Before Iran's "Green" revolt, Obama's efforts to engage made good sense. Engagement is a euphemism for direct talks without preconditions - something the Bush White House avoided. Direct talks would permit Washington and Tehran, at minimum, to put their demands and red lines on the table without intermediaries, reducing misunderstandings. If talks failed, and Washington had to take tougher measures and rally the support of other nations, Obama could point out that he had tried diplomacy.