Different Kind of Politics, Huh?

Let me know when the politics get different, will you? Here's what Senator Barack Obama had to say in Israel yesterday, according to The Guardian:

"I will take no options off the table in dealing with Iranian threat," Obama told an audience in the Israeli town of Sderot, which has been the frequent target of rocket attacks from Gaza until last month's truce with Hamas. "What remains of non-proliferation would disintegrate. Many of these countries have ties to terrorists. That is our single most important threat."

World must prevent Iran from getting nuclear weapon, says Barack Obama

How wonderfully different. We've never heard that one before, have we? Has anyone else gone to Israel and made a speech threatening Iran before?

JERUSALEM (AP) — In a stern warning to Iran, President Bush said "all options are on the table" if the Iranians refuse to comply with international demands to halt their nuclear program, pointedly noting he has already used force to protect U.S. security.

Bush: 'All options are on the table' regarding Iran's nuclear aspirations

Well, hey, that was three years ago. What about last month?

US President George W Bush says he wants to pursue diplomacy to deal with Iran's controversial nuclear programme, but "all options are on the table".

Mr Bush and German Chancellor Angela Merkel said further sanctions against Iran were possible.

Bush warns Iran of 'all options'

Everyone appears to have forgotten the report that finally emerged last December from our own intelligence services. It said that Iran gave up its nuclear weapons programs back in 2003:

We judge with high confidence that in fall 2003, Tehran halted its nuclear weapons program. [W]e also assess with moderate-to-high confidence that Tehran at a minimum is keeping open the option to develop nuclear weapons. We judge with high confidence that the halt, and Tehran’s announcement of its decision to suspend its declared uranium enrichment program and sign an Additional Protocol to its Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Safeguards Agreement, was directed primarily in response to increasing international scrutiny and pressure resulting from exposure of Iran’s previously undeclared nuclear work.

Iran: Nuclear Intentions and Capabilities

So do the Administration or Obama say that this is a hopeful sign, and that we look forward to greater cooperation in the future? No. These guys still behave as if Ahmadinijad and Co. are building the things in their basements. They issue threats and behave as if war is just over the horizon. What motivation does Iran have to avoid developing nukes? None that I can see. If our behavior toward Pakistan is any example, we'll threaten them until the moment they actually set one off.

I guess the urge act like his idiot predecessor is too compelling for Obama to ignore. Not exactly a good sign, given how things have been.