[SAJ]

Not a problem at all, Saint. MUCH better to be pinged twice than not ever, eh?

I do have a question, though: Why does anyone, Calderon and PAN particularly, give a flying whoop-de-do rat's butt whether Hugo shows up at a ceremony or not? Hell's bells, man, were it I being inaugurated in D.F., I'd arrest every SOB with credentials from every not-even-close-to-republican-nation (SMALL 'r', please). Might as well find out who the local traitores are, eh?

And, the louder their embassies scream, the faster these capungos get waterboarded, IMNNHO.

Thanks yet again for your excellent coverage of events! i.

[StJacques]

". . . Why does anyone, Calderon and PAN particularly, give a flying whoop-de-do . . ."

It comes down to the "legitimacy" issue. Lopez Obrador has cried fraud and had himself declared the "legitimate" President of Mexico. Calderon is facing a legal process associated with the transition that includes the toma de protesta (taking protest) of the national legislature, which is a sexennial event in which the declared winner symbolically demonstrates his willingness to defend the Mexican Constitution. Once having done so he completes a step along the way to the toma de posesión (taking possession) of office. The PRD has threatened so forcefully to disrupt this proceeding that there is talk of using police force against legislators, of using the military to back up the PFP if the demonstrators outside get too numerous and rowdy, and much more. AMLO and his wrecking crew, now supplemented by APPO, are still a formidable force in Mexico. If they can prevent some of these ceremonies from taking place they may be able to claim that Calderon is "illegitimate" because he didn't complete the process.

Attempts to create ingovernability on a national scale such as Lopez Obrador and APPO are now undertaking require some international recognition of their legitimacy. Chavez is providing that right now.