9/11 theorists.
You folks don't have a clue how clueless you really are.
Posted by: John D | September 7, 2006 3:10 PM
JohnD...sticks and stones.....
Posted by: bill r. | September 7, 2006 3:26 PM
Bush didn't clean anyone's clocks. He was just parroting what was coming through from that box he was wearing on his back.
Posted by: Cheryl | September 7, 2006 3:47 PM
I WAS going to leave this one alone, but the points here are just plain too ridiculous to ignore.
As a full-fledged "Left Wing Loony Lib" I have to say it'd be pointless for Bush to get involved in this debate. In addition to the loss of dignity he'd face / we'd face in just acknowledging the Iranian entity otherwise known as Ahmdinejad, the whole exercise would be an utter waste of time the President could be better spending doing things that would really matter.
Bush has absolutely NOTHING to gain from a debate like this. From the American point of view, he MIGHT gain as much as 8 supporters (and, for the right-wingers, yes I AM pulling that number totally out of my **s). The people who believe Bush will probably still believe him after the debate's over, and those who don't will STILL think he's lying, in either case no matter whether he debates brilliantly or like a sedated slug. From the point of view of the Iranians, he's already lost. Did you think there would be any other outcome to this? Did you really? Whether he even shows up to the debate or not, whether he speaks well or not, Ahmadinejad's already the winner over there. He's David challenging Goliath, ferpetesake!
And WILL you people grow up? Good LORD, you'd think you were third graders! ALL of you!
Posted by: John | September 7, 2006 3:55 PM
I can see by the comments above that my earlier staments in other blogs have been confirmed. The communist/ socialist party is in bed and sympathetic with terrorists etc... they spit on america and would love nothing better than to see our president humiliated by this nutjob. (ps. georgie would kick his *** and yours to if you had the guts to show your face you nutty, nerdy, left wing, hose jobs. again i call on america to wake up and start a civil action against the democrat/ socialist party.
Posted by: rgh | September 7, 2006 10:19 PM
John and Rob S
Thank you.
RRD
Posted by: RRD | September 7, 2006 11:21 PM
This man, who took part in the hostage crisis in 1979-1980...
John D apparently knows more than our government as no one in our government has ever been able to verify this assertion. In fact, it is more likely this charge was fabricated to give the Iranian president a nice coat of stink to provide cover for those who do not want anything to do with negotiating with Iran.
John D, I don't mind all the name calling, but come with the facts next time.
Posted by: Rush | September 8, 2006 6:53 AM
It doesn't take a moron in a flightsuit to see that Iran is a master of delay tactics. The more they stall us and come up with ridiculous suggestions like this, the closer they come to going live with nuclear capability. Of course, our military could do something about this if it wasn't busy settling a personal vendetta for "Chimpy McFlightsuit".
Posted by: TMOTTB | September 8, 2006 8:14 AM
While there is no conclusive evidence that the Iranian president was a member of the thugs that held American hostage in Iran, there is strong suspicion by the hostages themselves.
But here is one article about it
http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/meast/06/30/iran.president/
By the way, again I love how the ultra-loony left is defending a man who denies the holocaust ever happened, who believes Israel should be "wiped off the face of the planet," who supports terrorism and is a terrorist himself.
As I've said before the ultra-loony left is just as much an enemy of the U.S. as is Al Qaeda.
Posted by: John D | September 8, 2006 10:07 AM
John D: nobody is defending the Iranian prez. Not one of the "loony left" blogs has said so. It's you guys who are conflating the terrorists overseas with people who don't agree with you.
And, by the way, why are you so scared of one insignificant leader of a not-so-significant country making wild threats? Why are you giving him so much credibility? Again, it's the fear-mongering that the right-wing does because it is essentially bankrupt when it comes to ideas or intellect. All you want is to kill and get revenge, and if they're Arabs or middle-eastern or just "other", then so much the better.
Posted by: GoMurtha | September 8, 2006 11:11 AM
Rob S and John,
Thank you for your thoughtful remarks. Unfortunately this blog is usually the rhetorical equivalent of a foodfight so it's always refreshing when people with normal mentalities weigh in.
I hope you two stay around. A couple more adults would be very welcome.
NOTE TO JOHN:
You might want to consider changing your screen name. There are a lot of "Johns" and it gets confusing.
Posted by: Juanito | September 8, 2006 11:54 AM
I know this is a stupid question, but what part of “Bush couldn’t debate his way out of a wet paper bag” has anything to do with supporting the Iranian president? This is just more of that right-wing garbage thrown out there like “if you say anything bad about us, then you must be for the enemy” You know John D and rgh must be getting nervous about the November elections by the amount of name-calling they’ve been putting in their posts lately.
Posted by: Rory M | September 8, 2006 2:03 PM
Actually, Rory the only name-calling i do is to refer to the far left as the loony left. And it's not name calling but being factual. And I've been labeling the far left the loony left for quite some time now, nothing recent about it.
Posted by: John D | September 8, 2006 2:35 PM