Americans demand the US Senate schedule hearings on Iran.

DoctorZin:

The US Senate is paralyzed on Iran. After months of inaction, last Friday the Senate passed a weakened version of Senator Santorum'’s bi-partisan resolution condemning Iran'’s President'’s recent statements on Israel. Yesterday, I posted a detailed, behind the scenes report on the resolution that has been largely ignored by the US media. Senate democrats refused language that:

• supported the people of Iran's desire to exercise self determination over the form of government of their country and
• supported a call for a national referendum in Iran with oversight by international observers and monitors to certify the integrity and fairness of the referendum.

More surprising is that Senator Lugar, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations committee had not cosponsored either resolution. We learned that a majority staffer objected to condemning the entire government of Iran and the call for a referendum with international observers. He reportedly said that we should be condemning President Ahmadinejad (vs. the entire government) and that "Iran just had elections and they chose the current leader." Such statements show a complete lack of understanding of the Iranian government’s electoral process. The regime chooses which candidates are permitted to run for office that they approve of and even these are fraudulent. Even Iran’s leaders agree they are fraudulent.

While we failed on this resolution, Senator Santorum (the author of resolution that failed and the author of the weakened version were passed last Friday) has also authored important legislation on Iran stalled in the US Senate, since February. That bill: The Iran Freedom and Support Act S. 333 is designed to hold the current regime in Iran accountable for its threatening behavior and to support a transition to democracy in Iran. To this day, Chairman Lugar has failed to call for hearings on the bill.

So after receiving yesterday'’s report on the situation, several Iranian satellite broadcasters (NITV and SOS Iran) asked their listeners, which include millions of Iranians, to call Chairman Lugar'’s office and their own Senator'’s office demanding hearings on the Iran Freedom and Support Act.

Blog Update:

The Corner warned that Senate democrats were playing politics with the future of the people of Iran.

Dean'’s World called "“deplorable"” the US Senate's "“betraying democratic values."

Ed Driscoll appeared shocked, saying: Regime Change Iran? I'm In Favor.

Atlas Shrugs asked her readers to call Lugar'’s office demanding hearings.

The blogosphere can join the effort to support real democracy in Iran here.

We are proud to say that this report has been posted at Pajamas Media.