What did you think of President Obama’s press conference today? I was glad that while he spent some time on health care and the environment, the focus was clearly on Iran.   He opened the press conference with some pretty strong words:

“The United States and the international community have been appalled and outraged by the threats, beatings, and imprisonments of the last few days. I strongly condemn these unjust actions, and I join with the American people in mourning each and every innocent life that is lost.”

He went on to talk about how even though he didn’t condone the violence in Iran that it remained to be seen how things would turn out and therefore there would be no action from the US.   He repeated this over and over as various reporters tried to get him to say something about various would be scenarios. My favorite line from the entire press conference was the one below, for me it really gets at why the internet’s response to Iran is so important:

“But we must also bear witness to the courage and dignity of the Iranian people, and to a remarkable opening within Iranian society.”

Another moment that stood out was when Obama called on The Huffington Post to ask a question.  The reason for singling the online site out was that they had been seeking questions from actual Iranians.  See the video below.

I have to agree with this piece that says that Obama singled out the Huffington Post reporter in order to seem more responsive to the people of Iran. But despite the staging of it, I think what Obama said was pretty great and the fact that the stream on internet information is being considered by The White House is really encouraging. Lets just hope that Iran does what Obama says he wishes would happen - that the government of Iran recognizes the voices and desires of their people.