WASHINGTON -- Key Republicans on Sunday urged President Barack Obama to do more to support protesters in Iran who have been clashing with security forces there over election results, underscoring the challenge the president faces in trying to strike the right balance in addressing fast-moving events in the Mideast country. "The president of the United States is supposed to lead the free world, not follow it," said Sen. Lindsay Graham (R., S.C.), on ABC's "This Week," adding that Mr. Obama was being "timid and passive." Under criticism at home and abroad over his approach to the Iran protests, Mr. Obama kept administration officials off the Sunday morning talk shows, according to White House officials. Instead, he relied on Democratic surrogates from Congress, they said. Sens. Robert Casey (D., Pa.) and Evan Bayh (D., Ind.) defended the president's cautious approach on Iran, saying he was striking a difficult balance by expressing sympathy for the protesters while not giving weight to Teheran's claims that the protests were being orchestrated by Washington and Europe.
WASHINGTON -- Key Republicans on Sunday urged President Barack Obama to do more to support protesters in Iran who have been clashing with security forces there over election results, underscoring the challenge the president faces in trying to strike the right balance in addressing fast-moving events in the Mideast country.
"The president of the United States is supposed to lead the free world, not follow it," said Sen. Lindsay Graham (R., S.C.), on ABC's "This Week," adding that Mr. Obama was being "timid and passive."
Under criticism at home and abroad over his approach to the Iran protests, Mr. Obama kept administration officials off the Sunday morning talk shows, according to White House officials. Instead, he relied on Democratic surrogates from Congress, they said. Sens. Robert Casey (D., Pa.) and Evan Bayh (D., Ind.) defended the president's cautious approach on Iran, saying he was striking a difficult balance by expressing sympathy for the protesters while not giving weight to Teheran's claims that the protests were being orchestrated by Washington and Europe.
