Posted on 07/09/2009 3:20:05 AM PDT by don-o
This morning, U.S. Senator Mel Martinez (R-FL), along with fellow Republican Senate leaders John Cornyn (R-TX) and Jim DeMint (R-SC), met with a delegation that included former Honduran Presidents, current Congressmen, and other public figures.
The group is acting as the official representative of the Honduran government headed by Roberto Micheletti. Delegation member and Congressman Rodolfo Irías Navas explained that their effort has been well received.
“We have explained that there was no coup d’état, that the Congress continues functioning, as well as the courts and the executive power.”
For his part, Sen. Martinez issued a press release in which he expressed satisfaction with the constitutionality of the removal process of ex-President Manuel Zelaya. Sen. Martinez stated:
“The fact is that a very constitutional process took place but the appearance was harmed by the way President Zelaya was removed from the country. By Honduran operation of law, the president’s actions, undertaken by Zelaya himself, triggered several automatic constitutional actions resulting in his removal from office.”
The facts surrounding Mr. Zelaya’s removal continue to surface in spite of the one-sided and biased coverage by the American and international press in favor of Zelaya and his Venezuelan mentor Hugo Chavez. As they do, the legitimacy of the Micheletti government is being clearly established.
At the beginning of the crisis, I chastised President Obama for his rash decision to cast his lot with the despots of the ALBA clique and abandon Honduras at the OAS. Now the Administration is waking up to the fact that Zelaya’s unconstitutional actions, promoted by Venezuela’s despot Chavez, were clearly intended to undermine democracy in Honduras.
Therefore, the reaction of the Congress and Supreme Court to Zelaya’s scheme was wholly within their constitutional authority.
Both the United States and the OAS are backpedaling fast, after all their dire threats against Honduras. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton backed the efforts of Costa Rican President Oscar Arias to mediate the dispute. Notably, in her statement she referred to Honduras' current President by name and called him the 'de facto caretaker president' of Honduras.
She also gave no indication that there was any intention to call back the American Ambassador from Honduras. Most importantly, she refused to affirm that the 'restoration of constitutional order' in Honduras required the reinstatement of Zelaya as President.
Meanwhile, the OAS-backed Arias mediation will include face-to-face discussions between Arias, Zelaya and current Honduran President Roberto Micheletti. This is a far cry from the previous OAS position of isolating all members of the new Honduran government, and OAS Secretary General Jose Miguel Insulza’s refusal to meet with President Micheletti when the OAS representative traveled to Honduras last Friday.
At the present time, negotiations center on the possibility of moving the coming presidential elections from November to October. However, Zelaya’s insistence on being reinstated to the presidency before the elections is a deal killer. At this time, President Micheletti holds the strong suit, because time is on his side. In a few months, a new president will be elected and Zelaya’s claim will become moot.
However, the danger posed by the current situation lies in the fact that both Zelaya and Chavez have been fomenting civil unrest in Honduras to destabilize the government and have forsworn recognition of a new president unless Zelaya holds the elections. His abortive attempt to re-enter the country gives an apt illustration of his tactics.
As the Venezuelan plane that carried him circled the airport, he urged his supporters outside the runway to tear down the fences and rush the landing strip. This unfortunate attempt led to the death of a young man.
A link to the BBC video of the Zelaya supporters’ assault on the airport can be seen by clicking here. With left-wing allies in abutting Nicaragua and El Salvador, Zelaya and Chavez will have no difficulties in promoting and supplying an insurgency. Only the quick recognition and pledge of support from the United States can avoid such developments.
It is time for President Obama to display that spine of steel that vice-President Joe Biden told us about.
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I see that Thaddeus McCotter has sent a letter to Obama asking if he knew about Zelaya’s drug smuggling ties.
I don’t trust a thing Mel Martinez says or does, and Cornyn is headed in that direction.
All I can figure is the Hispanic populations of both states really dislike this whole Zelaya thing, and they at least still listen to that portion of their constituency.
don-o
Mel Martinez, one of my Senators, is a lying p.o.s.
He may be on the right side of this issue but as a “Republican” it is perhaps the first time he has been on the right side of an issue.
During the amnesty fiasco when he was head of the R.N.C. I wrote him a letter challenging his position in favor of amnesty.
He simply sent me a request to donate to the R.N.C.
Since then he and the R.N.C. can kiss my posterior.
I was just thinking, maybe Mel got one thing right before he “retires” in 2010.
Have you ever tried to call Martinez when you want to register an opinion on an upcoming vote? Nelson’s office at least answers the phone, Martinez’s voicemail is usually on and is full...very frustrating.
dawn53,
you have to know Martinez is a lame duck and does not care one wit about what you or I think about anything.
Just glad to see his sorry RINO rear on its way out.
Also hope crist is not the chosen one as he is equally as pathetic a RINO turd.
The press has simply lied. It may indeed reflect their bias towards dictatorial Marxist regimes but the important thing to say about the press is that they lied.
I don't know where you get that idea. Hillary is the head of the State Dept. and their position is clear. They support Zelaya.
The U.S. State Dept has basically announced that they are an organ of international communism.
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