memeorandum: The Myth of the $12 Million Uighur (Stuart Beck/New York Times)

9:45 AM ET, June 21, 2009

Top Items:

A Supreme Leader Loses His Aura as Iranians Flock to the Streets — TEHRAN — The Iranian police commander, in green uniform, walked up Komak Hospital Alley with arms raised and his small unit at his side. “I swear to God,” he shouted at the protesters facing him, “I have children, I have a wife, I don't want to beat people.

WhiteHouse.gov Blog:

Statement from the President on Iran — The Iranian government must understand that the world is watching. We mourn each and every innocent life that is lost. We call on the Iranian government to stop all violent and unjust actions against its own people.

CNN:

Zakaria: ‘Fatal wound’ inflicted on Iranian regime's ideology — Editor's note: Fareed Zakaria is an author and foreign affairs analyst who hosts “Fareed Zakaria GPS” on CNN at 1 and 5 p.m. ET Sundays. — The decisive margin of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's victory in elections …

Discussion: NDN blogs, The Huffington Post and BBC

Glenn Kessler / Washington Post:

Cautious Response to Events in Iran Reflects Obama's Long-Term Approach — All last week, as hundreds of thousands of demonstrators surged through Tehran, President Obama resisted pressure to side with them against the Iranian government. — Yesterday, as murky images of clashes …

Discussion: This ain't Hell …, Associated Press and Israel Matzav

Reuel Marc Gerecht / New York Times:

The Koran and the Ballot Box — WHATEVER happens in Iran in the aftermath of this month's fraudulent elections, one thing is clear: we are witnessing not just a fascinating power struggle among men who've known each other intimately for 30 years, but the unraveling of the religious idea …

Discussion: The Daily Dish and American Power

Peter Beaumont / Guardian:
The urge to split the world into two warring camps is childish

Discussion: Samizdata.net, normblog and Telegraph

Naj / neo-resistance:
My translation of Mousavi's latest statement (persian text posted before)

Discussion: Newshoggers.com, niacINsight, Mashable!, ATTACKERMAN, Wake up America, Atlas Shrugs and The Washington Independent

Andrew Sullivan / The Daily Dish:
Mousavi's Latest Statement: “I Followed Them”

Discussion: Babylon & Beyond

Reuel Marc Gerecht / Weekly Standard:
The June 12 Revolution — Whatever happens in Tehran …

Discussion: Wolf Howling, Not Tucker Carlson, Commentary and Pajamas Media

James P. Pinkerton / Fox News:
Under Pressure, Obama Calls on Iran to End Violence, ‘Unjust’ Actions

Discussion: Gateway Pundit and Pajamas Media

Steve Clemons / The Huffington Post:
Biden-Obama Axis Shifts Biden's Way on Iran

Discussion: Weekly Standard

Mike Madden / Salon:
Mousavi: “I am prepared for martyrdom”

Discussion: Aljazeera, France24 and The Reaction

New York Times:

In Poll, Wide Support for Government-Run Health — Americans overwhelmingly support substantial changes to the health care system and are strongly behind one of the most contentious proposals Congress is considering, a government-run insurance plan to compete with private insurers, according to the latest New York Times/CBS News poll.

Discussion: Washington Monthly, DownWithTyranny!, Hullabaloo, American Power, Bob Cesca's Awesome Blog!, ECHIDNE OF THE SNAKES, Swampland and MyDD

Bruce Kesler / Maggie's Farm:

New York Times: McCain Voters Not Americans? — The New York Times, otherwise known as the Grey Lady, might more appropriately be known as Obama's Shady Lady. Believe its poll and get a Times Square disease. — The lead headline is about a NYT/CBS News Poll, trumpeting “Wide Support for Government-Run Health.”

Howard Kurtz / Washington Post:

Media Agreed to Stay Silent on Kidnapping of Reporter David Rohde — News Organizations Agreed to Protect Reporter's Safety — There were times during the kidnapping ordeal of New York Times reporter David Rohde when his boss wavered in his determination to suppress the story.

New York Times:
Times Reporter Escapes Taliban After 7 Months

Discussion: Wizbang, CNN, SpyTalk, Hot Air, Gawker, ATTACKERMAN, The World Newser, protein wisdom, The Moderate Voice, TalkLeft, The Atlantic Politics Channel, Washington Monthly and Air America Media blogs

Greg Mitchell / The Huffington Post:
Why We Joined the Media Blackout on Kidnapping of NYT Reporter

Discussion: Winds of Change.NET, NewsBusters.org and Sadly, No!

Keith B. Richburg / Washington Post:
U.S. Journalist Held Captive by Taliban Safely Escapes

Discussion: At-Largely

Patterico's Pontifications:

Contrast: Iranian Protestors Shot As Obama Goes for Ice Cream — Here are some Twitter messages I saw today from Change_for_Iran, a pro-Mousavi Iranian student, and Mark Knoller, CBS News White House Correspondent: — Change_for_Iran: — Knoller: — Change_for_Iran: — Knoller:

Discussion: Outside The Beltway, NewsBusters.org, Pajamas Media, The Rhetorican and Gateway Pundit

Patterico / Hot Air: Contrast: Iranian Protestors Shot As Obama Goes for Ice Cream

Steve Schippert / ThreatsWatch:

ThreatsWatch.Org - RapidRecon: Neda: The Voice of Iran — Her name was Neda. It means the ‘voice’ or the ‘call’ in Farsi. And in a struggle largely fueled by Iranian women's demands for rights, Neda most tragically becomes the Voice of Iran. — It is heartbreaking to watch, with her father screaming in unimaginable agony.

Discussion: Dr. Melissa Clouthier

Michael Isikoff / Newsweek:

Obama Closes Doors on Openness — From the magazine issue dated Jun 29, 2009 — As a senator, Barack Obama denounced the Bush administration for holding “secret energy meetings” with oil executives at the White House. But last week public-interest groups were dismayed …

Discussion: Clayton Cramer's BLOG

John Kass / Chicago Tribune:

Obama's political play should shock no one — It's amusing to watch the Washington political establishment feign shock, now that President Barack Obama's reform administration has used a clay foot to vigorously kick one inspector general and boot another out the door.

Discussion: PoliGazette, Not Tucker Carlson and Wizbang

Michael Ledeen / The Corner:

What Does Mousavi Think? — This may help clarify matters for those who wonder what the Iranian dissidents want. I posted it on my blog a while ago. As I said on my blog, we are all getting various things whose authenticity requires skepticism. I'm confident of the channel …

Discussion: The Other McCain, Power Line and Fausta's Blog

Mark Tran / News: News blog:

Iran protests: live — Iran is braced for the possibility of more bloody confrontations between protesters and security forces on the streets of Tehran. Follow live updates on the latest developments — 12.02pm: — This is a vivid, touching - and at times funny …

Discussion: The Daily Dish and The Raw Story