Likewise, recent Iranian protests inspired by the Egyptian and Tunisian revolts have been stymied by force.  "Just as the people of the region have insisted that they have a choice in how they are governed, so do the governments of the region have a choice in their response," Obama stated. "So far, the Iranian government has responded by demonstrating that it cares far more about preserving its own power than respecting the rights of the Iranian people."  With the collapse of autocratic governments in Egypt and Tunisia and amid the threat pro-democracy uprisings pose to others, the Obama administration has repeatedly sought to portray Ahmadinejad's government as a hypocritical and meaner sibling of other repressive and dictatorial Middle Eastern regimes.  The U.S. has accused the Iranian government of hypocrisy for comparing the Tunisia and Cairo uprisings to Iran's own 1979 Islamic revolution, while crushing its own protesters.  In Obama's 2011 Sunday commemoration of Nowruz, the president addressed only the Iranian people and not their government. The message was also specifically aimed at young people.  "You, the young people of Iran -- carry within you both the ancient greatness of Persian civilization, and the power to forge a country that is responsive to your aspirations," Obama stated. "And though times may seem dark, I want you to know that I am with you."  In 2009, Obama told Iran's leaders that his administration was seeking "engagement that is honest and grounded in mutual respect." In 2010, the president chided the Iranian government for its violent suppression of peaceful demonstrators.
President Barack Obama on Sunday used his annual commemoration of Nowruz, the Persian New Year, to underscore his administration's repeated argument that the Iranian government is on the wrong side...