While we watch with pleasure, or rather while I watch with pleasure, the town hall meetings during the recess, (I just got a phone message that my congresswoman, Lynn Jenkins, R CPA, is having a town hall in my town next week, hurray for her!)  I wonder if this is actually a distraction for what else is going on.  I wrote previously about the Honduran Crises, and what is going on with that, but to update, now the papers are calling this a military coup.  It has become accepted that that is what it is, not the LEGAL ousting of a would be dictator.  But now the state department is considering sanctions to force Zelaya back.  I admire the Honduran government (the legitimate one) for standing up to the OAS, the UN, and the FORMER exporter of democracy, the US, and now giving in to allow the Chavez wanna be (literally) back into the country, and into power.  But now with very little money, and the above mentioned groups cracking down, they now are talking compromise.  And where does the US  stand?  The same nation that defended South Korea against the Reds, that kept Berlin free, where is it?  It is trying to FORCE a would be president for life on the Honduran people.  Truthfully, why are we in arms about health care, when a potential model is being tried, twinked, modified, and established in Honduras.  Seriously, if the US government thinks that they can trump a sovereign nation's constitution, what is to stop them from trumping ours?  WHY are we not up in arms about this?  Why aren't we demanding support for Honduras from our congressmen and women?  Why is the state department waffling on this?  And, what are we doing about that.  Health care is literally the camel's nose under the tent, but we can't focus just on that. 

While it shouldn't be any surprise that President Obama has come out in support of CONSTITUTIONALLY ousted Presidente Zelaya of Honduras, he is, after all buds with fellow travelers Chavez, Ortega, and Castro, what I worry is that we are missing something very key here at home.  It is fact that the Honduran constitution was upheld by the legislature, and Attorney General, and Supreme court.  The President acted illegally.  These facts are not in dispute.  And yet, in the UN, the OAS, and the US, we here that a coup by the military, the courts, and the legislature (led by Zelaya's party) has taken place.  The US has even gone so far as to demand the return of Zelaya, even forcing the issue by expelling Honduran diplomats, and by calling for sanctions.  Honduras is a very poor nation, that other than exporting clothing, and other things to the United States, may seem insignificant to some, but for those with memories, it was a nation that supported the contras in communist Nicaragua, eventually bringing the ouster of the Sandanista government.  They (as many other latin american countries) have learned by sad experience that term limits have to be constitutionalized to prevent "Presidents for life".  They have worked hard to maintain a free society, and now with support of the world's former leader and exporter of democracy, the United States, everything they have worked for is at risk.

What does that have to do with us?  Well, with the disdain this president (Obama) is showing towards the constitutional process in Honduras, how much can we expect this former "constitutional scholar" to respect ours?  I won't get into the 'birth certificate issue', it's not what I am writing about, (other than thumbing his nose, hinting that he is above the constitution).  But the question remains...how does the President view this sacred document?  Does he view it as written?  Or (more likely) does he feel that it is a document that can be interpreted however he wishes to?  These questions need to be answered.  Observing the position that the government has taken on Honduras, all I can say is that he probably doesn't feel "constrained' by the law, or the constitution.

I am tired of hearing about the deficit that President Obama inherited.  I mean, President Bush proposed a plan.  For some reason, the democrats, who have demonized the former President since he took office, decided to buy into it, lock stock, and barrel.  In fact, when there was trouble with its passage, the Congressional leaders of both parties were brought to the White House, along with the presidential candidates.  Senator McCain punted, for once refusing to block pork spending, and then Senator Obama voted present in the meeting, before joining with the Senate to pass the TARP bill, leaving the House Republicans with no cover.  I would hardly say that President Obama was stuck with the mess.  More likely, he helped create it.