Sen. DeMint’s Trip to Honduras
[Guest post by DRJ]
Sen. Jim DeMint traveled to Honduras last week and reports Hondurans want to move past the Zelaya story:
“In a day packed with meetings, we met only one person in Honduras who opposed Mr. Zelaya’s ouster, who wishes his return, and who mystifyingly rejects the legitimacy of the November elections: U.S. Ambassador Hugo Llorens.
When I asked Ambassador Llorens why the U.S. government insists on labeling what appears to the entire country to be the constitutional removal of Mr. Zelaya a “coup,” he urged me to read the legal opinion drafted by the State Department’s top lawyer, Harold Koh. As it happens, I have asked to see Mr. Koh’s report before and since my trip, but all requests to publicly disclose it have been denied.
On the other hand, the only thorough examination of the facts to date—conducted by a senior analyst at the Law Library of Congress—confirms the legality and constitutionality of Mr. Zelaya’s ouster. (It’s on the Internet here.)”
DeMint concludes that Hondurans understand why Hugo Chavez, the Castro brothers, and Daniel Ortega support Zelaya … but why does Barack Obama?
— DRJ
Mr. DeMint is a Republican but he’s no pansy. Not even a little. Meghan’s pissant daddy should take notes.
And then retire.
happyfeet (71f55e) — 10/10/2009 @ 3:00 pmI think most everyone agrees this wasn’t a coup-coup. That is, until Obama showed up.
political agnostic (ebb9bd) — 10/10/2009 @ 3:01 pmSo nice to be back when members of congress can go out and do foreign trips and not be blasted by the wingnuts.
imdw (603c39) — 10/10/2009 @ 3:07 pmYou mean you were actually gone at some point? Funny, no one noticed.
Dmac (5ddc52) — 10/10/2009 @ 3:10 pmAlmost no other story or event associated with the current occupant of the Oval Office illustrates to me just how philosophically corrupt, if not also corrupt in general, he truly is. As cynical as I was about Obama before November 2008 did not necessarily lead me to believe he’d be as bad as he really is. Then again, he is Mr. “Goddamn America.”
Mark (411533) — 10/10/2009 @ 3:10 pmThat’s rhetorical, right?
Kevin Murphy (3c3db0) — 10/10/2009 @ 3:15 pmSadly, yes.
DRJ (7fbae6) — 10/10/2009 @ 3:18 pmImdw is still batting 1.000 on mendoucheity.
JD (d7d467) — 10/10/2009 @ 3:23 pmimdw,
The criticism I recall was of Congressional trips that involved travel to meet with America’s enemies. Do you think Honduras is one of America’s enemies?
DRJ (7fbae6) — 10/10/2009 @ 3:41 pmWell, obviously John Kerry (D-PRMass), Chairman of the Cmte on Foreign Relations, thinks that Honduras is, or why else would he refuse Sen. DeMint permission to travel to that country on an investigative field-trip?
AD - RtR/OS! (877de6) — 10/10/2009 @ 3:52 pmObscene that the Obama administration back Zayala, double obscene and downright disgustingly revolting that the ambassador refers to a document that can not be reviewed.
As Mark says, this is the kind of thing that by itself demonstrates the moral incompetence of this administration, if nothing else. In a better world this would be on the front page of every paper and there would be a march on DC tomorrow demanding Obama’s resignation. And if anyone had any doubt, just add the attitude on the repression in Iran to confirm. It would be laughable, if not so disgusting, that the public thinks Obama and the Dems are for justice.
MD in Philly (d4f9fa) — 10/10/2009 @ 4:06 pm“…the moral
incompetenceturpitude of this administration…”There, fixed that for you.
AD - RtR/OS! (877de6) — 10/10/2009 @ 5:37 pmHugo Llorens behavior is quite peculiar, a Cuban exile, he wrote a signature paper back in 1998, that debunked the ‘Cuba was in need of a revolution’ that Moore, and Maher and Huffington suggest. It seems out of character with him, but not his bosses at Foggy Bottom
bishop (996c34) — 10/10/2009 @ 7:16 pm“The criticism I recall was of Congressional trips that involved travel to meet with America’s enemies. Do you think Honduras is one of America’s enemies?”
Nope. I have a hard time seeing how anyone saw any of the central american countries as threats.
imdw (490521) — 10/10/2009 @ 9:47 pmObama backs the would-be tyrant for the same reason the media does not grill Obama about his support of the would-be tyrant. They are all on the same side.
Heck (1e2a18) — 10/11/2009 @ 2:13 pm[…] Why did he commission it? When I asked Ambassador Llorens why the U.S. government insists on labeling what appears to the entire country to be the constitutional removal of Mr. Zelaya a “coup,” he urged me to read the legal opinion drafted by the State Department’s top lawyer, Harold Koh. As it happens, I have asked to see Mr. Koh’s report before and since my trip, but all requests to publicly disclose it have been denied. […]
Law Library of Congress’ Report on Honduras « Something should go here, maybe later. (5c39d8) — 10/12/2009 @ 1:13 pm