DeMint encouraged by Honduras trip

Source: The Hill

The Honduran government is upholding the rule of law and supporting democracy, Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) said after returning from a fact-finding trip to the country.

DeMint led a delegation including Reps. Aaron Schock (R-Ill.), Peter Roskam (R-Ill.), and Doug Lamborn (R-Colo.) The lawmakers met with Honduran President Roberto Micheletti, Supreme Court justices, and candidates in upcoming November 29 elections.

"We saw a government working hard to follow the rule of law, uphold its constitution, and to protect democracy for the people of Honduras," DeMint said. "We are very encouraged by what we saw and we hope to be able to work with our administration to support the upcoming elections."

<snip>

Micheletti took power when President Manuel Zelaya was forcibly exiled. The White House considers that move an illegal coup, but some conservatives, including DeMint, say the change in regime was the only way to stop Zelaya from unconstitutionally strengthening his grip on power.

Read more: http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/61487-demint-encouraged-by-honduras-trip

well. Non-chemical fertilizer. And should be, without question, charged with treason.

How can you not see that?

the Logan Act before inserting your foot in your mouth.

And yes I have read it.

of rule of law. Along with "democracy", with no opposition, no opposition radio, TV, press, (nor right to free speech) at the barrel of a gun.

As long as that coffee continues to flow out of the country.

He's a fascist, and a member of "The Family", which supports fascists all around the world.

:smoke:

after ousting Obama, of course.

I am very upset with Demint and his spin on the situation.

Basically, legitimizing the coup.

The only way the political crisis can be resolved is through new elections.

Zelaya's term ends in January, and Honduras will lack any legitimate head of state.

when they don't like his policies.

When Zelaya's term ends and new elections have yet to be held?

It's going to be pretty hard to convince people that an election will make everything right again.

The de facto government has to go. No one will recognize any election they manage.

That was the solution in July and it's still the solution right now. The real question is why has the Obama administration dragged their heels at every step? Who in our government, besides DeMint, is backing this coup?

Just minus the president.

But I still don't see how anyone can say they're working hard for rights after they suspended constitutional rights.

To me it's kind of a "Duh!" situation.

What do you think of the latest twist with the president of Costa Rica saying that there way no way to impeach Zelaya under the constitution so arresting him was they only way they could remove him for criminal acts?

And Arias is making no sense as usual. Congress can't remove Zelaya, there was no trial and kidnapping him and taking him out of the country is against the law. :crazy:

Arias is making sense on that point. What do you do with a criminal president you can't impeach?

Arias told the Miami Herald in an interview "I forced myself to study the constitution of Honduras; I don't think there is a worst constitution on the face of the Earth."

http://www.elheraldo.hn/Ediciones/2009/10/02/Noticias/Arias-Constitucion-de-Honduras-es-la-peor

DUer rabs found that. :)

Imho, the reason they had to get rid of Zelaya somehow was because they couldn't risk a trial. He would have won in court because what he did was not illegal. And that would have deprived them of their cover.

They are no longer elections!

but Bob never had anyone killed.

Did you know that they shut down the first Honduran hospital ever opened to serve the Atlantic Coast peoples? For no reason whatsoever except that on top of everything else, they're racist assholes? That fiend Zelaya, he got a hospital open to treat "indians". Obviously, he had to go.

http://www.chavezcode.com/2009/06/update-344pm-fake-resignation-letter.html

Alleged resignation letter with forged signature from President Zelaya is dated June 25, 2009. This is completely ridiculous considering that up until he was violently kidnapped this morning, Zelaya gave no indication whatsoever that he was planning to resign. Today, in is forced exile from Costa Rica, he has reaffirmed his role as constitutional president of Honduras and denied any resignation via letter or any other means.

The Honduran Congress has violated the human rights of its citizens and has brutally repressed members of Zelaya's administration. Foreign Minister Patricia Rodas, who was beaten and taken from her home a few hours ago....

The Honduran Congress says they have not executed a coup d'etat but rather are installing "rule of law" and "democracy". WTF?????

BTW, the FAKE RESIGNATION letter states:

"Mr. President:

Due to the polarizing political situation in the country, which has provoked a national conflict that is eroding my political support, and due to my uncureable health problems that have impeded me from concentrating on my fundamental duties in the government, I am handing in my irrevocable resignation as President of the Republic, together with my Cabinet members, effective as of today.

With my resignation, I hope to contribute to healing the wounds in the national political environment.

Sincerely,

Jose Manual Zelaya Rosales

Unreal.

How embarrassing.

President Zelaya -100 assassinated by Micheletti dictatorship
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x380290

DeMint is ignorant of reality, it seems!

You are hereby notified that you are under investigation and a federal grand jury indictment of the violation of the Logan Act is underway. If I were you, Senator DeMented, I'd suggest that you hand Sen. Mitch McConnell your resignation immediately. And since SC has a Puke governor that is also under investigation, I strenuously suggest that you ask a Democrat to take your spot.

The aformented Reps have been delivered the same notice of violation and indictment, and they are already preparing to resign from their positions, since their Governors are Democrats, they'll be replaced.

Sincerely,
The Department of Justice and Republican Kickassery (newly named)

"Any citizen of the United States, wherever he may be, who, without authority of the United States, directly or indirectly commences or carries on any correspondence or intercourse with any foreign government or any officer or agent thereof, with intent to influence the measures or conduct of any foreign government or of any officer or agent thereof, in relation to any disputes or controversies with the United States, or to defeat the measures of the United States, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than three years, or both.
This section shall not abridge the right of a citizen to apply himself, or his agent, to any foreign government, or the agents thereof, for redress of any injury which he may have sustained from such government or any of its agents or subjects."

Given that the policy of the United States is that the current government is illegitmate and should relinquish power, If Demint encouraged representatives of that government to retain power than he is guilty of a felony under the Logan Act. But what isn't being noticed is that no one has ever been punished under the Logan Act, and I can't imagine that Demint's ineterference with U.S. policy will be judged to be so dangerous that he will be the first. In my view the law should be repealed. If not repealed, it should be enforced.

But prosecutors have ignored it even when we were fighting another government. Examples would include Jane Fonda and others who went to Vietnam to express their support for that government during the war.

He wasted more taxpayer's dollars going to Honduras than anyone else in Congress this year.
His trip did exactly zero good.

I'm encouraged too. Obama has not put anybody in a concentration camp.

Idiot.

"The Honduran Government"

He met with usurpers.

Are these folks part of The Family?

So this is what DeMint thinks the illegal Honduran military leadership is doing??

Maybe everyone can learn more about these startling developments by checking out what Honduran newspapers and broadcasters are saying.

Nope, that won't work. The Generals have either taken over media outlets or has silenced them.

So much for freedom of the press.

DeMint is demented if he really believes his own lies.

Suspending the Constitution is not upholding it! Do'h!!!

Kidnapping the President and forcibly deporting him under threat of death in his pajamas is not following the rule of law.

Presenting Congress with a phony resignation letter saying it was signed by Zelaya is not protecting democracy for the people of Honduras.

Being encouraged by martial law, suspension of the right of assembly, suspension of the right of movement, suspension of the right of free expression, suspension of the rights of detainees, and arrest without warrants on the basis of suspicion, these are things DeMint finds encouraging? That is demented.

The forces of counter-reality are just beyond belief.
I prefer Alice to their version of reality.
Somebody fell off the sanity cart down the wrong rabbit hole :rofl:

He's from Colo Springs, ground central for Colorado fascists. Probably felt right at home.

which is more legit?...a private referendum, or the upcoming
presidential election?

On the other hand, no one will recognize the results of this election if the lying, thieving, murdering Pinochetis run it.

(Mr Z) had ballots printed
Mr Z' rented the polling places
counted the ballots, etc.


how is that legit

to poll the people to see if they want to convene a constitutional convention. Because the constitution is crap, most of them do.

And that's what the Pinochetis couldn't have -- people taking part in their own government.

Do your homework please.

the usual source? Right wing propaganda...

this coup was supported by them and their online GOP trolls.

when you returned, DeMint. What you did was treason.

REC THIS UP: Rights Groups Denounce Murder of Anti-Coup Protester in Honduras
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x4089640

‘Treason’? Bloggers accuse GOP of sabotaging US foreign policy
Daniel Tencer - October 4th, 2009 -- 3:38 pm - http://rawstory.com/2009/10/gop-sabotaging-foreign-policy/


The amusement and glee many prominent conservatives displayed at the US's loss of the 2016 Olympics to Brazil may have seemed like a harmless bit of partisan bickering, but underlying that attitude is a dangerous attempt to subvert US foreign policy at a critical time, left-wing bloggers are saying.

It is a generally accepted -- though sometimes broken -- rule of politics that competing parties criticize each other at home, not abroad. But that rule now appears to be ignored more often than it is observed, as Republican politicians take to the world's stages to criticize President Barack Obama's policies on everything from climate change to the coup in Honduras to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

A recent post by Eric Kleefeld at TalkingPointsMemo outlines numerous Obama administration policies that Republicans have taken to criticizing abroad. The most recent case was that of Republican Sen. Jim DeMint's visit to Honduras on Friday.

DeMint (R-SC) was a supporter of the military-backed coup in that country since it took place in July. But after word spread that the interim Honduran government had suspended civil liberties, DeMint found himself backtracking, telling TPM that wasn't taking sides and extracting promises from the Honduran government that civil liberties would be restored.

Ruth Calvo at FireDogLake calls DeMint's trip "sedition." (http://seminal.firedoglake.com/diary/8648)

"While our usually deluded wingers are comfortable working against the public interest, outright sedition is a new tactic," she writes. "While Perry and Pawlenty espouse the virtues of secession, actual interference with US foreign policy is treason of a more active variety."

The word "treason" also figures prominently in a recent column by blogger mcjoan (http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2009/10/3/789222/-IOKIYAR,-Treason-Edition) at DailyKos....

..............