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8 a.m. ET: President Obama came to office promising bold change on a variety of fronts, but he has often conducted his foreign policy in shades of gray. Whether in Iran or China or North Korea, when is the Obama administration not "moving cautiously" or "treading carefully" abroad?
The latest example is Honduras, where the White House yesterday criticized the coup that toppled Manuel Zelaya yet didn't signal complete disapproval. "But while condemning the overthrow, U.S. officials did not demand the reinstatement of Zelaya,' the Los Angeles Times writes. "The administration left its ambassador to Honduras in place, while several governments in the region recalled theirs." Conservatives believe the Honduran military is doing the right thing and want the U.S. to say so, while liberals want Obama to take a firmer stance against the coup and cut of military aid to the country. So far, Obama isn't huddling with either camp.
Obama is walking a similar tightrope in Iraq, where U.S. troops are today withdrawing from major cities and handing over most security responsibilities to Iraqi forces. Initial reports this morning portray Iraqis celebrating the move. Still, Tom Ricks calls it a "faith-based" policy. He explains: "Will the Iraqis be able to keep the population relatively secure? To be honest, I don't know, and no one else does. It's a matter of faith." (A sidenote: Remember when a shift like this in Iraq would have been atop the front page, rather than at the bottom or inside the paper somewhere?)
Leading the news on the home front is yesterday's Supreme Court ruling in the Ricci v. DeStefano bias case. The decision has important implications for employment law across the country, but Washington was more concerned yesterday with how it might -- but probably won't -- damage Sonya Sotomayor's confirmation to the court. Republicans cited the ruling as evidence that Sotomayor's judgment is suspect, but there remains the sense that Senate opponents are mostly just going through the motions here and her candidacy remains safe, particularly since yesterday's ruling was 5-4 and not the recently popular tally of 8-1. The Washington Post's Web headline: "No Peril Seen for Sotomayor."
A decision the Supreme Court didn't make yesterday may end up having an even bigger impact on the political scene. The court did not issue a ruling in a case testing whether an anti-Hillary Clinton documentary violated provisions of the McCain-Feingold campaign finance law last year, deciding instead to hold an unusual September hearing on the case. "Given the dynamics of the court, there is a great chance the justices will use the opportunity to overrule limits on how much money corporations can spend supporting candidates," Rick Hasen writes for Slate, regardless of whether Sotomayor is confirmed in time to hear the case. On ScotusBlog, Tom Goldstein agrees, "A material shift in campaign finance law seems inevitable."
Obama made history yesterday by holding a gay pride event in the White House, a move that was welcomed as significant by some pro-gay rights activists while others used the occasion to condemn the administration for not doing enough on their behalf. Obama told attendees that he should to be judged “not by promises I’ve made but by the promises that my administration keeps.” Obama reiterated his opposition to the military's "Don't Ask Don't Tell" policy but did not say how quickly it might be reversed. Nor did he say when he might make good on his pledge to try to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act.
By
Ben Pershing
|
June 30, 2009; 8:00 AM ET
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Posted by: tbomb | June 30, 2009 9:29 AM
Zelaya was under the influence of a dangerous narcotic known as Hugo Chavez. He attempted to install himself as permanent leader and got ousted by the people's democratic institutions.
Honduras is no longer a banana republic run by United Fruit. It is a poor country ravaged by hurricanes and poverty. In other words, it is a country ripe for the plucking by Hugo and his thugs financed by Citgo.
Posted by: alance | June 30, 2009 10:51 AM
HTH can Obama interfere with the Hounduras situation?
Is he a no mind neocon busybody?
He can stay a respectful distant, and let the poeple of that country handle their own affairs -- as he should.
Imagine Dick Cheney and Wofowitz's nose in every aspect of your private life -- this is what the world faced in the neocon kook.
Posted by: thegreatpotatospamof2003 | June 30, 2009 11:16 AM
ATTENTION: POTUS, WH STAFF, MEMBERS OF CONGRESS
The extrajudicial targeting and punishment "matrix" spawned or expanded by Bush-Cheny remains in place, making a mockery of the rule of law and democracy at the grassroots -- under YOUR radar -- as POTUS becomes its enabler and public service ad pitchman.
This, FYI:
***
EYES ONLY. TO: U.S. multi-agency intel section/unit chiefs, operatives
FROM: Target
RE: Multi-agency coordinated action program, a/k/a "The Program"
FIVE-YEAR PSY/EMF 'OP' AGAINST TARGETED JOURNALIST BECOMES SECURITY/INTEL COMMUNITY INTERNET EMBARRASSMENT
BLOWBACK AFFECTS PUBLIC, POLITICAL PERCEPTION OF DIRECTED ENERGY WEAPON PROLIFERATION, GOVT-FUNDED EXTRAJUDICIAL TARGETING VIA GPS-ENABLED CITIZEN VOLUNTEER COMMUNITY POLICING
WEAPONIZATION OF ELECTROMAGNETIC SPECTRUM, DOMESTIC TORTURE MATRIX EXPOSED
DOJ CIVIL RIGHTS DIVISION AWARE -- CONSEQUENCES PREDICTED
See linked article, psy ops responses to target internet postings, below:
http://nowpublic.com/world/gestapo-usa-govt-funded-vigilante-network-terrorizes-america
OR
http://NowPublic.com/scrivener RE: "GESTAPO USA"
Posted by: scrivener50 | June 30, 2009 11:42 AM
What does President Obama really stand for? Liberty? Freedom? Democracy?
North Korea launches a missile and it takes Barack Obama and the UN five days to respond. Iran holds fraudulent elections, kills protesters and it takes weeks before Barack Obama can stand up and say that he is "concerned" about the situation. Iran poses a great threat to a historical ally in the Mideast – Israel, and Obama’s retort is ‘stop building settlements!’
Then the people of Honduras try to uphold their constitution and laws of the land from being trampled by a Chavez-wanna be ... and it takes Barack Obama one day to proclaim that this was not a legal coup.
Why the sudden decisiveness? Where were these strong opinions on foreign matters when Iranian authorities were trampling protestors and cutting off media access to the outside world? Where was this decisiveness when Kim Jong Ill decided that he was going to launch missiles toward Hawaii on the Fourth of July? Why ... NOW ... is Obama suddenly speaking out loudly
Fidel Castro, Daniel Noriega, Hugo Chavez ... all on the side of Zelaya. But Obama? Obama fighting against the rule of law and for a wannabe dictator? What gives? My parents always told be that I would be judged by the company I keep. What is up with Obama’s company??
Posted by: wheeljc | June 30, 2009 11:46 AM
We should all be pained by the knowledge that our President and Secretary of State are in agreement with Hugo Chavez and Fidel Castro in this matter.
Posted by: partyanimalken | June 30, 2009 11:59 AM
Lets talk about Bernie Madoff and his connection to 9-11 along with Mayor Michael Bloomberg which can be found at the Google of Tom Heneghan Intel Reorts.
Lets remind everyone of HBO RECOUNT and that they mention in the movie Choicepoint software and BayPoint School.
Constitutional Crisis
Google Jeff Bootstraps Fisher
Everyone come to Manhattan now.
Just click on the newest blogspot
JesusChristForeverAmen.blogspot.com
Oh the links inside are very powerful.
I just left a protest an hour ago.
I am Pro Union- Anti Nafta
Posted by: JeffBootstrapsFisher | June 30, 2009 12:32 PM
An email my partner Albert sent out.
I just discovered it.
Its really cool.
Hello,
I'm Derek from The Rhodes and received a vague, scribbled note on the back of a Jiu Jitsu flyer. I am mailing you as I believe that this is the email that was written. If so, please feel free to email me back. Let's talk contracts.
Cheers,
Derek, c/o THE RHODES
Was is Jeff who scribbled the note or was it Richard?
Albert Arnold Gore Jr
The contract must be related to spokesmanship for cycling.
The deal is explained at the blogspot.
AlGoreForever.blogspot.com
All Three of us love to ride anyhow.
Jeff does not know it but I like him and Richard also love to ride motorcycles.
Richard is the best at it and I am better than Jeff.
Jeff however is the true athlete like Richard is.
Are you meeting Jeff Saturday at the Cigar Inn?
I can't make it for my schedule is full but Jeff will make
sure all contracts are very solid.Mr. Lancaster and Mr. Lowery
will make sure the contracts are solid.
Do me a favor and buy Jeff a couple of cigars
and send me the photos of him smoking,
Mary Elizabeth gets a kick out of how special Jeff
is to us and America and the entire planet.
Please visit the other sites about my causes regarding our planet as well.
http://www.climatecrisis.net/
http://www.wecansolveit.org/pages/al_gore_a_generational_challenge_to_repower_america/
Posted by: JeffBootstrapsFisher | June 30, 2009 12:35 PM
HI! I'am a hondurans citizen, I'm living in Tegcugalpa right now, There is misinformation from the media and especially CNN here is all OK the real people of Honduras is working, the shops, the banks etc we have Light,Water, Phones, the actual Gov send us information by the radio, we are informated, no like CNN said, there´s no a ANARCHIE the democracy is working, MEL was removed from charge for crimes against the country, please CNN should be better informed, WPost Please Help us, we don´t want socialist ideologies like CHAVEZ and CIA, come to our country and see by your self, the protestants are criminals broken car glasses, bulding etc.
Posted by: NeoOnline | June 30, 2009 1:59 PM
The comments to this entry are closed.


Treading carefully IS bold change from the previous administration. Thanks for playing.