State Deptartment on Khatami (italics mine): “We recognize that former President Khatami headed a regime that is a leading sponsor of terrorism, human rights abuses, and, presided over Iran’s secret nuclear program which is now the focus of possible UN action. After careful deliberation, however, we determined that issuing Mr. Khatami a limited visa, and allowing Mr. Khatami to present his views directly to the American people, will demonstrate to Iran that the United States upholds its commitment to freedom and democracy.”

ME: Oh, well thank goodness for that. Many of us, after all, have just been twisting ourselves in knots over whether Iran thinks we are free and democratic enough. It’s good to see that, when it’s not burning up Bob Novak’s phone line, the State Department is still beamed like a laser on the things that really matter to Americans.

Does the State Department really think that ordinary Iranians who actually care about freedom and democracy want us to give a visa to the former mullah-picked figure-head of the totalitarian regime that terrorizes them? Just who is it we are trying to impress here?