By Dale McFeatters
Scripps Howard News Service
The agreement between Presidents Barack Obama and Dmitry Medvedev to reduce and secure the American and Russian stocks of nuclear arms was generally well received worldwide, especially in Europe and Asia.
But not in Iran. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the clear front-runner for the title of world's most annoying national leader, saw it as a thinly disguised form of nuclear bullying.
``American materialist politicians, whenever they are beaten by logic, immediately resort to their weapons like cowboys," he said in a speech. Even the most hot-blooded Tea Partier, still seething over health-care reform, has never accused Obama of being a cowboy. That would be George W. Bush. If Ahmadinejad is going to vilify U.S. presidents, he could at least keep them straight.
Perhaps the Iranian leader was rattled by the prospect of Russia and even China becoming more receptive to the idea of stepped-up U.N. sanctions to pressure Iran into abandoning any plans for nuclear weapons.
At the treaty signing, Medvedev said, ``Tehran is not reacting to a range of suggested constructive compromise. We can't close our eyes to this. That is why I do not exclude that (the U.N.) Security Council will have to examine this question again."
Perhaps that setback explains the extremely personal edge to Ahmadinejad's remarks. Implying that the U.S. president was green and untested, he said, ``Mr. Obama. You are a newcomer. Wait until your sweat dries and get some experience."
Finishing up the insults, he said American presidents ``bigger than you, more bullying than you, couldn't do a damn thing, let alone you."
It's almost as if he's trying to goad Obama into taking a swing at him. Leader by way of a corrupt election. His government despised. His people weary of Iran's pariah status. The economy at a standstill. Treated as a buffoon by other world leaders. One suspects that he would welcome a distraction.
Dale McFeatters is a Scripps Howard editorial writer.