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July 01, 2009
Obama Backing of Zelaya Draws Criticism
Charles Krauthammer talks about Honduras and how wrong Obama is about it.
"Two weeks ago he refuses to meddle in a country where peaceful demonstrators are getting shot be a theocratic dictatorship. He doesn't want to choose sides. And, now he's eager to meddle on behalf of a president in Honduras who's a Chavez wannabe who's strong-arming his way to a referendum that has been declared illegal by his Supreme Court as a way to have a referendum to establish a assembly that will establish a new constitution that will be a Chavez-like dictatorship... Look a rule of thumb here is whenever you find yourself on the side of Hugo Chavez, Daniel Ortega and the Castro twins you ought to re-examine your assumptions."
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Supporters of Honduras' interim President, Roberto Micheletti
A man holds a banner against ousted president Manuel Zelaya during a rally at Morazan Square in central Tegucigalpa. Officials Tuesday ordered the arrest of ousted President Zelaya if he returns to Honduras after being expelled in an army-backed coup, as thousands of protesters took to the streets here.
(AFP/Jose Cabezas)
White House backing of Zelaya starts to draw criticism
by Bridget Johnson
The U.S. co-sponsored a successful U.N. resolution supporting Honduras's ousted leader Tuesday as Republicans began to speak out against the Obama administration's condemnation of the overthrow.
Manuel Zelaya, who was arrested and forced into exile Sunday, addressed the U.N. General Assembly after the unanimous vote on the resolution sponsored in part by Bolivia, Mexico, Venezuela and the United States.
"The resolution that the United Nations has just adopted unanimously ... expresses the indignation of the people of Honduras and the people worldwide," said Zelaya, who began his speech by thanking Venezuela and Ecuador.
President Obama, meeting with Colombian President Alvaro Uribe on Monday, said the U.S. would "stand with democracy" in the face of the overthrow.
"We believe that the coup was not legal and that President Zelaya remains the democratically elected president there," Obama said. "It would be a terrible precedent if we start moving backward into the era in which we are seeing military coups as a means of political transition rather than democratic elections."
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said Sunday that the ouster "should be condemned by all."
When contacted for comment by The Hill on Tuesday, the office of Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry (D-Mass.) said the senator was reserving comment until the situation in Honduras becomes clearer.
Zelaya planned to return to Honduras on Thursday accompanied by the head of the Organization of the American States, which was to meet in Washington after the U.N. session to formulate a response.
"I believe, if he — if he does come either today or tomorrow, that he will likely meet with officials from the State Department, some of whom, as I said, have been in contact," White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said in Tuesday's briefing, repeating this when pressed by a reporter about whether Zelaya would meet with Obama.
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has urged Zelaya to try to speak with Obama while in D.C., saying the American president's support would "deliver a major blow" to Honduras's interim government.
But that support for Zelaya, who was arrested and forced into exile on Sunday after pressing ahead with a constitutional referendum that would have allowed for his reelection, is gradually drawing more criticism of the White House.
"Manuel Zelaya trampled the Honduran Constitution by pushing for his illegal referendum to allow him to rule indefinitely, and by firing the top military official, General Romeo Vasquez Velasquez, when he refused to comply with Zelaya's unconstitutional orders," Rep. Connie Mack (R-Fla.) said in a statement to The Hill on Tuesday.
"There is little doubt that Zelaya, in his blatant power grab, has moved Honduras down a dangerous path toward less freedom, less security, and less prosperity. He consistently ignored the checks and balances which are essential to a democratic government."
The referendum had been judged illegal by Honduras's highest court and was opposed widely through political and military circles, including within Zelaya's own party.
Wild Thing's comment.........
Charles Krauthammer was dead on. Stinging rebuke of Obama in a Krauthammer way.
There is no explanation for Obama not supporting their defense of the constitution except that Obama is a Communist. Also Obama doesn't want the actions by the Honduran Legislature/Courts/Military to be seen as setting a legally and morally justifiable precedent for other Western Hemisphere nations.
Obama sees no need to defend a Constitution. He is busily trying to get rid of our own. If he can get us under the UN for climate change and under International Court, global interests will usurp our Constitution. Getting rid of our Constitution is most of his hope and change. He hopes he can get rid of it and change the US into a Communist Dictatorship.
Posted by Wild Thing at July 1, 2009 06:47 AM
Comments
Maybe Obama is wanting to emulate these "presidents" and become president for life himself?
This only goes to show that Obama knows as much about foreign affairs as he knows about running a lemonade stand.
Posted by: BobF at July 1, 2009 07:28 AM
Lousy scumbag commie, fag, junkie! Apologies to George Carlin.
Posted by: Glenn Cassel AMH1(AW) USN RET at July 1, 2009 08:00 AM
Krauthammer is right on the mark as always. The comparison between obama's lukewarm reaction to the demonstratons in Iran and his strong condemnation of the ouster of Zelaya show that obama has no support for democracy. obama is a Marxist.
Posted by: TomR at July 1, 2009 11:59 AM
What a lying POS, he stands with democracy ? Zelaya was overthrown because he tried to shred their constitution, democracy won is what happened.
I would bet this is in the back of their minds to try to shred our constitution and get away with it.
Posted by: Mark at July 1, 2009 02:20 PM
Zelaya's attempt to ask the entire electorate to vote on whether to accept or reject a constitutional amendment allowing him to serve another term is a violation of the principles of democracy and freedom.
Constitutions are documents that can never be changed...especially not by a popular vote of the people.
Any attempt to tinker with a constitution by adding changes or amendments should always be met with a military coup.
Posted by: norris hall at July 1, 2009 06:54 PM
BobF., exactly! Which is nothing.
Posted by: Wild Thing at July 2, 2009 12:07 AM
Glenn Cassel AMH1(AW) USN RET, DITTO
all you said.
Posted by: Wild Thing at July 2, 2009 12:08 AM
Tom, I agree, I don't think anyone can
get through to him how awful this is.
For our country, and he represents our
country and he is doing things like this????
GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR
Posted by: Wild Thing at July 2, 2009 12:09 AM
Mark,your right, he would love to get
rid of our Constitution, and just throw
it out.
Posted by: Wild Thing at July 2, 2009 12:16 AM
Norris,yes it should, and too bad
all the abuse of our own Constitution
here in America is not met with the
same thing. God bless them for doing the
right thing in Honduras.
Posted by: Wild Thing at July 2, 2009 12:19 AM
