Here’s your Saturday open line. Plus:
* IRAN: What do you think of the news of the Iranian prisoner exchange?
Somebody remarked to me that Sen. Tom Cotton seemed almost disappointed: The temporary detention of U.S. soldiers who ventured into Iranian waters, resolved quickly, and now this swap might be seen by some as proof of the value of diplomacy. But to Cotton, and other Republicans, there’s nothing that doesn’t reflect badly on Barack Obama — high gas prices or low gas prices; high jobless or low jobless; release of prisoners, quick or as part of a long-sought deal.
Cotton is happy Americans are coming home, but it sounds like he views it as kind of a mixed blessing because it’s just more appeasement of the ayatollah.
“Today the four Americans who have been unjustly held in in Iran are finally returning home and we welcome them with open arms. They and their families have been through unspeakable pain and suffering and their freedom brings relief to not only them, but the entire country.
“But in our elation over their safe return we must be careful not to forget the dangerous circumstances of their release. President Obama has appeased Iran’s terror-sponsoring ayatollahs, this time with a ‘prisoner’ swap to secure the overdue release of four innocent American hostages in return for which Iran gets seven lawfully convicted terrorists and criminals, fourteen terrorism prosecutions halted, $100 billion in sanctions relief, and an industrial-scale nuclear program-and Iran gets to keep Americans Siamak Namazi and Robert Levinson to extract future concessions. While we exult in the return of American hostages, one must also wonder how many more Americans will be taken hostage in the future as a result of President Obama’s shameful decision to negotiate with these terrorists.”
I guess we should have just bombed them until the prisoners were released.