BREAKING NEWS: Iran Agrees to Nuclear Talks for First Time Ever

[Joe Biden is your president. Deal with it.]

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Obama 2009-2017!

[Yank2133]

Well.....at least this makes Monday's debate watchable.

[Grumpier Than Thou]

My mom said just this morning that Obama was going to do exactly this.

[Ty440]

October Surprise! YES! YES! YES!

[LiberalJunkie]

This is Amazing news!

[The world will shine with light in our nightmare]

FORWARD!

[Brittain33]

Fantastic news!

Our sanctions have absolutely tanked Iran's economy this year. It's been a successful policy and totally at odds with the caricature of Obama weakening America and apologizing to everyone in sight.

[ilikeverin]

Good, good! (as both a partisan and as a human being)

[Oakvale]

Has this actually been confirmed? Link?

[The world will shine with light in our nightmare]

Has this actually been confirmed? Link?

http://bostonglobe.com/news/world/2012/10/20/iran-agree-nuclear-talks/jOhNkk3KIdREiXDIVfUv2I/story.html

[Frodo]

This wouldn't be the first time Iran has done this, and it wouldn't be the first time all of us became seized with false hope.  

But this bodes well for President Obama on Monday.  

[Joe Biden is your president. Deal with it.]

Has this actually been confirmed? Link?

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/21/world/iran-said-ready-to-talk-to-us-about-nuclear-program.html?emc=na&_r=1&

[Vosem]

If Obama handles this right, it could win him the election. But he has to work fast to prevent Romney from 'defining' this event -- which Romney could still do; in the talking-points-world, it opens him up to charges of 'negotiating with terrorists', and in the real-world, it's unclear whether Khamenei has signed off on this and even the NYT has noted the possibility that 'this is a stalling tactic by Iran to get nuclear weapons'.

Is it a positive for Obama? Probably. But does it have to be, if he fumbles or Romney handles this skillfully? No.

So, basically:

This wouldn't be the first time Iran has done this, and it wouldn't be the first time all of us became seized with false hope.  

But this bodes well for President Obama on Monday.  

EDIT: Going to trust Oakvale on this one, too (I doubt he'd say it if it wasn't true):

The White House is denying it FWIW.... don't get your hopes up.

[Oakvale]

The White House is denying it FWIW.... don't get your hopes up.

[Snowstalker Mk. II]

If this is true, the fascists will of course spin this as "the black is weak on protecting America!".

again, trolling to piss off the trolls

[RogueBeaver]

David Gergen saying this looks like an admin plant v. public denial. Others saying this could just be a previously scheduled P5 session.

NYT: "In principle" now added.

[Likely Voter]

With the WH denying it I dont see how it helps Obama in the debate.

Here is official statement

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[Vosem]

Could be a sneaky Romney campaign thing -- reminding voters that the negotiations haven't happened (without making Romney or someone associated with him call for them themselves) and making the WH look bad. Probably not, the WH can achieve looking bad on its own.

[Speed of Sound]

Could be a sneaky Romney campaign thing -- reminding voters that the negotiations haven't happened (without making Romney or someone associated with him call for them themselves) and making the WH look bad. Probably not, the WH can achieve looking bad on its own.

This is what I see at this point, too. Brilliant stuff, really. From a purely strategic standpoint, it's wonderfully cunning. Romney is as horrifically wrong on the issue of Iran as one can be, and his Presidency would be a foreign disaster, but if his men are behind this, it's at least a well made move.


I'm praying that they're just holding off the announcement a tad for some reason and just doing it a little awkwardly.

[J. J.]

Even if true, it will be a "negotiation from strength" argument. 

[Donerail]

If this is true, the fascists will of course spin this as "the black is weak on protecting America!".

Why would the Obama campaign try to make it look like Obama is weak on protecting America?

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

I suspect that this has far more to do with Iranian politics than American politics.  What has been said so far doesn't seem to benefit either campaign.

[pbrower2a]

The White House is denying it FWIW.... don't get your hopes up.

It is bad diplomacy to brag about impending successes. So far I will go along with the successful Bush I/Clinton diplomacy and trust in intelligence agencies that President Obama has adopted from January 2009.  

The Iranian regime has something to offer -- and something to get. Maybe survival. Our President ordinarily gets diplomatic matters right.  

[Spanish Moss]

If this is true, the fascists will of course spin this as "the black is weak on protecting America!".

Why would the Obama campaign try to make it look like Obama is weak on protecting America?

ZING!

[NHI]

With the WH denying it I dont see how it helps Obama in the debate.

Here is official statement

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A side note: In my opinion this is the Iranians trying to play with the American elections.