A coup for lobbyists at the White House
Saturday, August 8, 2009 11:08 PM CDT
Honduran President Manuel Zelaya, ousted in the middle of the night just over a month ago, enjoys global support for his return, with the exception of the Obama White House. While Barack Obama first called the Honduran military's removal of Zelaya a coup, his administration has backpedaled. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called Zelaya's attempt to cross the Nicaraguan border into Honduras "reckless." Could well-placed lobbyists in Washington be forging U.S. foreign policy?
Lanny Davis was special counsel to President Bill Clinton from 1996 to 1998, functioning as lawyer, crisis manager and spokesman through Clinton's various scandals. Davis has developed a lucrative specialty as a partner at Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe, offering a "unique 'Legal Crisis Communications' practice," helping people embroiled in investigations or scandal. According to recent congressional filings, Davis is lobbying for the Honduran chapter of the Latin American Business Council. Zelaya had recently increased the Honduran minimum wage.
Davis testified before Congress on July 10, saying his clients "believe the best chance for a solution is the dialogue between Mr. Zelaya and President
Micheletti, mediated by President Arias, that is now ongoing in Costa Rica." That is, until the Arias sessions resulted in a call for the return of Zelaya. Coup spokesman Cesar Caceres said, "The mediation has been declared a failure."
Davis continued before Congress, "No one wants bloodshed, and nobody should be inciting violence." Yet a number of Zelaya supporters have been killed, and there has been a crackdown on independent media, making information hard to obtain.
More:
http://www.thesouthern.com/articles/2009/08/08/opinions/guest_columns/29268288.txt