At the new mainstream voice of the Democratic Party, Daily Kos, diaries praising Mahmoud Ahmadinejad are pouring out of the Kidz: Daily Kos: Ahmadenijad [sic] @ Columbia: the Video.

No wonder those that are beating the war drums against Iran didn’t want Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to speak any place American might hear him. Thanks to Columbia University and CPAN he was heard by many.  He sounds entirely to reasonable. Hearing his own word doesn’t help the cause of demonizing him as a madman and the most recent Hitler. This is someone we definitely should be talking to. so in the interest of promoting peace and knowledge, I present these short excerpts from his talk at Columbia University today.

UPDATE at 9/24/07 5:14:08 pm:

Here’s another one: Daily Kos: Ahmadinejab in the US: What it says about us.

Why is it that we can’t host him in our country and allow him to be interviewed without having the press sounding even more like agents of the White House than Bush himself (see Sunday’s 60 minutes)? Why can’t our press and for that matter the President of Columbia, ask the hard questions that Iranian President Ahmadinejad needs to answer on his statements and most importantly on the actions of his government without spewing bile?

Ahmadinejab, like Bush, will be judged by the world on his words and actions.

It would have been preferable to demonstrate our free press and independent academia by properly hosting and interviewing him. Ask him the tough questions in a respectful manner and share the facts we have in the areas we are concerned about. He will present himself for what he is. Our citizens and those of the world could have made their own minds up as to which people had the better approach, system and leadership.

I have no doubt that some of his statements would have been seen for what they were: the statements of a politician with an extreme constituency back home. Who does that sound like on the world stage?

What are we afraid of and what are media reporters afraid of if they host a professional interview? All in all I ashamed at how we have comported ourselves and what we have shown ourselves to be.

UPDATE at 9/24/07 5:53:17 pm:

Here’s a diary that doesn’t support the mini-Hitler: Daily Kos: Ahmadinejad, Women and Gays.

With a grand total of 2 comments as of this writing.

This doesn’t seem to be a very popular view over there.

I have been reading with disbelief some of the diaries posted here that appear to be favorable to Ahmadinejad.

This is supposed to be a Democratic website.

So tell me, how does excusing a person who murders gays and represses women, fit in with Democrats?

I thought we were the ones who support women and gays.