I am watching MSNBC’s Morning Joe. Joe Scarborough is going off the rails by mischaracterizing John McCain’s statement to the Huffington Post. McCain said:
"I know what side I’m on," McCain cut in. "I’m on the side of the people. I’m not on Ahmadinejad’s side or Mousavi. I’m on the side of the Iranian people and I’m on the right side of history. And I’m not going to walk on the other side of the street while people are being killed and beaten in the streets of Iran."
This seems clearly the right answer. There is plenty of evidence that Mousavi is a thug. It is clear that Ahmadinajad is … bad.
But you can be on the side of a process that empowers the people with honest elections.
McCain’s point is that President Barack Obama called people getting beaten up and killed in the streets an "robust" "debate". Obama has no instinctual interest in defending human rights. This fundamental problem for Obama and much of the left was nicely characterized by EJ Dionne earlier this week in the Post.
That’s something to be outraged about. Both sides are going off the rails on this issue.