The protests in Iran are growing. Today hundreds of thousands took to the streets of Tehran to mourn the deaths of those killed in the post election protests and to continue to protest the results of the recent election. People who have lived their entire lives under the Iranian theocracy where the slightest dissent is met with swift and often lethal punishment are standing up and demanding freedom over tyranny. They are risking everything to make their voices heard to the Mullahs and the world. Meanwhile in the safety and comfort of the White House, Barack Obama is voting "present".

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Just as he did through a large portion of his legislative career, Barack Obama is remaining non-committal; waiting to see which way the political winds blow before declaring a position. Perhaps he's hoping not to have to declare a position at all. Let other people risk their lives while he refuses to risk an ounce of political capital. That's not leadership and it's not presidential.

Mr. Obama's initial statements on the matter (condemning violence against protesters but saying he didn't want to meddle in Iran's domestic situation), were as courageous as stating he's in favor of ice cream and puppies. But as the week (and the protests) went on he stepped further away from taking a stand by all but dismissing the effect the protestors might have saying “Either way, the United States is “going to be dealing with an Iranian regime that has historically been hostile to the United States, that has caused some problems in the neighborhood and is pursuing nuclear weapons." (source) How does he know that true change will not come to the people of Iran because of their protests? Has he cornered the market on hope and change worldwide?

Of course if the current Iranian regime stays in power nothing will change regardless of what our President says now. He needn't worry about offending the Mullahs and Ahmadinejad. They already hate us despite our his compulsive and completely ineffective diplomatic overtures. And while opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi may not be radically different, the protests this election has started could lead to real hope and change for the people of Iran.

On Wednesday Representative Eric Cantor (R-Virginia) said, “Now is the time for us to show our support with the Iranian people. I would like to see a strong statement from [President Obama] that has moral clarity.” (source)

I'd like to see that too. And I'll bet so would hundreds of thousands of Iranians.