Or are folks within the administration simply not singing from the same hymnbook?
Early this morning, this AP piece seemed to send a clear message:
President Barack Obama said Egypt's Hosni Mubarak should do the statesmanlike thing and make a quick handoff to a more representative government.
Translation: Don't let the door hit you on the way out.
Obama said a new era must begin now, an unsubtle message to Mubarak that he should not cling to power until elections in September.
"The key question he should be asking himself is, 'How do I leave a legacy behind in which Egypt is able to get through this transformative period?'" Obama said Friday.
Obama, in office for two years, gave the 82-year-old Egyptian president some words of advice after 30 years of iron rule. The game's up, Obama said, using language only slightly less direct. It's time to leave.
And yet, just hours later, this from the LA Times:
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak must stay in power for now to steer the political transition, President Obama's special envoy for Egypt told reporters Saturday.
"We need to get a national consensus around the preconditions for the next step forward. The president must stay in office to steer those changes," Frank Wisner told a security conference in Munich, Germany, during a video conference from Washington, Reuters reported.Wisner, former U.S. ambassador to Egypt and India who is seen as having a good relationship with the Mubarak regime, was dispatched to Cairo earlier this week by Obama to meet with Egyptian leaders.
All of which lends lots of credibility to this Fox News piece yesterday:
As Egypt teeters between a state of political reform and anarchy, U.S. officials are giving increasingly mixed signals about what steps should be taken to bring the country back from the brink.
...
The Obama administration is looking at several options for how Egypt could quell the unrest and ensure an orderly transition. Among those options, according to an official, is for Mubarak to resign immediately and allow for the formation of a military-backed caretaker government which could prepare the country for elections later this year.
But officials stressed that there is no single U.S. plan being discussed.
And yet, we know Obama is certainly single-minded about some things when we read this at AFP:
Actress and music diva Jennifer Lopez will top the bill at US President Barack Obama's annual Super Bowl party on Sunday, as the Green Bay Packers take on the Pittsburgh Steelers for the NFL championship.
J-Lo will be joined by husband Marc Anthony at the White House party, also featuring top officials including Attorney General Eric Holder and Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, a senior US official said.
It's all about priorities people.



Comments (22)
Can't he just eat his waffl... (Below threshold)1. Posted by Jim Addison | February 5, 2011 3:22 PM | Score: 1 (3 votes cast)
Can't he just eat his waffle?
1. Posted by Jim Addison | February 5, 2011 3:22 PM |
Score: 1 (3 votes cast)
Posted on February 5, 2011 15:22
2. Posted by TaterSalad | February 5, 2011 3:35 PM | Score: 2 (4 votes cast)
Allen West needs your support and we need his knowledge because Congressman West will become our next President of the United States:
http://allenwest2012.ning.com/
2. Posted by TaterSalad | February 5, 2011 3:35 PM |
Score: 2 (4 votes cast)
Posted on February 5, 2011 15:35
3. Posted by BlueNight | February 5, 2011 3:48 PM | Score: 4 (4 votes cast)
The Caesar issues orders to Egypt as he dines with his friend Marc Anthony...
3. Posted by BlueNight | February 5, 2011 3:48 PM |
Score: 4 (4 votes cast)
Posted on February 5, 2011 15:48
4. Posted by epador | February 5, 2011 3:50 PM | Score: 6 (6 votes cast)
Has there been demonstration of competence in ANYTHING from this administration? Except cronyism and incompetence?
4. Posted by epador | February 5, 2011 3:50 PM |
Score: 6 (6 votes cast)
Posted on February 5, 2011 15:50
5. Posted by JJ | February 5, 2011 4:07 PM | Score: 3 (3 votes cast)
Obama's mouth needs to spend some quality time covered in duct tape.
5. Posted by JJ | February 5, 2011 4:07 PM |
Score: 3 (3 votes cast)
Posted on February 5, 2011 16:07
6. Posted by Woop | February 5, 2011 4:18 PM | Score: -10 (20 votes cast)
Once again Rick demonstrates the inherent stupidity that underlies the conservative mindset.
Rick can't wrap his simple-minded mind around the continuity between this:
and this:
Item #1 says when it should happen = quickly.
Item #2 says how it should happen = Mubarak should steer it, not just bail.
Morons populate Fox News and breed mini-morons like Rick. What a spectacular display of dumb.
6. Posted by Woop | February 5, 2011 4:18 PM |
Score: -10 (20 votes cast)
Posted on February 5, 2011 16:18
7. Posted by sam | February 5, 2011 4:22 PM | Score: 6 (8 votes cast)
So what the OIbumbler Admin is saying is, "Go" and "Wait".
7. Posted by sam | February 5, 2011 4:22 PM |
Score: 6 (8 votes cast)
Posted on February 5, 2011 16:22
8. Posted by DaveD | February 5, 2011 4:34 PM | Score: 10 (10 votes cast)
Woop,
Read it again. There is no misinterpretation.
"....make a quick handoff to a more representative government" does mean when, but including the term 'more representative government' suggests how it should happen. Clearly you are creating a fallacious piece of rationale for the simple reason to insult someone. Despite your impotent effort, your logic remains fallacious. Wizbang will soon be publishing an anthology of your posts behind the title 'Inherent Stupidity'. Enjoy.
8. Posted by DaveD | February 5, 2011 4:34 PM |
Score: 10 (10 votes cast)
Posted on February 5, 2011 16:34
9. Posted by sam | February 5, 2011 5:32 PM | Score: 4 (4 votes cast)
"Suleiman met Saturday with representatives from several opposition parties. But representatives of the Muslim Brotherhood, Egypt's largest opposition party, said they had not participated in the talks. Nor did Mohamed ElBaradei, the democracy advocate and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, who had earlier been chosen by opposition parties as their spokesman.
Mounir Fakhry Abdel Nour, secretary general of the liberal Wafd Party, said he and other party officials had presented Suleiman with their proposals for constitutional change. Nour said that Suleiman mostly listened but at one point told the Wafd officials that "we need to go ahead with this as soon as possible."
Nour said Suleiman ruled out Mubarak's resignation from the presidency. "Not only will he not resign, he will not cede or delegate his powers," Nour said."
"...the White House is now on board with Mubarak sticking around until November when his term officially ends."
Further, from CNN...
"However, the envoy who delivered a message from U.S. President Barack Obama to Egypt's leaders this week, Frank Wisner, told the conference via videolink that Mubarak must remain in office, despite protesters' call for his resignation. U.S. officials emphasized that Wisner was speaking for himself, as an expert on the region, and not for the Obama administration."
Mubarak is 82 years old, he will go some day. But he is not going anywhere on the say-so of the bumbler from Kenya.
9. Posted by sam | February 5, 2011 5:32 PM |
Score: 4 (4 votes cast)
Posted on February 5, 2011 17:32
10. Posted by irongrampa | February 5, 2011 6:04 PM | Score: 6 (6 votes cast)
Unfortunately incompetence in this administration isn't limited to the current situation in Egypt.
But then, that's hardly news at this point.
10. Posted by irongrampa | February 5, 2011 6:04 PM |
Score: 6 (6 votes cast)
Posted on February 5, 2011 18:04
11. Posted by GarandFan | February 5, 2011 6:11 PM | Score: 8 (8 votes cast)
Barry "The One" Obama. Ain't no issue he cannot straddle.
Face it woop, Barry has voted "Present!". Again.
11. Posted by GarandFan | February 5, 2011 6:11 PM |
Score: 8 (8 votes cast)
Posted on February 5, 2011 18:11
12. Posted by JDL | February 5, 2011 8:10 PM | Score: 4 (4 votes cast)
This about says it all.
"The Obama Administration held secret meeting with Muslim Brotherhood, ... secretly met yesterday with a senior leader of the Muslim Brotherhood? "
The BBC is reporting that the Muslim Brotherhood is entering the talks tomorrow.
"Egypt's most influential opposition group, the Muslim Brotherhood, says it will enter talks with officials on ending the country's political crisis.
The group told Reuters the talks would begin on Sunday and would aim to assess how far the government was "ready to accept the demands of the people"."
Obama asked Turkey to help with the transition to a new ruling party. Turkey is now ruled by Sharia Law.
Please tell me Woop how this is good news.
Obama is screwing the pooch and my guess is that he had this planned since his speech in Cairo last year.
12. Posted by JDL | February 5, 2011 8:10 PM |
Score: 4 (4 votes cast)
Posted on February 5, 2011 20:10
13. Posted by 914 | February 5, 2011 8:27 PM | Score: 5 (7 votes cast)
How about Mubarak stays and Barry don't hang around til the next elections?
Yeah, I like that idea better.
13. Posted by 914 | February 5, 2011 8:27 PM |
Score: 5 (7 votes cast)
Posted on February 5, 2011 20:27
14. Posted by Rodney G. Graves | February 5, 2011 8:41 PM | Score: 4 (6 votes cast)
epador@4,
Indeed! Why would we expect any greater competence on this issue than we have seen on any other to date?
14. Posted by Rodney G. Graves | February 5, 2011 8:41 PM |
Score: 4 (6 votes cast)
Posted on February 5, 2011 20:41
15. Posted by Rodney G. Graves | February 5, 2011 8:43 PM | Score: 4 (6 votes cast)
woop@6 demonstrates the ongoing inability of the left to acknowledge when Barrack Hussein Obama screws the pooch yet again...
15. Posted by Rodney G. Graves | February 5, 2011 8:43 PM |
Score: 4 (6 votes cast)
Posted on February 5, 2011 20:43
16. Posted by sam | February 5, 2011 9:43 PM | Score: 5 (7 votes cast)
"The Obama Administration held secret meeting with Muslim Brotherhood, ... secretly met yesterday with a senior leader of the Muslim Brotherhood? "
The BBC is reporting that the Muslim Brotherhood is entering the talks tomorrow.
"Egypt's most influential opposition group, the Muslim Brotherhood, says it will enter talks with officials on ending the country's political crisis.
The group told Reuters the talks would begin on Sunday and would aim to assess how far the government was "ready to accept the demands of the people"."
Nothing surprising, Obama is just helping his Brotherhood.
16. Posted by sam | February 5, 2011 9:43 PM |
Score: 5 (7 votes cast)
Posted on February 5, 2011 21:43
17. Posted by ODA315 | February 5, 2011 10:34 PM | Score: 3 (3 votes cast)
Always good to see the community-minded Muslim Brotherhood involved.
Like Patty (the dunce) Murray told her constituents after 9/11......"The people love Osama bin Laden because he builds them schools, and daycares,....."
Hey Woop, why don't you head on over there and keep an eye on things for us? Consider it serving a key role for President Obama....and, oh yeah, make sure to wear press credentials.
17. Posted by ODA315 | February 5, 2011 10:34 PM |
Score: 3 (3 votes cast)
Posted on February 5, 2011 22:34
18. Posted by cali | February 6, 2011 7:26 AM | Score: 3 (3 votes cast)
We are living in the 'Twilight Zone".
Maybe we should ask Obama to live office right now, or yesterday, so we can transition to a president who does what's best for America, rather than cuddling enemies. He appears to suffer from confusion, or may mental breakdown.
18. Posted by cali | February 6, 2011 7:26 AM |
Score: 3 (3 votes cast)
Posted on February 6, 2011 07:26
19. Posted by apb | February 6, 2011 10:09 AM | Score: 0 (2 votes cast)
Woop(s, there is is - a big steaming pile on #6)
The insufferable 'progressive' trait of mangling language to fit garbled thinking is just amazing - 'progressivism' looks more and more like a physical brain disorder. I'll leave the attempt at classification of your disability to researchers, but in the meantime I've given you your own little pigeonhole.
You're a douchenozzle.
19. Posted by apb | February 6, 2011 10:09 AM |
Score: 0 (2 votes cast)
Posted on February 6, 2011 10:09
20. Posted by Brad | February 6, 2011 10:59 AM | Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
Yeah, Marco Polo, Cheney actually knows a little. After all, the only ME country except Israel that holds legit elections is Iraq. How'd that happen again?
20. Posted by Brad | February 6, 2011 10:59 AM |
Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
Posted on February 6, 2011 10:59
21. Posted by sablegsd | February 6, 2011 12:37 PM | Score: 2 (2 votes cast)
Hey woop, seems like it's you that can't wrap your "brain" around zero's obvious, chronic cluelessness.
21. Posted by sablegsd | February 6, 2011 12:37 PM |
Score: 2 (2 votes cast)
Posted on February 6, 2011 12:37
22. Posted by headshots in Los Angeles | February 7, 2011 2:25 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Egypt is in revolution. This revolution will be unique as all revolutions are unique. Where it will lead no one can tell. We can only hope that it leads to a more representative government for it's people.
22. Posted by headshots in Los Angeles | February 7, 2011 2:25 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on February 7, 2011 14:25