Shoshana Bryen
American Thinker
1/7/2013
…Since Secretary Clinton is preparing to turn the reins of the State Department over to Sen. John Kerry, formerly chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, it is worth noting Sen. Kerry’s response to the Honduran crisis.
Sen. Jim DeMint tried to visit Honduras shortly after Zelaya’s ouster to bring back on-the-ground information, but Kerry forbade an official trip, cutting off funds for the flight — an unprecedented step for a committee chairman. Sen. Kerry tried to exchange permission for the trip for the release of DeMint’s hold on two administration appointees — but Sen. DeMint declined and went without “authorization.” No matter to Sen. Kerry. “‘We made our point,’ Kerry spokesman Frederick Jones told The Boston Globe. ‘The authorization was not going to come from Chairman Kerry.'”
Why Sen. Kerry wouldn’t have wanted on-the-spot reporting from a colleague is unclear, except for the obvious fact that Sen. DeMint is a Republican. His upcoming confirmation hearing would be an excellent time to ask him about the importance of adherence to the Constitution and how he, as secretary of state, plans to deal with countries in constitutional crisis. And whether left-wing countries like Venezuela will get special breaks à la Ortega in Nicaragua, while others receive the back of the American hand.
