Defying Obama, Republican Senator Making Honduras Trip

By: Sergey Kadinsky
Topics: Foreign Policy

(CBS/AP)

Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., will defy President Obama by meeting with de facto Honduran president Roberto Micheletti.

"No U.S. Senator has yet been to Honduras to assess facts of crisis. @JohnKerry & Obama admin using bullying tactics to hide truth," DeMint wrote on his Twitter.

The meeting goes against the administration's policy of isolating Micheletti's government, which seized control from elected president Manuel Zelaya on June 28th.

Zelaya was awakened in his night clothes and deported to Nicaragua by the military in June. He has since sneaked back to Honduras and has been holed up in the Brazilian consulate since Sept. 21.

To break the deadlock, Micheletti's government promised new elections on Nov. 21. But the international community has vowed to boycott the elections unless Zelaya is reinstated as president. The Obama administration added pressure on Honduras by suspending aid and canceling the U.S. visas of Honduran government officials.

When Senate Foreign Relations Committee chair John Kerry, D.-Mass, attempted to block DeMint's "fact-finding mission," the South Carolina senator called on the Senate minority leader, Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) for support, the Washington Post reports.

McConnell appealed to the Defense Department to provide an aircraft for DeMint's trip and the Pentagon agreed to do so, according to DeMint's office.

DeMint is among a number of conservative Republican lawmakers who has expressed opposition to Zelaya, citing his ties to Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez, and offered support for Micheletti.

Kerry's office said that the Massachusetts Democrat tried to stop DeMint's trip because the South Carolina Republican is blocking two of President Obama's nominations: Auturo Valenzuela, nominated for assistant secretary of state for Western Hemisphere Affairs, and Tom Shannon, the current assistant secretary and nominee to be ambassador to Brazil, The Hill reports.

The freshman Republican announced that he would lead a congressional delegation to Honduras on Friday, ahead of the country's Nov. 29 elections. He will be joined by three Republican House members -- Aaron Schock and Peter Roskam of Illinois and Doug Lamborn of Colorado.

As the Foreign Relations Committee chair, Kerry can withhold committee funds for travel and deny permission for the use of military aircraft.

Under current Honduran law, neither Micheletti nor Zelaya are eligible to run. The State Department said that it will not recognize the election.

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by tllorenz October 7, 2009 9:06 PM EDT: Zalaya is a dictator and a freind of Hugo Chavez. Zalaya tried to amend the constitution and make himself president for life which is against Honduran law. Why are liberals so ignorant to the truth of this story?; Reply to this comment


by carrimo October 6, 2009 2:24 PM EDT: Why is the State Department tolerating this sort of nonsense?
Demint and friends are defying stated American policy on this issue and have no business in Honduras as they were not sent there with the blessing of the current US Administration. If any Democratic Congress persons had pulled a stunt like this during the Bush regime they would still probably be enjoying top notch treatment at Hotel Guantanamo; Reply to this comment


by myquote October 4, 2009 10:40 AM EDT: WAY TO GO, SENATOR DeMint!!!; Reply to this comment


by daolesen October 4, 2009 7:45 AM EDT: Is this the same bunch that critized Obama for trying to get the Olympics? Come on Boehner get out of the tanning saloon and tell them to work on healthcare.; Reply to this comment


by ForTheRightNAmeri October 3, 2009 8:54 PM EDT: Below, you will find some of the readings that are in the 'Logan Act'. It may be helpful for some of you who don't like to research and read.

Liste953. Private correspondence with foreign governments.
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.
1 Stat. 613, January 30, 1799, codified at 18 U.S.C. § 953 (2004).; Reply to this comment


by robham777 October 3, 2009 6:56 PM EDT: If DeMint is breaking the law by embarking on his "fact finding mission" then why don't we just let Holder and the justice department handle it?; Reply to this comment


by babooph October 3, 2009 4:28 AM EDT: Another whaco still fighting the Civil War-what a fool.; Reply to this comment


by Sloughfoot October 2, 2009 9:43 PM EDT: Go Jimmy Go. At least some have the seeds to stand up for what's right. This Zelaya kook was nothing more then a Chavez wanta be and I'm glad someone recognized that the constitutional system of Honduras worked and worked the way it was designed to.; Reply to this comment


by pr_boxer October 2, 2009 8:30 PM EDT: DeMint will fit right in with these Facists.

Remember Zelaya was legally elected.; Reply to this comment


by gboyd41 October 2, 2009 7:39 PM EDT: Why is a portion of my tax dollars going to Honduras? How about using some of that money to take the pressure off of the American taxpayer?; Reply to this comment