GUESS WHO'S COMING FOR DINNER? - AT 8:49 A.M. ET:  Our friend Banafsheh Zand-Bonazzi, guiding light of Planet Iran, alerts us to a possible pilgrimage by that prince of peacemaking, Mr. Excitement himself, John Kerry.  The Wall Street Journal reports:

WASHINGTON -- Sen. John Kerry has suggested becoming the first high-level U.S. emissary to make a public visit to Tehran since the 1979 Islamic revolution, a move White House officials say they won't oppose.

Why would this White House oppose begging?

The offer comes as mass protests against Iran's regime are resurfacing and a U.S.-imposed deadline nears to broach international sanctions against Iran.

Oh, the inconvenience of all those democracy types. 

"This sounds like the kind of travel a chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee would -- and should -- undertake," said a White House official, adding it would be at Sen. Kerry's own behest.

Translated into the people's English:  Get your butt over there, John.  We'll give you something to offer them.  Get us out of this!

Many opponents of Tehran's regime oppose such a visit, fearing it would lend legitimacy to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad at a time when his government is under continuing pressure from protests and opposition figures. Hundreds of thousands of demonstrators took to the streets again this week to voice their opposition to the government following the death of a reformist cleric.

Amen.  Anything that needs to be said can be said in negotiations already underway.  And those negotiations are stalemated.

"The wrong message would be sent to the Iranian people by such a high-level visit: The U.S. loves dictatorial regimes," said Hossein Askari, a professor at George Washington University and former adviser to Iranian governments.

And...

Mr. Obama has given Iran until year-end to respond to international calls for direct negotiations over Tehran's nuclear program before facing new economic sanctions. Many U.S. and European officials believe the window for diplomacy with Iran is rapidly closing, as Tehran has largely balked.

COMMENT:  A Kerry trip would look like an act of desperation.  Not a good idea.  Tough sanctions are a good idea, although it's unlikely we'll get them.

The president will probably not be able to avoid a serious confrontation with Iran in 2010.  How he handles it, with or without John Kerry, will have a profound effect on the future of his presidency.

December 24, 2009