CIA Analyst Exposes Obama's Fallacies

H/T: Story Balloon

"There is dithering going on" -Liz Cheney

H/T: Gateway Pundit

Pres. Micheletti Interview with Greta

Foggy Bottom Throwing Mel Under the Bus?

State Department backtracking on Zelaya?:

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. policy on Honduras' political crisis is not aimed at supporting any particular individual, the State Department said in a new letter that implied softening support for ousted President Manuel Zelaya.

The letter to Republican Senator Richard Lugar contained criticism of Zelaya, saying the left-leaning former leader had taken "provocative" actions ahead of his removal by the Honduran military on June 28.

The State Department also indicated severe U.S. economic sanctions were not being considered against the de facto government of Roberto Micheletti, which took over in Honduras after Zelaya removed from office.

"Our policy and strategy for engagement is not based on supporting any particular politician or individual. Rather, it is based on finding a resolution that best serves the Honduran people and their democratic aspirations," Richard Verma, the assistant secretary for legislative affairs, said in the letter.

"We have rejected calls for crippling economic sanctions and made clear that all states should seek to facilitate a solution without calls for violence and with respect for the principle of nonintervention," he said. The letter was dated Tuesday and obtained by Reuters on Wednesday.

President Barack Obama has condemned Zelaya's ouster, refused to recognize Micheletti, cut $16.5 million in military aid to Honduras and thrown his support behind the mediation efforts of Costa Rican President Oscar Arias, whose proposals include Zelaya's reinstatement.

Last week the U.S. government announced it was revoking diplomatic visas for several members of Micheletti's administration.

REPUBLICAN THREAT

But the State Department letter, while "energetically" condemning Zelaya's ouster on June 28, noted that the coup had been preceded by a political conflict between Zelaya and other institutions inside Honduras.

"We also recognize that President Zelaya's insistence on undertaking provocative actions contributed to the polarization of Honduran society and led to a confrontation that unleashed the events that led to his removal," it said.

Zelaya was pushing for constitutional reforms that included changing term limits for presidents. His opponents accused him of trying to seek re-election, but he denies the allegation.

The Supreme Court ordered his arrest and the Honduran Congress later approved his ouster.

In the letter to Lugar, the State Department also indicated the Obama administration has still not made a definite decision as to whether Zelaya's ouster constituted a coup.

"We have suspended certain assistance as a policy matter pending an ongoing determination under U.S. law about the applicability of the provisions requiring termination of assistance in the event of a military coup."

Lugar, the ranking Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, had asked the government to explain its policy on the Honduran political crisis, warning that Senate confirmation may be delayed for a diplomatic nominee for Latin America without it.

The letter appeared to be a response to this request.

Because of U.S. support for Zelaya, conservative Republican Senator Jim DeMint has threatened to delay a Senate vote on the nomination of Arturo Valenzuela to be assistant secretary of state for western hemisphere affairs.

DeMint welcomed the State Department letter but said the Obama administration had not gone far enough.

"I'm glad to see the State Department is finally beginning to walk back its support for Manuel Zelaya and admit that his 'provocative' actions were responsible for his removal," he said through a spokesman.

"These admissions are helpful, but what is necessary is for President Obama to end his support for Zelaya who broke the law and sought to become a Chavez-style dictator," DeMint said, referring to Venezuela's socialist president Hugo Chavez, an ally of Zelaya.

Hat Tip: Honduras Fighting for Freedom

The Obama administration, via the United States State Department, is now, definitely, backtracking on their absolute, purist support for the defrocked socialist thug, Mel Zelaya.

It seems they are not inclined to push for enhanced, punitive economic sanctions and, apparently, are still debating internally whether the actions of June 28th constituted a “coup", in the legal sense.

What's next? Will "Ambassador" Hugo Llorens to be replaced??? God willing...

Huck Wants Keith Richards, Tony Blair & Bill Clinton as Guests

Plus, he has some cogent advice for former Gov. Sarah Palin!

"Not Supporting the Forces of Liberty"

Hat Tip: Alexa Chisholm

Micheletti Rebuts Critics & Propaganda

Update 1:

Breitbart:

OCOTAL, Nicaragua (AP) - The U.S. government said Tuesday it has revoked the diplomatic visas of four Honduran officials, stepping up pressure on coup-installed leaders who insist they can resist international demands to restore the ousted president.

The U.S. State Department did not name the four, but a Honduran official said they included the Supreme Court magistrate who ordered the arrest of ousted President Manuel Zelda and the president of Honduras' Congress.

The State Department is also reviewing the visas of all officials serving under interim President Roberto Micheletti, department spokesman Ian Kelly said.

Micheletti's Deputy Foreign Minister Marta Lorena Alvarado said Supreme Court Justice Tomas Arita and Congressional President Jose Alfredo Saavedro were among those whose visas removed.

Arita signed the order for Zelaya's arrest several days before soldiers whisked him out of the country on June 28.

Alvarado insisted the decision would not have major consequences for Micheletti's government, which has rejected international demands to restore Zelaya despite the suspension of millions of dollars in U.S. and European development aid and the threat of further sanctions.

"It's part of the international community's incomprehension of what is happening in Honduras," Alvarado told The Associated Press. "It's not definitive and it will not have major consequences for the future of Honduras."

Zelaya, who earlier complained that international efforts to restore him were flagging, said the decision was "correct" and urged even tougher measures.

Also:

Mel Zelaya had personally asked Barack Hussein Obama, Jr. to carry out the visa actions

Nefarious "US Ambassador" Hugo Llorens, a repulsive traitor, is at the core of this diabolical effort against a key American ally

Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen noted it was "dangerous" to pull visas, as the White House is taking its marching order from Zelaya, Chavez and Castro

President of National Congress now asks US to respect the sovereign decisions undertaken by Honduras

Supreme Court Judge Tomas Arita, who signed the arrest warrant against Mel responds to actions of the US Embassy in Tegucigalpa

Custodio, Arita, Saavedra and Sevilla were the 4 individuals harmed

Addams Family, oops, Zelaya family did not pass to the border area to meet the ex-dictator, although they had been legally authorized to do so

Human Rights Ombudsman, Ramon Custodio, one of the representatives who had his diplomatic visa revoked discusses that his dignity and fealty to the constitution is worth more than any visa

Legal association opposes any amnesty for Zelaya and his corrupt goons

Salomón Escoto, National Police Chief apprises Pres. Micheletti of the security situation in the nation

Víctor Boitano Coleman, ex-Sandinista militant, accuses the Ortega government of being a party to the incessant violations of Zelaya on his homeland, commerce has been affected to the permanent circus maximus on the border

Pepe Lobo, National Party Presidential candidate, says his party opposes a blanket amnesty to Mel Zelaya

Pres. Micheletti's visa could be next?

Zelaya "wife" Xiomara Castro, indicated to Chavez run network TeleSur, or is that CNN?, that the armed forces wants to expel her family and her from the country

Venezuelan diplomats, read spies, remain in country and refuse to leave Honduras after being asked to depart, as of Friday at noon

Honduran Pres. Roberto Micheletti-Wall Street Journal:

One of America’s most loyal Latin American allies—Honduras—has been in the midst of a constitutional crisis that threatens its democracy. Sadly, key undisputed facts regarding the crisis have often been ignored by America’s leaders, at least during the earliest days of the crisis.

In recent days, the rhetoric from allies of former President Manuel Zelaya has also dominated media reporting in the U.S. The worst distortion is the repetition of the false statement that Mr. Zelaya was removed from office by the military and for being a “reformer.” The truth is that he was removed by a democratically elected civilian government because the independent judicial and legislative branches of our government found that he had violated our laws and constitution.

Let’s review some fundamental facts that cannot be disputed:

• The Supreme Court, by a 15-0 vote, found that Mr. Zelaya had acted illegally by proceeding with an unconstitutional “referendum,” and it ordered the Armed Forces to arrest him. The military executed the arrest order of the Supreme Court because it was the appropriate agency to do so under Honduran law.

• Eight of the 15 votes on the Supreme Court were cast by members of Mr. Zelaya’s own Liberal Party. Strange that the pro-Zelaya propagandists who talk about the rule of law forget to mention the unanimous Supreme Court decision with a majority from Mr. Zelaya’s own party. Thus, Mr. Zelaya’s arrest was at the instigation of Honduran’s constitutional and civilian authorities—not the military.

• The Honduran Congress voted overwhelmingly in support of removing Mr. Zelaya. The vote included a majority of members of Mr. Zelaya’s Liberal Party.

• Independent government and religious leaders and institutions—including the Supreme Electoral Tribunal, the Administrative Law Tribunal, the independent Human Rights Ombudsman, four-out-of-five political parties, the two major presidential candidates of the Liberal and National Parties, and Honduras’s Catholic Cardinal—all agreed that Mr. Zelaya had acted illegally.

• The constitution expressly states in Article 239 that any president who seeks to amend the constitution and extend his term is automatically disqualified and is no longer president. There is no express provision for an impeachment process in the Honduran constitution. But the Supreme Court’s unanimous decision affirmed that Mr. Zelaya was attempting to extend his term with his illegal referendum. Thus, at the time of his arrest he was no longer—as a matter of law, as far as the Supreme Court was concerned—president of Honduras.

• Days before his arrest, Mr. Zelaya had his chief of staff illegally withdraw millions of dollars in cash from the Central Bank of Honduras.

• A day or so before his arrest, Mr. Zelaya led a violent mob to overrun an Air Force base to seize referendum ballots that had been shipped into Honduras by Hugo Chávez’s Venezuelan government.

• I succeeded Mr. Zelaya under the Honduran constitution’s order of succession (our vice president had resigned before all of this began so that he could run for president). This is and has always been an entirely civilian government. The military was ordered by an entirely civilian Supreme Court to arrest Mr. Zelaya. His removal was ordered by an entirely civilian and elected Congress. To suggest that Mr. Zelaya was ousted by means of a military coup is demonstrably false.

Regarding the decision to expel Mr. Zelaya from the country the evening of June 28 without a trial, reasonable people can believe the situation could have been handled differently. But it is also necessary to understand the decision in the context of genuine fear of Mr. Zelaya’s proven willingness to violate the law and to engage in mob-led violence.

The way forward is to work with Costa Rican President Oscar Arias. He is proposing ways to ensure that Mr. Zelaya complies with Honduras’s laws and its constitution and allows the people of Honduras to elect a new president in the regularly scheduled Nov. 29 elections (or perhaps earlier, if the date is moved up as President Arias has suggested and as Honduran law allows).

If all parties reach agreement to allow Mr. Zelaya to return to Honduras—a big “if”—we believe that he cannot be trusted to comply with the law and therefore it is our position that he must be prosecuted with full due process.

President Arias’s proposal for a moratorium on prosecution of all parties may be considered, but our Supreme Court has indicated that such a proposal presents serious legal problems under our constitution.

Like America, our constitutional democracy has three co-equal and independent branches of government—a fact that Mr. Zelaya ignored when he openly defied the positions of both the Supreme Court and Congress. But we are ready to continue discussions once the Supreme Court, the attorney general and Congress analyze President Arias’s proposal. That proposal has been turned over to them so that they can review provisions that impact their legal authority. Once we know their legal positions we will proceed accordingly.

The Honduran people must have confidence that their Congress is a co-equal branch of government. They must be assured that the rule of law in Honduras applies to everyone, even their president, and that their Supreme Court’s orders will not be dismissed and swept aside by other nations as inconvenient obstacles.

Meanwhile, the other elements of the Arias proposal, especially the establishment of a Truth Commission to make findings of fact and international enforcement mechanisms to ensure Mr. Zelaya complies with the agreement, are worthy of serious consideration.

Mr. Zelaya’s irresponsible attempt on Friday afternoon to cross the border into Honduras before President Arias has obtained agreement from all parties—an attempt that U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton appropriately described as “reckless”—was just another example of why Mr. Zelaya cannot be trusted to keep his word.

Regardless of what happens, the worst thing the U.S. can do is to impose economic sanctions that would primarily hurt the poorest people in Honduras. Rather than impose sanctions, the U.S. should continue the wise policies of Mrs. Clinton. She is supporting President Arias’s efforts to mediate the issues. The goal is a peaceful solution that is consistent with Honduran law in a civil society where even the president is not above the law.

Mr. Micheletti, previously the president of the Honduran Congress, became president of Honduras upon the departure of Manuel Zelaya. He is a member of the Liberal Party, the same party as Mr. Zelaya.

The Path Foward, Micheletti editorial in the WSJ (Spanish)

US Ambassador Hugo Llorens permitted and was a party to Zelaya's wife utlizing his personal residence to make international calls (on US taxpayer expense), creating a sham as to her whereabouts and personal safety

Tomás Arita Valle, Supreme Court Magistrate who signed the arrest warrant against Mel Zelaya has his US Diplomatic visa revoked

José Alfredo Saavedra, new President of the Honduran national congress also has his US Diplomatic visa revoked

Obama is relying heavily on White House Counsel Gregory Craig for advice on Latin America

FM Lopez Contreras states that after January 27th everything changes politically and nations can have relations with Honduras, independent of OAS, like Cuba had with others

Funds suspended to ambassadors and diplomatic envoys who remain loyal to ex-President Zelaya

Zelaya transferred funds from People's Republic of China for personal use

Worse political crisis in 30 years

$7.5 million USD siphoned illegally from the Central Bank to fund the nefarious 4th Ballot initiative

Diary with payoffs to key labor and union syndicate leaders found in car of Carlos Arturo Reina, Zelaya cohort

Mel to direct guerrilla counter-offensive from the mountains of Nicaragua...are his mom and the transgendered "El Pichu" going to participate too?

Tuxtla Conference is ongoing in Costa Rica, Zelaya has been invited to attend

Honduran Supreme Court authorizes former "First Lady" Xiomara Castro de Zelaya to cross the border into Nicaragua

Official State Department statement regarding the revocation of 4 diplomatic visas to members of the Micheletti government

Zelaya praises State Department action, categorizes it as a victory

Philip Crowley, Assistant Secretary of Public Affairs at the US State Department, stated that the coup should serve as a “lesson” for the deposed president who had signed trade and petroleum accords with Venezuela: “We certainly think that if we were choosing a model government and a model leader for countries of the region to follow, that the current leadership in Venezuela would not be a particular model. If that is the lesson that President Zelaya has learned from this episode, that would be a good lesson.”

US sends the wrong message in supporting a socialist thug like Zelaya

Zelaya not happy that Hillary has stopped using the term “coup” to describe his removal from power by the military last month

Eduardo Montealegre, Nicaraguan opposition leader travels to Tegucigalpa offering support to the Micheletti administration and calling for Mel's ouster from Nicaraguan soil

Barack "Zelaya" Obama's Honduras Policy

US plays out the dirty work of Hugo Chavez and the Legion of Doom:

When Hugo Chávez makes a personal appeal to Washington for help, as he did 11 days ago, it raises serious questions about the signals that President Barack Obama is sending to the hemisphere's most dangerous dictator.

At issue is Mr. Chávez's determination to restore deposed Honduran president Manuel Zelaya to power through multilateral pressure. His phone call to a State Department official showed that his campaign was not going well and that he thought he could get U.S. help.

This is not good news for the region. The Venezuelan may feel that his aims have enough support from the U.S. and the Organization of American States (OAS) that he would be justified in forcing Mr. Zelaya on Honduras by supporting a violent overthrow of the current government. That he has reason to harbor such a view is yet another sign that the Obama administration is on the wrong side of history.

In the three weeks since the Honduran Congress moved to defend the country's constitution by relieving Mr. Zelaya of his presidential duties, it has become clear that his arrest was both lawful and a necessary precaution against violence.

Mr. Zelaya was trying to use mob rule to undermine Honduras's institutions in much the same way that Mr. Chávez has done in Venezuela. But as Washington lawyer Miguel Estrada pointed out in the Los Angeles Times on July 10, Mr. Zelaya's actions were expressly forbidden by the Honduran constitution.

"Article 239," Mr. Estrada noted, "specifically states that any president who so much as proposes the permissibility of reelection 'shall cease forthwith' in his duties, and Article 4 provides that any 'infraction' of the succession rules constitutes treason." Congress had little choice but to take its next step. It convened "immediately after Zelaya's arrest," Mr. Estrada wrote, "condemning his illegal conduct, and overwhelmingly voting (122-6) to remove him from office."

Mr. Zelaya was shipped out of the country because Honduras believed that jailing him would make him a lightning rod for violence. Interim President Roberto Micheletti promised that presidential elections scheduled for November would go forward.

That might have been the end of it if the U.S. had supported the Honduran rule of law, or simply refrained from meddling. Instead President Obama and the State Department joined Mr. Chávez and his allies in demanding that Mr. Zelaya be restored to power. This has emboldened Venezuela.

On July 5, Mr. Zelaya boarded a plane manned by a Venezuelan crew bound for Tegucigalpa, knowing full well that he would not be allowed to land. It didn't matter. His intention was to incite a mob on the ground and force a confrontation between his supporters and the military. It worked. One person was killed in clashes near the airport.

Yet the tragedy did not produce the desired condemnation of the Micheletti government. Rather, it empowered Honduran patriots. Perhaps this is because the airport violence reinforced the claim that Mr. Zelaya is a threat to the peace.

He was not the only one to lose credibility that day. OAS Secretary General José Miguel Insulza had encouraged the fly-over stunt despite its obvious risks. He even traveled in a separate plane behind Mr. Zelaya to show support. The incident destroyed any possibility that Mr. Insulza could be considered an honest broker. It also proved the charge that by insisting on Mr. Zelaya's return the U.S. was playing with fire.

The next day Costa Rican President Oscar Arias offered to act as a mediator between Mr. Zelaya and the new government. Mr. Arias would seem to be far from an impartial referee given that he is a supporter of Mr. Zelaya. Yet it is also true that Central America has the most to lose if Honduras descends into civil war. It follows that the San José venue offers better odds for the Honduran democracy than, say, the auspices of the OAS.

Other influential Central Americans have expressed support for Honduras. Last week the Honduran daily El Heraldo reported that Salvador's OAS ambassador said he hopes to see the resolution that suspended Honduras from the group revoked under the new permanent-council president. Catholic Cardinal Oscar Rodriguez Maradiaga has condemned Mr. Zelaya's violent tactics and says that Honduras does not want to emulate Venezuela.

Mr. Chávez understands that Mr. Zelaya's star is fading, which is why he called Tom Shannon, the State Department's assistant secretary for the Western Hemisphere at home at 11:15 p.m on July 9. Mr. Shannon told me that Mr. Chávez "again made the case for the unconditional return of Mr. Zelaya, though he did so in a less bombastic manner than he has in the past."

Mr. Shannon says that in response he "suggested to him that Venezuela and its [allies] address the fear factor by calling for free and fair elections and a peaceful transition to a new government." That, Mr. Shannon, says, "hasn't happened."

Nor is it likely to. Yet the U.S. continues exerting enormous pressure for the return of Mr. Zelaya. If it prevails, it is unlikely that Mr. Zelaya's mobs or Mr. Chávez will suddenly be tamed.

Related Links:

Hear President Micheletti's speech today at the Presidential Palace

Former FM Enrique Ortez Colindres remarks that the duplicitous Amb. Llorens should be declared "persona non grata"

Micheletti states in no uncertain terms that Mel Zelaya will never return to power

European Union suspended 65 million in Euros of aid to Honduras

Hillary Clinton calls Micheletti from India, talks tough

Micheletti asked Hillary to send someone of confidence to verify the truth in Honduras

Chavez employee, OAS Chief Insulza wants to harden sanctions against Honduras

Mel linked and deeply tied to drug trafficking

Micheletti committee continues in Costa Rica

Anti-Chavez Caracas mayor and other Venezuelan democracy advocates call for OAS to assist them, to no avail

More economic irregularities by the former Zelaya government

1954 military pact between Honduras and US remains in place

Zelaya created a life size statue of himself in the company of José Trinidad Cabañas, Francisco Morazán, y Dionisio de Herrera and José Cecilio del Valle, founding heroes of the nation

Oh, and Mel had made a bust of himself, too!

Nations that continue to interfere in the internal affairs of Honduras, will have their ambassadors expelled

Roberto Flores Bermúdez leading a new pro-Micheletti delegation to DC

Micheletti tells Honduras to pray to God for deliverance from the malevolent forces which seek to impose barbarism in their nation




Video H/T: Fausta's Blog

Zelaya's Tour Continues

Related Links:

Checks, jewelry, legal documents found in Zelaya safe house

Mel Zelaya is agitating and invoking his followers to revolt against the new government

Time keeps on turning and is on Micheletti's side

Honduras Attorney General affirms that if Zelaya returns to Honduras he will be duly arrested

New Venezuelan naval chief threatens Honduras

Rafael Correa, President of Ecuador and Legion of Doom member, incites the Honduran military to overthrow Micheletti

Chat with former Honduran Foreign Minister Guillermo Pérez Cadalso on Friday

Hondutel, state telecommunications company, was part and parcel of plan to illegally alter the constitution

Specific details of fraud at Hondutel under Zelaya's connivance

Over $200 million dollars, USD, was generated in fraudulent gains by Hondutel

Zelaya headed back to Nicaragua, as his tour, underwritten by Venezuela, continues

Since Zelaya's fall no drug related aircraft has either landed or penetrated Honduras air space

More than 15 new criminal charges in the works against Zelaya and cabinet officers

Zelaya's negotiating team has not confirmed return to San Jose talks

Paid Zelaya union supporters will carry out a strike and disruptions tomorrow and Friday

New Micheletti operating budget to be 8.2% smaller than previous year, although Mel never presented a budget within the allotted constitutional mandated time frame

Tourism down 80% due to political situation

Pepe Lobo leads polling for elections in November

J'Accuse Hugo Llorens

My open letter to the US Ambassador in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, in light of his squalid campaign to have Dr. Enrique Ortez Colindres ousted from his numerous cabinet positions in Honduras:

Ambassador Hugo Llorens
Embajada de los Estados Unidos de América
Avenida La Paz
Tegucigalpa M.D.C.
Honduras

Dear Mr. Ambassador:

My name is Carlos Echevarria, an American citizen, born and raised in Miami, Florida, with longstanding commercial and personal interests in Honduras. It is with great dismay and a heavy heart that I write to you, in reference to the dual resignation of the Honduran Foreign Minister & latter Justice Minister, Enrique Ortez Colindres.

I have known Dr. Ortez Colindres for many years and he is dear friend of my family. He is a man of honor, decency and true patriotism. Sometimes his passion and zeal for the freedom of his country overtakes him. However, he is a staunch anti-communist and faithful friend of the United States of America.

You, Sir, on the other have engendered a faux crisis and misrepresented some remarks he made regarding President Barack Obama, prior to his investiture as Foreign Minister. It is abundantly clear that your efforts are an attempt to malign and enfeeble the constitutional government of President Roberto Micheletti, which took power upon the attempted putsch by the socialist thug, Jose Manuel Zelaya Rosales.

With all due respect, Mr. Ambassador, it is fascinating to me that you feigned outrage over one remark by Dr. Ortez Colindres but you stood idly by for months as Mel Zelaya and Patricia Rodas engaged in the most scurrilous rhetoric and corresponding activities against the United States and her interests.

I would propound to you, Sir, that at your core you are not only a sympathizer of ex-President Zelaya but, moreover, an apologist of his copious transgressions of the Honduran constitution.

It is bad enough that you are perpetuating the administration’s misguided policies in Honduras, worse still you are for all intents and purposes taking your cue and marching orders from Hugo Chavez & Raul Castro.

What a sad commentary on the state of the world and upon our august constitutional republic that the United States, the repository and purveyor of liberty in the world, is attempting to impose tyranny and oppression in Honduras, by re-instating a dictator.

Ambassador Llorens have you no shame? Have you no honor? Have you no sense of decency, Sir?

If you did, you would resign your post forthwith!

Regards,

Carlos Echevarria
Miami, Florida

Obama Meets Pope Benedict XVI

A complete review of Presidential-Papal meetings:

1. Woodrow Wilson meets Benedict XV, the Vatican, January 4, 1919. Meeting just after the end of World War I, President Wilson had pushed for a lasting peace via his failed League of Nations, and Pope Benedict had been a powerful advocate for peace throughout the war. Perhaps it's fitting that these two would meet and that their meeting would be the historic first ever of its kind.

2. Dwight D. Eisenhower meets John XXIII, the Vatican, December 6, 1959. Following a 40-year hiatus, this meeting would begin in earnest the precedent of every pope and every president meeting. While apparently very genial, this meeting also faced the challenge of Eisenhower not knowing Italian and John XXIII not knowing English.

3. John F. Kennedy meets Paul VI, the Vatican, July 2, 1963. While Jacqueline Kennedy met John XXIII in a private audience, President Kennedy missed him by a month, instead visiting the newly-elected Pope Paul. The reportedly discussed civil rights.

4. Lyndon Johnson meets Paul VI, New York, October 4, 1965. This meeting took place in the historical context of the first visit by a pope to the United States. Paul VI would visit and address the United Nations while he was in town.

5. Lyndon Johnson meets Paul VI, the Vatican, December 23, 1967. This was the first repeat encounter between a particular pope and president. Johnson's record will be matched by Nixon and shattered by the likes of Reagan and Clinton. Pope Paul will go on to meet two more presidents.

6. Richard Nixon meets Paul VI, the Vatican, March 2, 1969.

7. Richard Nixon meets Paul VI, the Vatican, September 29, 1970.

8. Gerald Ford meets Paul VI, the Vatican, June 3, 1975. President Ford was the fourth and final president met by Pope Paul. John Paul II would meet five.

9. Jimmy Carter meets John Paul II, the White House, October 6, 1979. Along with being the first of 15 meetings between Pope John Paul and a sitting president, this was the first time any pope came to the White House, an event that would go unrepeated until 2008.

10. Jimmy Carter meets John Paul II, the Vatican, June 21, 1980.

11. Ronald Reagan meets John Paul II, the Vatican, June 7, 1982.

12. Ronald Reagan meets John Paul II, Fairbanks, Alaska, May 2, 1984. Pope John Paul was stopping to refuel on his way to Seoul. President Reagan was on his way back from China. While quick and in passing, this meeting still allowed the two to speak about the pressing issues of the time. It also followed shortly after the U.S. and the Holy See formally opened diplomatic relations.

13. Ronald Reagan meets John Paul II, the Vatican, June 6, 1987.

14. Ronald Reagan meets John Paul II, Miami, September 10, 1987.

15. George Bush meets John Paul II, the Vatican, May 27, 1989.

16. George Bush meets John Paul II, the Vatican, November 8, 1991.

17. Bill Clinton meets John Paul II, Denver, August 12, 1993. Pope John Paul was in town for World Youth Day.

18. Bill Clinton meets John Paul II, the Vatican, June 2, 1994.

19. Bill Clinton meets John Paul II, Newark, October 4, 1995.

20. Bill Clinton meets John Paul II, St. Louis, January 26, 1999. President Clinton met with the pope more times on American soil than any other president. Of course, one could argue a traveler like JPII made it easy for him.

21. George W. Bush meets John Paul II, Castel Gandolfo, July 23, 2001. This is the first and only time a pope received a president at the papal summer residence in Italy.

22. George W. Bush meets John Paul II, the Vatican, May 28, 2002.

23. George W. Bush meets John Paul II, the Vatican, June 4, 2004. President Bush presented Pope John Paul with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

24. George W. Bush meets Benedict XVI, the Vatican, June 9, 2007. It's worth noting that President Bush, along with former Presidents Bush and Clinton, also attended the funeral of Pope John Paul II in April of 2005.

25. George W. Bush meets Benedict XVI, the White House, April 16 2008. President Bush also greeted Pope Benedict upon his arrival at Andrews Air Force Base. The White House reception also included a birthday celebration for the pope.

26. George W. Bush meets Benedict XVI, the Vatican, June 13, 2008. President Bush holds the distinction of being the only sitting U.S. president to meet two popes. He has also met with the pope the more times than any sitting president, six.

27. Barack Obama will meet Benedict XVI, the Vatican, July 10, 2009. Coming on the heels of the G8 Summit and the pope's new encyclical, one could expect global economic issues to be a topic of discussion. President Obama held a round table discussion with religion writers at the White House in anticipation of the meeting. Check Catholic News Service for updates as the meeting unfolds.

Hat Tip: Opinionated Catholic

Round Up of San Jose Talks

Friday Links & Related Articles:

CEAL has hired Lanny Davis and his high powered lobbying firm to represent Honduras' interest in DC

State Dept. freezes $20 million in aid to Honduras, could get worse

Miami Herald, Granma on Biscayne Bay, attacks Micheletti

Zelaya protests are filled with Marxist symbols, especially that of Che Guevara

Honduran attorney Miguel Estrada explains legal justification for removal

Micheletti's Representatives leave San Jose, return home

US Congress debates Zelaya and Honduras

Telemundo links Zelaya's son, using state resources, with drug traffickers

Zelaya relative Chimirri sent directly to federal pen, due to corruption

Otto Reich defends new government, says it is legitimate

US Senators and Congressmen ask Obama to rethink pro-Chavez Honduras policy

Mel's regional tour continues back to DC, who is paying for this?

Liberal Party in Honduras asks to move up November elections

Cardinal Oscar Andrés Rodríguez believes Zelaya will not return

Ortez Transferred to Justice Ministry

The following are Tweet breakdowns of what El Heraldo is reporting:

Canciller. Se menciona que Roberto Flores Bermúdez, ex embajador de Honduras en Washington, podría ser nombrado en los próximos días, nuevo Canciller.

Obama. El presidente Micheletti aseguró que el cambio de Ortez Colindres a Gobernación, no tiene nada que ver con el incidente por el cual Colindres tuvo que pedir disculpas al presidente Obama.

Colindres. Enrique Ortez, quien hasta ahora estaba al frente de la Cancillería, fue juramentado como ministro de Gobernación y Justicia

Honduran FM Ousted due to Obama Envoy

Dr. Enrique Ortez Colindres was accused by the US Ambassador, Hugo Llorens, of "racism" for pejorative remarks he made about Barack Obama, prior to him becoming Foreign Minister. This feigned outrage by Llorens led to Ortez Colindres being removed and assigned as Minister of Justice.

Via Hondudiario:

*** El hasta ahora canciller tuvo discrepancias con la Embajada Americana porque antes de asumir este cargo fraseó locuciones vinculadas al racismo y términos peyorativos ligados a la embestidura del presidente Barack Obama.

El canciller Enrique Ortéz Colíndres fue destituido de su cargo para ocupar la titularidad de la Secretaría de Gobernación y Justicia, confirmó el jefe del Staff Presidencial Javier Valladares.

Valladares manifestó que el presidente Roberto Micheletti tomó esta decisión por la capacidad de Ortéz Colíndres para desempeñar el cargo de ministro de Gobernación y Justicia.

El hasta ahora canciller tuvo discrepancias con la Embajada Americana porque antes de asumir este cargo fraseó locuciones vinculadas al racismo y términos peyorativos ligados a la embestidura del presidente Barack Obama.

En vista de lo anterior el gobierno de Estados Unidos, a través de su embajador en el país Hugo Llorens, expresó su indignación por las declaraciones de Ortéz Colíndres.

El jefe del Staff Presidencial declaró que el nombramiento del nuevo canciller será en los próximos días eligiendo a una persona capaz y con conocimientos en relaciones diplomáticas.

Sin embargo el ministro de Defensa Adolfo Sevilla dijo que esta información no podía ser confirmada hasta que el presidente Micheletti regrese al país.

Picture courtesy of Hondudiario

I will be addressing this matter of Hugo Llorens in a future post, as I am preparing a letter, in order to denounce and expose him for what he truly is...the de facto ambassador of Hugo Chavez and Raul Castro in Tegucigalpa!

Micheletti and Zelaya Meeting Thursday

Picture montage courtesy of La Prensa

Related Links:

Zelaya and Micheletti to meet Thursday in Costa Rica under the auspices of President Oscar Arias

Sen. John McCain counters Obama, supports Micheletti, excoriates Zelaya

Rep. Connie Mack and Newt Gingrich blast Obama's pro-Zelaya stance

Honduran Amb. to USA not recognized by State Department due to allegiance to new government

Surprise, surprise Chavez led OAS Chief Insulza AGAINST sanctions for Cuba

Toncontin Airport is going to be re-opened for commercial activity

FM Ortez Colindres apologizes to US Ambassador for "racial" anti-Obama comments

Micheletti will not negotiate return of Zelaya

Congress has not discussed any hypothetical amnesty for Zelaya

Mel going to Mexico? permanently?

From Russia with Love, Obama re-iterates adoration for Zelaya

OAS Gives Honduras Ultimatum

Via Associated Press (or better yet Agitprop Propaganda):

WASHINGTON – Honduran coup leaders have three days to restore deposed President Manuel Zelaya to power, the Organization of American States said Wednesday, before Honduras risks being suspended from the group.

OAS Secretary-General Jose Miguel Insulza delivered what he called "an ultimatum" as OAS talks regarding the crisis dragged into the early-morning hours. The talks began Tuesday afternoon.

In a sharply worded resolution, the OAS said it vehemently condemned the coup and "the arbitrary detention and expulsion" of Zelaya.

The coup, the resolution said, has produced an "unconstitutional alteration of the democratic order." The envoys demanded Zelaya's immediate and safe return to power.

Calling Zelaya's overthrow an "old-fashioned coup," Insulza said: "We need to show clearly that military coups will not be accepted. We thought we were in an era when military coups were no longer possible in this hemisphere."

Zelaya, who was ousted in a coup Sunday, planned to return to Honduras on Thursday, accompanied by Insulza, the presidents of Argentina and Ecuador and the head of the U.N. General Assembly, and seek restoration of his authority. Wednesday morning, however, he said that trip would be delayed until the weekend.

Roberto Micheletti, named by Honduras' Congress as the new president, said Tuesday that Zelaya could be met with an arrest warrant if he returned. (Read entire article)

President Micheletti warns, once again, that Zelaya will be arrested if he tries to return to Honduras:

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras — Honduras' interim leader warned that the only way his predecessor will return to office is through a foreign invasion — though a potential showdown with the ousted president was delayed due to action Wednesday by the Organization of American States.

A defiant Roberto Micheletti said in an interview with The Associated Press late Tuesday that "no one can make me resign," defying the United Nations, the OAS, the Obama administration and other leaders that have condemned the military coup that overthrew President Manuel Zelaya.

The U.N. General Assembly voted by acclamation Tuesday to demand Zelaya's immediate restoration, and the Organization of American States said Wednesday that coup leaders have three days to restore Zelaya to power before Honduras risks being suspended from the group.

That period for negotiation prompted Zelaya to announce he was putting off his plans to return home on Thursday until the weekend.

Micheletti vowed Zelaya would be arrested if he returns, even though the presidents of Argentina and Ecuador have signed on to accompany him along with the heads of the Organization of American States and the U.N. General Assembly.

Zelaya "has already committed crimes against the constitution and the law," said Micheletti, a member of Zelaya's Liberal Party who was named interim leader by Congress following the coup. "He can no longer return to the presidency of the republic unless a president from another Latin American country comes and imposes him using guns."

Micheletti said he would not resign no matter how intense the international pressure becomes. He insisted Honduras would be ready to defend itself against any invasion.

He did not name any specific countries, but Chavez has vowed to "overthrow" Micheletti and said earlier Tuesday that any aggression against Zelaya by Micheletti's government should prompt military intervention by the United Nations.

"No one can make me resign if I do not violate the laws of the country," Micheletti said. "If there is any invasion against our country, 7.5 million Hondurans will be ready to defend our territory and our laws and our homeland and our government." (Read entire article)

Selwyn Duke notes that Honduras new president is beyond legitimate:

It has been interesting watching the response to the Honduran military's recent ousting its nation's president, Manuel Zelaya. Barack Obama called the action "not legal" and Hillary Clinton said that the arrest of Zelaya should be condemned. Most interesting, perhaps, is that taking this position places them shoulder to shoulder with Fidel Castro, Daniel Ortega and Venezuelan's roaring mouse, Hugo Chavez, who is threatening military action against Honduras. Now, some would say this is an eclectic group - others would say, not so much - regardless, what has gotten them so upset?

Let's start with what they say. They are calling the ouster a "coup" and claim that Zelaya is still Honduras' rightful president. Some of them say we must support democracy. But they have said little, if anything, about the rule of law. And most of what they have said is wrong.

First, it doesn't appear that Sunday's ouster was a military coup but a law enforcement action. It is not a military strongman who sought extra-legal control, but Zelaya himself. Here is the story.

Zelaya is a leftist, a less precocious version of Chavez, sort of like the Venezuelan's Mini-me. And, like Chavez, it's seems that Zelaya was bent on perpetuating his rule and increasing his power in defiance of the rule of law. That is to say, the Honduran Constitution limits presidents to one four-year term, and this wasn't quite enough to satisfy Zelaya's ambitions.

Also note that the military confined itself to its prescribed police action and is not running the country. The new president is 63-year-old Roberto Micheletti, a member of Zelaya's own Liberal Party. Moreover, elections are still planned for this November.

Micheletti also enjoys wide support, from the rank-and-file to the those breathing rarified air in elite institutions. As for Zelaya, while you may not be able to please all of the people all of the time, he certainly seems to have been able to displease them. He not only alienated the Congress, Supreme Court, the people and the attorney general -- who also declared the referendum illegal and vowed to prosecute anyone facilitating it -- he is also opposed by the Catholic Church and many evangelicals. Really, no one seems to like him.

No one, that is, but Hugo Chavez, Fidel Castro and Daniel Ortega.

Oh, and let's not forget Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.

Tell me who your friends are and I'll tell you who you are, anyone? (Read entire article)

Micheletti is not scared of Chavez and his thugs:

Roberto Micheletti, designado presidente del país por el Parlamento tras el golpe, dijo este lunes que el Ejército fue "benévolo" con el depuesto Manuel Zelaya, al permitirle salir del país. Zelaya por su parte, afirmó que el jueves vuelve a Honduras a terminar su mandato. En su primer día como presidente, Micheletti pidió a los hondureños que no se preocupen por las amenazas de Chávez, Correa y Ortega. En Tegucigalpa se sucedieron enfrentamientos entre partidarios de Zelaya y la policía, mientras continua el toque de queda. Los miembros del ALBA (Venezuela, Ecuador, Nicaragua y Bolivia) retiraron ayer los embajadores de Honduras en protesta por el golpe.

"Aquí hubo un momento que parecía que no había presidente sino un rey o un dictador, quien ordenaba qué cosas se debían hacer, sin respetar a nadie", matizó Micheletti, quien agregó que Zelaya llevó al país a tener enfrentamientos con los diferentes poderes, pues quiso reformar la Constitución para hacerse reelegir.

"El Ejército más bien creo, fue benevolente al permitir que el ex presidente (Manuel Zelaya), saliera del país, cuando en realidad tenía que haber entrado a las cárceles nacionales por los delitos cometidos en diferentes circunstancias", apostilló Micheletti.
Así lo aseguró en una entrevista con Radio Caracol de Colombia, en la que además indicó que "solo Dios sabe que puede hacer un ciudadano con la conducta del señor (Hugo) Chávez", quien amenazó con derrocarlo para restituir en el poder a su aliado Zelaya.

Sobre el presidente venezolano, agregó que se resistía a creer que el mundo aceptara injerencias en "situaciones que son internas de Honduras" y reclamó la "autodeterminación de los pueblos", la que, enfatizó, "hay que respetar". Insistió en que quería comunicarle "al mundo que aquí, en este país, no ha habido un golpe de Estado", sino "una sucesión constitucional" provocada por las debilidades del depuesto Zelaya.

Al ser interrogado sobre el rechazo de presidentes de diferentes tendencias y de organismos internacionales que no lo reconocen como nuevo mandatario, indicó que no ha hecho nada ilegal. "Reitero, no hemos hecho nada ilegal y en la medida en que los pueblos del mundo se vayan dando cuenta que en este país no ha habido un golpe de Estado, sino una sucesión constitucional, se darán cuenta de lo que realmente ha pasado en el país", puntualizó Micheletti.

De otro lado, indicó que seguirá en el poder porque fue la decisión expresada por el pueblo a través del Congreso Nacional, del cual era presidente y que lo nombró tras la salida de Zelaya. Explicó, por ejemplo, que los ministros del anterior Gobierno están en el país e "incluso algunos están ejerciendo sus labores, contentos". Puntualizó que la única funcionaria que salió del país, "por voluntad propia", fue la canciller Patricia Rodas, quien está en México.

En Tegucigalpa se sucedieron enfrentamientos entre partidarios de Zelaya y la policía. El toque de queda continúa hasta segunda orden.

Related Links:

President Micheletti will be traveling to the US with Foreign Minister Ortez Colindres

Ex-President Zelaya has postponed his Thursday comeback trip to Honduras

Zelaya will be in Panama today at the inaugaration of President Ricardo Martinelli

Honduran Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Romeo Vásquez Velásquez re-affirms that the military upheld constitutional order

Gross OAS double standard under the tutelage of the Salvador Allende loving Jose Miguel Insulza

Obama's administration's horrible foreign policy

Socialist Honduran neighbors cease commerce & trade for 48 hrs

US Military expert lauds historic nature of Honduran armed forces

Video Tribute to the people of Honduras, 85% of which back Zelaya's ouster

Erick Erickson at Red State urges calls to your fellow congressional representatives, in order to support the Micheletti government

Great links from Babalu Blog




Video H/T: Gateway Pundit

Hat Tip: Christopher Yochum
Hat Tip: Henry de la Noval

Obama to Meet Pope July 10th

CNS reports:

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Benedict XVI will welcome U.S. President Barack Obama to the Vatican July 10 for an audience scheduled to begin at 4 p.m.

Obama will visit Italy July 8-10 to participate in the Group of Eight summit, a meeting of leaders of the world's wealthiest nations. The meeting will be held in L'Aquila, site of a devastating earthquake in April.

After the G-8 summit, the president and his wife, Michelle, are scheduled to fly to Ghana, arriving late July 10.

Although Pope Benedict usually meets heads of state and government in the morning, the Vatican agreed to host Obama's first visit to the papal palace the evening before he flies to Africa.

It is not clear whether Miguel Diaz, a theology professor tapped by Obama to be the new U.S. ambassador to the Holy See, will be present for the meeting. As of June 23, the Senate hearing for the new ambassador's confirmation was not on the public schedule of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations.

Discussions between popes and U.S. presidents usually focus on common concerns regarding world events and the church's concerns over issues or policies with special moral relevance. So in addition to discussing ongoing tensions in the Middle East, especially the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the situation in Iraq, Pope Benedict likely will bring up his concerns regarding abortion policy in the United States and renewed government permission for embryonic stem-cell research.

Hat Tip: NC Register

Photo courtesy of Daylife-Getty Images

Obama's Outrageous Vatican Pick

Obama's picks leftist, Liberation Theologist Catholic as envoy to the Holy See:

(CNA).- In a surprising move, President Barack Obama announced on Wednesday evening that Miguel H. Diaz, Ph.D., a 45 year old lay Liberation theologian born in Havana (Cuba) is his pick to become the United States Ambassador to the Holy See.

An associate professor of theology at St. John's University and the College of Saint Benedict in Minnesota, Diaz, a strong Obama supporter and father of four, earned his bachelor’s degree from St. Thomas University in Miami, Fla., and his master’s and doctorate in theology from the University of Notre Dame at Notre Dame, Ind.

He taught previously at Barry University, Miami Shores, Fla.; St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary, Boynton Beach, Fla.; University of Dayton, Dayton, Ohio; and the University of Notre Dame. He also served as the academic dean at St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary and is fluent in Italian, Spanish and French.

Diaz serves on the board of the Catholic Theological Society of America, is past president of the Academy of Catholic Hispanic Theologians of the United States, and is a past member of the steering committee of the Karl Rahner Society.

His body of work, which includes some controvesial positions on “inclusivity,” has gained him significant praise from the Catholic left, and his nomination was immediately hailed by pro-Obama Catholics such as “Catholics United” and “Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good,” as well as Prof. Douglas Kmiec.

Diaz's election seems to be the first return that Catholics who have unconditionally supported Obama's policies and appointments have received for their investment in the ticket. Diaz, in fact, is listed as a member of Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good, although he explains his relationship with the pro-Obama group founded by Democratic activist Alexia Kelley as “a response to an invitation to become a theological advisor.”

In a brief statement, Diaz said that “I wish to be a diplomatic bridge between our nation and the Holy See, and if confirmed by the U.S. Senate, I will continue the work of my predecessors and build on 25 years of excellent relations with the Holy See.”

Miguel Diaz served in 2008 on the Obama campaign’s Catholic advisory board. Also in 2008, he donated $1,000 to the Obama Victory Fund.

Although he claims to be a “defender of life in all of it stages,” Diaz was among 26 Catholic leaders and scholars who signed a statement supporting the nomination of staunch pro abortion Catholic Kathleen Sebelius as Health and Human Services Secretary. (Read entire article)

The Catholic League has the following statement:

In choosing professor Miguel H. Diaz to be the U.S. Ambassador to the Vatican, President Obama has selected a man whose writings do not address such hot-button issues as abortion, embryonic stem cell research, doctor-assisted suicide and gay marriage. In that regard, it appears this is a safe choice.

It is disconcerting, nonetheless, to learn that Diaz supported Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius for the position of Secretary of Health and Human Services. Sebelius is so extreme on abortion that she has been publicly criticized by the last three archbishops in Kansas City, Kansas. Moreover, when the current archbishop, Joseph F. Naumann, asked her to name a single instance in 30 years of public service where she supported restrictions on abortion, she could not name one. Thus, his decision to request that she not present herself for Communion.

It is a lame argument to say that it is morally acceptable to promote abortion-reducing public policies while jettisoning all legal remedies. If we applied this same logic to racial discrimination, no one would regard someone who worked to reduce the incidence of discrimination while abandoning all legal strategies as a bona-fide opponent of racism. Both approaches would be demanded.

It is a sad commentary on the Democratic party that out of the entire country they can’t field a candidate to represent the U.S. to the Vatican who is unequivocally opposed to abortion-on-demand.

National Catholic Register has further background information:

Díaz is a member of the speaker’s bureau of Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good, a pro-Obama organization that was criticized last fall by some Church leaders, including Archbishop Charles Chaput of Denver.

In a speech responding to arguments put forward by pro-Obama Catholic law professor Doug Kmiec, Archbishop Chaput said Kmiec’s “activism for Senator Obama, and the work of Democratic-friendly groups like Catholics United and Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good, have done a disservice to the Church, confused the natural priorities of Catholic social teaching, undermined the progress pro-lifers have made, and provided an excuse for some Catholics to abandon the abortion issue instead of fighting within their parties and at the ballot box to protect the unborn.”

And Díaz also publicly supported the nomination of pro-abortion Catholic Kathleen Sebelius as Obama’s secretary of Health and Human Services. The nomination of Sebelius was opposed by many Church leaders, including her own bishop, Archbishop Joseph Naumann of Kansas City, Kan., who last year publicly requested Sebelius not present herself for reception of Communion because of her pro-abortion record as governor of Kansas.

Comments Deal Hudson at InsideCatholic.com, “It will be interesting to watch how the confirmation process proceeds with Prof. Diaz. Questions will be asked about his suitability as a U. S. diplomat to the Holy See. The Holy See itself may express reservations about his visible support for a pro-abortion Catholic like Sec. Sebelius.”

Hat Tip: A Catholic View