bwahahah. Senator Kerry blocks DeMinty's trip to Honduras

[cali]

Kerry blocks DeMint trip to Honduras
By Jordan Fabian - 10/01/09 05:55 PM ET

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. & 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.

snippety

http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/61247-kerry-blocks-demint-delegation-to-honduras

[Are_grits_groceries]

1. Good!

DeMinted is a truly dangerous person. He would gladly lead a revolution of teabaggers. He shouldn't be anywhere meddling.

I wish he was locked up here. That man totally believes that government has little place in our lives. I read a book he wrote to see what he was up to. He even went off on Eisenhower for building the interstate highway system.

LOON! SCARY LOON!

[rubberducky]

2. Demint seems to think HE is in charge of foreign policy. Poor man is delusional.

He needs to sit his ass down and remember that he is a JUNIOR senator.

[karynnj]

5. A FRESHMAN JUNIOR Senator - and he is not on the sub-commitee with juristiction

I wonder who the fools he was to "lead" were.

Here is his statement:

{div class = "excerpt"]
DeMint Statement on Kerry & Obama Administration Blocking Fact-Finding Trip to Honduras

October 1, 2009 - WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Sen. Jim DeMint (R-South Carolina), member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and chairman of the Senate Steering Committee, made the following statement after Foreign Relations Chairman John Kerry (D-Massachusetts) and President Obama’s State Department blocked Senator DeMint’s planned fact-finding trip to Honduras at the last minute.

“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. And the Obama administration won't allow Honduran officials or even businessmen to come to the U.S., either. 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."

“Meanwhile, a thorough report from the Congressional Research Service directly contradicts President Obama’s snap decision about the legality of then-President Zelaya’s removal from office in June. 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.”

[karynnj]

7. Steve Clemons has the background of this and its implications - he is even worse than I thought

Senator Jim DeMint (R-SC) has announced that he is heading down to Honduras to encourage those who helped fund and supported the coup against Honduran President Manuel Zelaya to resist American pressure to return Zelaya to office.

The US Department of State has begun to revoke the visas of wealthy supporters of the military coup.

In other words, Jim DeMint is acting on behalf of, in cahoots with, and against the foreign policy of the United States of America in encouraging post-coup Honduran government officials defy the United States. He is encouraging a political leadership which has no legitimacy and which not recognized by other democracies in the region -- while the ousted President makes cell phone UN General Assembly statements from a couch-bed in the Brazilian Embassy in Tegucigalpa.

<snip>

But let me be less blunt. Should we require Senator DeMint to register with the Foreign Agents Registration office at the Department of Justice?

http://tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/10/01/jim_demints_coup/?ref=c1

[iceman66]

11. How exactly is this not treason?

[karynnj]

8. The Congressman who planned to go with him is crazier than he is

(I guess he couldn't get any of his fellow Senators?)

In his recent news release, Schock said he was offering a compromise including resuming U.S. and international aid and ending VISA sanctions; and cooperating with the Honduran government by sending normal election observers to ensure fairness of the regularly scheduled November election and recognizing the legitimacy of that election, as long as it is conducted fairly.

Schock also noted that the Library of Congress report found Zelaya’s removal from his country to be “explicitly unconstitutional.” Schock called for the Honduran government to allow Zelaya out of the Brazilian Embassy, recognize that his punishment for what led to his removal from power is his removal from power, drop plans to prosecute him and issue a general amnesty for everyone involved in his removal from power.

“As a private citizen,” the Schock news release stated, “Zelaya would have the right to campaign for his choice in the upcoming presidential election. However if he resorts to the incitement of violence, or advocates the violent overthrow of the Honduran government, then he should be arrested and put on trial as the government would do with any other citizen.”

Natonski explained Schock’s interest in the situation in Honduras by saying “As a member of Congress, he’s a federal legislator. As a member of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, which has jurisdiction over the State Department, Natonski added, “he wanted to do some fact-finding and do some digging on the ground for himself,” which led to his seeking the report on Honduras.

http://www.sj-r.com/homepage/x593063812/Schock-skipping-Cubs-game-for-trip-to-Honduras

"He was offering a compromise" - which doesn't look like a compromise, which of course, he can't offer as I think that would be negotiating and against the Logan Act.

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

3. I picture DeMint in one of those Little Lord Fauntleroy suits

stamping his feet up and down: "waah, I wanna, I wanna, I wanna, I wanna"

[karynnj]

4. The freeper comments there are beyond belief

I haven't seen Lugar, as ranking member, protesting Kerry's decision. DeMint is not on the subcommittee that deals with the Western hemisphere.


Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere, Peace Corps and Global Narcotics Affairs
Majority Members: 5 Total Members: 10
Minority Members: 5

Members: Members:
Dodd, Christopher J. (CT), Chairman
Menendez, Robert (NJ)
Cardin, Benjamin L. (MD)
Webb, Jim (VA)
Gillibrand, Kirsten E. (NY)

Barrasso, John (WY), Ranking Member
Isakson, Johnny (GA)
Risch, James E. (ID)
Inhofe, James M. (OK)
Lugar, Richard G. (IN), Ex Officio

http://www.senate.gov/general/committee_membership/committee_memberships_SSFR.htm#SSFR06

[ProSense]

6. Great! n/t

[JBoy]

9. Fuck him. He voted against confirming HRC as Secretary of State.

Methinks he'll be waiting a while.

[Lochloosa]

10. bwahahah. Mitch McConnell is letting him go.

Per Rachel

[anonymous171]

12. Who knows, he might end up like Leo Ryan.

Those Coupsters are crazy. I would not want to be under their "protection" for very long.

[me b zola]

13. The trip is back on

The Pentagon is giving DeMint permission to go. This is very worrisome. Who is in charge of the Pentagon?

[ProSense]

15. The Pentagon? This is coming from DeMint

Kerry's Attempt to Block DeMint's Honduras Trip Reveals Policy Feud

Why the hell is the Pentagon getting involved?

[me b zola]

17. That's what I'd like to know

And quite frankly it's disturbing. I'm trying like all get-out to get a link to Rachel Maddow's piece that she did on her show tonight. I started a little thread, but not many see this as important as I do.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x6677118

[roody]

20. The Pentagon runs the Honduran military,

hence the coup as well.

[redqueen]

21. More information, please? (nt)

[roody]

25. Where did all that police riot gear come from?

Where did the golpistas stop to gas up? Where were the Contras stationed?

[anonymous171]

23. What? I know that we trained them but I do not think that we are running the show now.

[roody]

24. Where did the kidnappers plane stop for gas?

[Canuckistanian]

14. They seem to be using Honduras as a political example

Something about rebellion against tyranny. As usual, they get it wrong.

[vadawg]

16. send a bipartisan party, help them run the election in NOV

make sure its monitored and clean, then move on. im interested in whether Zelaya if he got back into power today if he would relinquish power come Nov or if he would try to hold on..

[Are_grits_groceries]

18. PLEASE stop that man!

He is up to no good, and he will undercut whatever the administration is doing.

He doesn't make foreign policy for this nation, but he is going to use his position as a Senator to give approval to Lord knows what. It gives me the willies to think what he will tell them.

I'll bet he passes along info about support from some rich RW nuts.

[TheKentuckian]

19. I'm not a death penalty guy but stringing this fucker up seems appropriate

Seeking to suborn our government to back a military coup is way beyond the pale.

[ProSense]

22. More

here.