Obama takes on Iran in weekly radio address

Fresh off a week of dialogue with international leaders, President Barack Obama on Saturday said the world is more united than ever before in opposition to Iran’s nuclear program.

Obama become the first U.S. president to preside over a meeting of the United Nations Security Council and then went to Pittsburgh to meet with leaders at the G-20 economic summit.

In his weekly radio address, he cited evidence presented on a secret uranium-enrichment facility in Iran, and he said the country must change course on its nuclear ambitions or “face consequences.”

“Iran’s leaders must now choose – they can live up to their responsibilities and achieve integration with the community of nations, or they will face increased pressure and isolation, and deny opportunity to their own people,” Obama said.

He added that negotiations with Iran that are set to begin next week will now take on added significance.

“My offer of a serious, meaningful dialogue to resolve this issue remains open,” Obama said. “But Iran must now cooperate fully with the International Atomic Energy Agency, and take action to demonstrate its peaceful intentions.”

In the Republican address, Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.) focused exclusively on the healthcare debate, saying the bill that was taken up this week by the Senate Finance Committee “looks an awful lot like the Democrats' earlier proposals.”

He said the current proposals will lead to higher taxes that small businesses and the American people can’t afford, and he accused Democrats of drafting legislation that will lead to cuts in Medicare.

“Americans are rightly concerned about the rush to pass a massive overhaul that will raise their taxes, lower their quality of care and put government between them and their doctor,” Isakson said.

He added: “They also are concerned about the heavy-handed approach the Democrats have taken, such as demonizing regular citizens for asking questions about their plans and imposing a gag order on insurers for suggesting anyone might lose benefits under the Democrats’ plan.”

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