President Obama pulls away from Mubarak

Politico ^ | 1/29/11 | BEN SMITH & LAURA ROZEN

[americanophile]

The Obama administration Saturday continued inching away from the besieged government of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak as observers in Washington and Cairo began to conclude that the autocrat has little chance of restoring his authority.

Key American officials spent Saturday morning in a two-hour meeting and another hour briefing President Barack Obama that afternoon.

Obama “reiterated our focus on opposing violence and calling for restraint; supporting universal rights and supporting concrete steps that advance political reform within Egypt,” according to a White House description of the later meeting.

But in terms of officials words on the spiraling crisis — one that holds enormous stakes for U.S. foreign policy — administration officials spoke only in a Twittered whisper, allowing Obama’s Friday night call on Mubarak to move swiftly toward political reform to set the tone.

“The people of Egypt no longer accept the status quo. They are looking to their government for a meaningful process to foster real reform,” State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley wrote Saturday morning. “The Egyptian government can’t reshuffle the deck and then stand pat. President Mubarak’s words pledging reform must be followed by action.”

Obama’s pressure on Mubarak and the fact that defenses of Mubarak and the “stability” he brings the region from Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Vice President Joe Biden earlier in the week haven’t been repeated, have led many observers to conclude that the administration is readying for the end of the Mubarak era.

Foreign policy scholar Robert Kagan, who co-chairs the bipartisan Egypt working group that has been urging the administration to prepare for the post-Mubarak era, said he welcomed Obama’s comments, which came after the president spoke with Mubarak Friday night.

“They’re not as on the fence as people think,”

[tina07]

“Let Me Be Clear” changing his mind..what a decisive leader/s

[eyedigress]

He had better have a plan to keep the “Brotherhood” from taking over.

[americanophile]

And here's the part we've all been waiting for:

" One top dissident, international diplomat and nuclear expert Mohamed El Baradei, said he found Obama’s remarks “disappointing” — an early mark that the next Egyptian regime may have political reasons to position itself against the U.S. where Mubarak did not.

[theymakemesick]

Obama “reiterated our focus on opposing violence and calling for restraint; supporting universal rights and supporting concrete steps that advance political reform within Egypt,”

I guess I pegged him wrong, he's not a socialist/communist/marxist. He's a pansy - but then we've seen him ride a bicycle, hang curtains and write a childrens' book. /he's still a communist

[Truth29]

All hail the Muslim Brotherhood. All hail the greater caliphate and the coming encirclement of Israel. Obama knows what he is doing. He is aiding the Islamists. He is silent when Lebanon falls. He lets the people of Iran be oppressed and killed by Ahmadinejad while saying that the dictatorial rule by the Mullahs' is an internal matter.

Obama's activism in Egypt betrays his motives.

[Carley]

JornOlista with more bullship.

[ishabibble]

>>Key American officials spent Saturday morning in a two-hour meeting and another hour briefing President Barack Obama that afternoon.<<

Obama spent the morning at Sasha's basketball game.

We are in very serious trouble here.

[BunnySlippers]

OMG ... Obama is adding to the disaster.

[Venturer]

Key American officials spent Saturday morning in a two-hour meeting and another hour briefing President Barack Obama that afternoon.
...........................................................
Serious people met in a two-hour briefing whil Obama watched a B-ball game. He was briefed on the meeting later, and he calls that being Presidential.

[spokeshave]

"Key American officials spent Saturday morning in a two-hour meeting and another hour briefing President Barack Obama that afternoon"

WTF....did you catch the pic of 0bambi at the meeting....

sitting in that big black chair....with his mouth hanging open and a blank stare...ears flapping....

I guess this is "above the pay grade" of our community organizer.

[spokeshave]

here it is:

[spokeshave]

WTF....looks like he's going to flip a coin to make the decision....

Heads...Mubarak out...

Tails...Mubarak stays....

[jla]

F’in joke he sitting in that chair. Seventy million people in this country are abject cretins. This is why our Founders risked being hanged by the neck to start a nation anew? Or why so many died fighting in the two wars vs. Great Britain?

[jla]

To 13 - Yes it does look like he's about ready to flip a coin. But, it's just yet another instance of his affected, effeminate gesturing.
Watch when he speaks behind a podium. He'll bend one leg at the knee with the toe of his shoe resting on the floor - like a woman would do.

[napscoordinator]

Good....now stay out of Egypt completely. Your job is to protect America not Egypt. Let them deal with this.

[Vaduz]

Agree he’s out of his element he’s just to dumb and dangerous for the job,his handlers should have left him Chicago.

[Popman]

Obama is backing away from Mubarak because he already has cut a back-room deal with the Army Generals

[hal ogen]

Where is the important news here? Did sasha’s team win or what???????????

[Virginia Ridgerunner]

They don’t.