VICTORY: U.S. PULLS BACK ON SUPPORTING ZELAYA

Two lessons should have been learned here. 1.) When you know you're right, DO NOT COMPROMISE and 2.) Even when the odds couldn't be longer, when you're right and you stand up to a bully, the bully can still back down. It's just their default position when they're sufficiently challenged.

REUTERS is reporting that the U.S. has decided to "soften support" for ousted leader Manuel Zelaya. Quoting from a letter written by the U.S. State Department to Senator Richard Lugar (R-IN):

"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, assistant secretary for legislative affairs, said in the letter.

Or how about this?

"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."

That is a MAJOR shift for the Obama administration and an admission of political defeat.

This is an AMAZING testament to the current government of Honduras, led by Roberto Micheletti. After the Congressional, Judicial, and Military branches of Honduras agreed that sitting president Manuel Zelaya was violating the Constitution, they had him removed on June 28th.

What happened next is really what is amazing. With the pressure of literally the entire world (U.N., U.S., the Organization of American States, Hugo Chavez, Daniel Ortega, and the Castro brothers) all backing Zelaya, Micheletti could have understandably buckled. He did not. At one point, the only two nations supporting his government were Taiwan and Israel.

In an effort to "mediate a compromise", the Costa Rican president was charged with working out a solution between Zelaya and Micheletti. Micheletti simply would not budge on the most important issue, which was returning Zelaya to power. The answer was "no" and he was not changing it.

As time went by and facts were revealed, it became more and more apparent that Zelaya was the thug Micheletti's government insisted he was. Even a cursory look at the facts early on would have told any honest broker that. Obama chose to support Zelaya and called his removal an "illegal" coup. However, day by day Zelaya was becoming more radioactive. To illustrate, contrast Zelaya taking a megaphone down to the Honduran border with Nicaragua and actually stepping onto Honduran soil to make a statement with a MICHELETTI OP-ED that appeared in the Wall Street Journal and enumerated all Zelaya had done illegally. Supporting Zelaya was not only looking more and more untenable but also very dangerous politically.

This change in stance is also very telling about how the Obama administration sees itself right now. It's been wounded in the health care debate and has chosen some very bizarre tactics in dealing with its opponents on that issue. Backing away from Zelaya is probably more about stopping the bleeding political capital somewhere (anywhere) than it was a heartfelt admission that Micheletti was right. Obama is on his heels and this "change" in stance is yet another indicator.

As this has been playing out over the last month, I likened the Micheletti stand to a political version of the Alamo because of how many forces were against them. At the risk of overstating it, in this case, the guys inside the metaphorical Alamo actually prevailed.

Pretty amazing what happens when you stand on principle, ain't it?