Jeffrey Goldberg: Iran Holds ‘Fake Election in a Fake Democracy’

ABC News

Below you can find some of the notable comments made Sunday on “This Week with George Stephanopoulos.” Roundtable guests included ABC News’ George Will, ABC News Chief Global Affairs Correspondent Martha Raddatz, former Defense Department and CIA chief of staff Jeremy Bash, Bloomberg View columnist Jeffrey Goldberg, Democratic strategist and ABC News contributor Donna Brazile, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, and Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill.

GOLDBERG: Essentially this is a fake election and a fake democracy. Let’s not kid ourselves about what we’re dealing with here. These are hand picked candidates by the supreme leader who are running for president. With that said this guy is a smoother operator, he does seem more moderate in his economic approach, he does seem less confrontational. And remember, the leader of Iran is the supreme leader, I mean they call him supreme leader for a reason right? He’s the supreme leader. He sets national security policy. He sets foreign policy. He sets nuclear policy. So let’s not forget where the power lies in that country.

Gingrich criticizes Obama administration’s handling of national security

GINGRICH: This is an administration that does almost nothing that is methodical, careful, professional in national security. I mean, they don’t take the advice of generals.

Bash says CIA worried about Snowden’s escape to China

BASH: Very, very worried. Every day he’s in China, Jon, I think erodes his claim that he’s a whistleblower. The information he has in his head, and maybe on his person, or on his computer, or on his thumb drive is very valuable to the Chinese; they are very interested in it. If they haven’t exploited it already, I suspect they soon will be.

Goldberg calls decision to arm Syrian rebels “the worst of all possible worlds”

GOLDBERG: This is the worst of all possible worlds.This is dipping a toe in. It’s signaling that we’re in, but we’re not really in. No one believes, including the president I believe, no one believes that these small arms are going to change the balance of this war.

Will explains Chris Christie’s favorable ratings from both Democrats and Republicans

WILL: His message is his persona. His persona is the ‘I don’t give a damn’ politician. I’m gonna be what I am, get over it. I’m large, I’m loud, accept me. But he’s going to say look, I can carry a blue state.

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2013/06/jeffrey-goldberg-iran-holds-fake-election-in-a-fake-democracy/