Posted on 10/01/2009 3:24:31 PM PDT by jazusamo
Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.), the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, has blocked Sen. Jim DeMint’s (R-S.C.) trip to Honduras slated to begin Friday, according to DeMint's office.
DeMint’s office informed The Hill of Kerry’s decision Thursday afternoon.
On Thursday morning, the freshman Republican announced that he would lead a congressional delegation to Honduras on Friday ahead of the country’s Nov. 29 elections. The U.S. State Department, which acknowledges ousted President Manuel Zelaya as the legitimate ruler of the Central American nation, has said it will not recognize the contests because of ongoing political turmoil.
“No U.S. Senator has yet been to Honduras to assess facts of crisis. [Kerry] & Obama admin using bullying tactics to hide truth,” DeMint, who also sits on the Foreign Relations panel, said on Twitter after he heard the trip would not occur.
"@JohnKerry (Foreign Rel. chair) trying to hide truth to protect Zelaya, blocking our fact-finding trip to Honduras at last minute," DeMint also tweeted late Thursday afternoon.
DeMint's office followed with a statement. "These bullying tactics by the Obama administration and Senator Kerry must stop, and we must be allowed to get to the truth in Honduras. Not a single U.S. Senator has traveled to Honduras to learn the facts on the ground.
"While this administration has failed to act decisively in Afghanistan, it is has no problem cracking down on a democratic ally and one of the poorest nations in Latin America," DeMint added. "Now, President Obama and Democrats' blind support for this would-be dictator and friend of Hugo Chavez will prevent members of Congress from learning the truth first hand."
Honduras has experienced political turmoil since June, when the Honduran military deposed Zelaya after a supreme court ruling ordering his removal. The now-exiled president had attempted to change the country's constitution in part to eliminate presidential term limits.
DeMint has long objected to the Obama administration's response to the crisis, saying they should shun Zelaya, not promote his return to power.
The United States does not recognize the de facto government led by President Roberto Micheletti. Honduras’ acting government has hoped that the November elections would put an end to the political crisis there.
Zelaya’s ouster has divided members of Congress. Many Republicans accused Zelaya, who is a left-leaning figure, of acting unconstitutionally to extend his term as president. Many Democrats stood behind Zelaya and alleged the coup was an undemocratic power grab.
Keryr has frequently criticized the acting regime for shunning diplomatic attempts to resolve the crisis. In early September, he praised a vote to slash $30 million in aid to the country in reaction to the ouster.
The 2004 Democratic presidential nominee also demanded that Zelaya be returned to power under the conditions of a negotiated agreement with Costa Rican President Oscar Arias.
“I strongly support Costa Rican President Arias’s efforts to restore democracy with the conditioned return of President Zelaya,” Kerry said after the aid reduction. “The coup regime has engaged in undemocratic practices that cast a dark shadow over elections scheduled for November.”
Kerry echoed the stance of the U.S. government, which also backs supports restoring Zelaya to power. Under the terms of the agreement, Zelaya would return to office with limited power then leave office when his term expires in December.
DeMint first announced the delegation’s trip on Twitter, a statement that was later confirmed by his office.
“Leading delegation to Honduras tomorrow to support Nov 29 elections. Hondurans should be able to choose their own future,” he wrote. The identities of the lawmakers who planned to travel with DeMint are unknown.
Under the current constitution, both Micheletti and Zelaya are ineligible for re-election.
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee has not yet responded to a request for comment from The Hill.
—elections have consequences—
How come Democrats could travel to and from terrorist countries without permission the past 6 years? What’s the deal here?
Guess he’ll just have to go on his own dime.
Hope he gets lots of good painful facts that hurt the Marxists here.
Pelousy went abroad to Syria to do some shuttle diplomacy while President Bush was still in office and Obama went to Iraq to delay a troop draw-down before he was elected..... and apparently we allowed them to. Doesn’t seem to work the other way.
Opposition to the socialistic takeover of a drug-runner enabler like Master-Z must stop. The Great and Powerful O and Her Thighness have already said that the Honduran constitutional government must persish — quite interfering with the flying monkeys.
drip
drip
I haven’t got the slightest idea. It sure didn’t slow Pelousi down in going to Syria.
If the dimwits get to go; so do the repubs.
I think the Hondurans will be insulted at the idea that they have a "ruler", when in fact they "had a rogue head of state" who was removed from office after he unsuccessfully tried to overthrow their constitution and government.
It’s time to send some democrats to jail.
Whoa nelly. DeMint should go anyway. And why on earth does Lurch have any say whatsoever???
Ping!
John Kerry is an enemy of our nation, and our global friends.
Sorry, thems just the facts.
If anyone ever doubted the justice of Zelaya’s removal, this should serve as proof the Micheletti government did the right thing. Kerry has the judgment of a weasel, but not the moral standing.
Didn’t Lurch go visit Syria???
I have no idea why Republicans haven’t be screaming loud and clear on this situation these past months. But I give DeMint lots of credit: he has no fear in targeting real issues and speaking out admirably.
Sen. DeMint should go anyway, to hell with that crazy bastard Kerry.
No kidding. It shouldn’t take more than a few grand if he goes on the cheap.
The value of poking the marxist democrats in the eye would be worth every penny.
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