Josh Marshall, neolib dupe and doofus on Wikileaks

Josh Marshall, publisher of the blog and sometimes news site Talking Points Memo, has in the past, shown himself to be almost as much a mainstream media mogul as the proprietors of the New York Times, etc. Posting White House slide shows, using multiple anonymous sources in stories are just two manifestations of that.

Now, we get his his right hand man David Kurtz's take, in one post, on the Wikileaks cable leaks. (Yes, I didn't check the post's byline originally; but, I figured that, with its breathlessness, it was Josh's. Instead, it's Kurtz's breathlessness busted by my the second time. That said, Josh is still the publisher. He could be talking more to Kurtz.) That's followed by Josh sticking his Napoleonic hand inside his publisher's military vest.

The most naive post? Kurtz's "five biggest surprises" one.

The idea that Sunni Arab states fear Iran's nuke program so much they want us to take Iran out? Hinted at in news stories years ago.

That the State Department ordered spying on foreign diplomats? In the wake of the UN discussion on Iraq in late 2002-early 2003, facts to this end were uncovered and reported five years ago. It's just continued since then, obviously.

That Iran supplied North Korea with missiles? News, sure. Surprise? Not really. And, also, per FAIR, not necessarily true, either! And thus, per the FAIR story, I've also busted Kurtz for blindly trusting the New York Times as a secondary source.

Ditto on Iran using the cover of the Red Crescent to smuggle material into battle sites.

That the U.S. diplomatic corps relies on blog-ready gossip items? It has for decades. We probably could learn boatloads from a country like Great Britain.

Next, Marshall notes that WikiLeaks may have intended the cables dump as an attack on U.S. diplomacy.

NOoooooo! Next up, TPM gets an IgNoble Prize.

Of course, the now commenter-unfriendly TPM allows no comments on either story.

What's even worse in a way is how Marshall comes off as a pedantic small-college professor, or cyber-small town newspaper editor:

We've given explicit marching orders to our editors and reporters not to get distracted by the 'meta' part of the wikileaks story and just focus on the details unearthed.

First, we're covering all the details we can find. So that puts some real limits on how much we can credibly criticize the way these cables came to light. I'm also not sure we would have made different decisions than, say, The New York Times, if we'd been given the opportunity to report out the cables in advance of their release. And of course we here at TPM like every other news organization routinely file FOIA requests on the reasoning that it's in the public interest to get as much as possible of the inner workings of government exposed to the public.

What he's saying is, "Folks, look at me give you a peek under the hood about how to run an online news site!"

Oy.

An actual surprise? Per McClatchy, the total clusterfuck of the 2009 coup in Honduras?

An even bigger actual surprise? At least some Chinese officials are OK with a Seoul-led reunified Korea.

Updated Dec. 1.

No Zelaya in Honduran power – whose fault?

Well, it looks like former Honduran President Manuel Zelaya won’t be sharing any power for a final few months, until the country’s new government, to be chosen Nov. 29, takes power.

I’d assign blame about 50-50 between him and the Honduran Congress. That said, will the “international community” live up to threats and blacklist the next government?

Honduras appears to have presidential solution - or does it?

The government of interim President Roberto Micheletti signed off on a deal to let exiled (ex)-President Manuel Zelaya back into power, but Honduras' Congress may not accept the deal. After all, it just has to run out the clock for four weeks until the country's Nov. 29 elections, then, as a combination of a consolation prize and a slap in the face, let Zelaya back in power then for the last month until the next president takes over.

Honduras politics still unresolved

My guess is that former President Manuel Zelaya is deliberately holding on to an all-or-nothing stance on his restoration to power chances, hoping that if he doesn’t get a blank-check restoration well before the country’s Nov. 29 elections, he can manufacture a crisis.

Honduras fights back against isolation

Yes, the current government of Roberto Micheletti may not have perfectly handled the ouster of Manuel Zelaya, but, I’m glad its fighting back against attempts by the OAS and member states to isolate it more.

Brazilian President Silva has a bit of nerve with his comments, given we still don’t know what part any officials in his country had in Zelaya’s return to Honduras last week.

Zelaya back in Honduras – who helped him?

The country’s former president, Manuel Zelaya, outsted in semi-legal manner this summer, decided to return home, and not just by dipping a toe across the border.

He’s in the capital, Tegucigalpa, holed up at the Brazilian embassy.

First thought: This was not spontaneous, and why Brazil backed this hare-brained idea, I have no clue. Brazilian Foreign Minister Celso Amorin said neither his country nor the OAS had any role in Zelaya's journey before taking him in. Yeah, right.

Maybe officially, Brazil didn’t, but there’s plausible deniability factors built into this situation. Like, the difference between “role” and “knowledge.”

Honduras – Micheletti softens on possible Zelaya return

Honduras’ interim president, Roberto Micheletti, says he is open to even discussing the restoration to office of ousted (ex)-President Manuel Zelaya.

Now, that’s with the caveat that Zelaya attempt nothing along the lines of what got him the boot from Honduras three weeks ago.

I give the likelihood of him making an acceptable pledge to that end at about 50-50.

Honduras and the OAS’ fault

Edward Schumacher-Matos blames the Organization of American States and its head, José Miguel Insulza, for part of Honduras’ problems. I agree with him, in one thing that “the left is always right” view here in the U.S. won’t say, that the OAS sending election observers for ousted (ex)-President Manuel Zelaya’s referendum did, in essence, take sides.

There’s other thoughts beyond that. A number of good ones.

Honduras – more Zelaya showboating

What else can you call a second straight day of Manuel Zelaya, the ousted (ex)-president of Honduras, sticking his toes across the border for 10 seconds?

Honduras - Zelaya does cheapie return

Well, ousted (ex)-president Manuel Zelaya of Honduras did as promised and returned today, though he cheaply did little more than stick his toes across the border for a few minutes to grandstand.

Honduras – Zelaya tries to force way back in again

Outsted (ex)-president of Honduras Mel Zelaya just won’t give up on his attempt to return to the country, even though an ardent backer, Jose Miguel Insulza, secretary-general of the Organization of American States, called this latest attempt “hasty.”

At least.

“Tiresome” is another word that comes to mind.

Honduras – unity government no-go, will remain so

I think it’s time for Costa Rican President Oscar Arias to throw in the cards on mediation; it’s clear that neither ousted (ex)-President Manuel Zelaya nor interim President Roberto Micheletti will accept Arias’ unity government proposals.

If Arias can come up with yet another unity option, let him try it, I guess. But, I sincerely doubt he will find any option acceptable to both sides right now.

Meanwhile, via conservative blogs, I’ve seem claims of pre-programmed, as in ballot-rigged, computers being found in Zelaya’s office. Because I know nothing of the political stance or reliability of the Catalonian paper breaking the story, I’m not going to say more about it right now.

I want to see a reputable newspaper I am familiar with on this story, and the story to detail the provenance, chain of custody and more on these computers, re the possibility of the computers themselves, or the information on them, being planted.

That said, Arias’ other proposals related to the next election are certainly sound.

Zelaya encourages Honduras insurrection

Honduras’ ousted (ex)-President Manuel Zelaya, in addition to threatening to return to the country if mediation by Costa Rican President Oscar Arias doesn’t return to office by the end of the day today, is also saying revolution against an illegitimate government is legal.

Well, it always is, in the eyes of the revolutionaries. If they win, they write history. If they don’t…

But, by making the mediation talks about “winning” rather than compromise, Zelaya continues to show his hand.

Arias has already proposed a coalition government as well as amnesty on both sides as part of talks. It’s unclear what interim President Roberto Micheletti thinks about a coalition, but it’s clear what Zelaya thinks.

What a sham Zelaya’s participation in Arias’ mediation has been. No surprise, though. It’s clearer by the day that, ultimately, this continues to be about him more than political idealism.

Again, was this handled ideally? No. Has the military behaved at times in a coup-like manner afterward? Yes.

But, did Zelaya bring this on himself? Yes.

Is he continuing to show how and why he brought this on himself? Yes.

Honduras – Zelaya ignores US, threatens to return

Despite the US opposing a return to Honduras by ousted (ex)-President Manuel Zelaya, he has promised to do just that if mediation by Costa Rican President Oscar Arias doesn’t return to office by the end of the day today.

What a sham his participation in Arias’ mediation has been. No surprise, though. It’s clearer by the day that, ultimately, this continues to be about him more than political idealism.

Arias has already proposed a coalition government as well as amnesty on both sides as part of talks. It’s unclear what interim President Roberto Micheletti thinks about a coalition, but it’s clear what Zelaya thinks.

Again, was this handled ideally? No. Has the military behaved at times in a coup-like manner afterward? Yes.

But, did Zelaya bring this on himself? Yes.

Is he continuing to show how and why he brought this on himself? Yes.

And, that’s why I’m skeptical left-liberal.

Honduras – Micheletti says would step down

In the latest negotiation concession from one side related to Honduras political mediation, Honduran interim President Robert Micheletti told the Organization of American States he’s willing to step down, on condition that ousted former President Manuel Zelaya not be restored.

True, the next in line would be Supreme Court President Jorge Rivera; the Supreme Court swore out the military to arrest Zelaya. But, so far, we heaer nothing but absolutism from Zelaya.

Honduras negotiations somewhat one-sided; US urges patience

So far, the offer by interim President Roberto Micheletti to give ousted President Manuel Zelaya an amnestyis about the only compromise I’ve seen from either side. Zelaya continues to insist that real negotiations can only happen after he’s restored to power.

Well, he appears to want to continue to make it about “him” than about “reform,” it seems. And, for some liberals and left-liberals blindly supporting him, other dictators have come to dictatorial power by starting with a populist appeal from the left. Juan Peron comes to mind in Latin America. Mussolini started as a socialist.

Speaking of that, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said the talks were “dead before they started.” Looks like Zelaya’s wagon remains tied to the same hitching post.

Hope in Honduras with Zelaya amnesty offer?

With a government curfew lifted, Honduran interim President Roberto Micheletti has now broached the possibility of an amnesty for ousted (ex)-President Manuel Zelaya.

Meanwhile, some tensions remain. Honduran police detained members of a Venezuelan TV crew for a while, and of course, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez went overboard, not only protesting that, but also insinuating that American President Barack Obama supported Zelaya’s outster.

Now, Zelaya can prove this is not about him, if he will accept the amnesty, as part of a package deal of items, perhaps.

Honduras mediation fruitless so far – any hope?

Interim President Robert Micheletti and ousted (ex)-President Manuel Zelaya both met with Costa Rican President Oscar Arias Thursday — but separately, as the two both refuse to talk face-to-face. Not a good sign.

But, Micheletti’s camp still says it’s open to advancing the date of November elections. Positive signs like this are why I break with fellow left-liberals and their black-and-white castigation of what happened in Honduras as a “coup.”

What would be “movement” for me would be if a close Zelaya ally would be named the speaker of the Honduran Congress until elections. If Zelaya is representing progressivism in a general way, and not himself as the aggrandizement of progressivism, he’ll accept that, as a quarter-loaf for himself, and a half-loaf for the cause.

And, if this works, Edward Schumacher-Matos points out that the U.S. in general burnishes its Latin America image while Hugo Chavez is left holding the bag.

Elsewhere, Schumacher-Matos has a good wrap-up of how we got here, errors of the Honduran Congress and Supreme Court, and MUCH more. With comments like this:

Brodi Kemp, a researcher at Harvard's Safra Foundation Center for Ethics, says: “You could argue that Zelaya gave up his claim to moral legitimacy when he went outside the constitution. If you accept that, then what do the other political actors do? . . . Sometimes an act is legitimate even though it proceeded illegitimately.”

His column is well worth a read.

Honduras non-coup and Article 239

Miguel Estrada does a good job explaining Article 239 of the Honduran constitution and how ex-President Manuel Zelaya was not the subject of a coup.

In addition, Article 239 specifically states that any president who so much as proposes the permissibility of reelection "shall cease forthwith" in his duties, and Article 4 provides that any "infraction" of the succession rules constitutes treason. The rules are so tight because these are terribly serious issues for Honduras, which lived under decades of military rule.

Unfortunately, Estrada doesn’t tackle the actions of the Honduran military since Zelaya was removed from office. And, per Talk Left, given Estrada’s childhood and family background in his native Honduras, he’s not exactly a disinterested observer, either.

Arias – Honduras is wake-up call on bloated militaries

In words that could apply to many countries of Latin America, whether governed from the left (Venezuela) or right (Columbia) Costa Rican President Oscar Arias, 1987 Nobel Peace Prize winner deplores the bloated size of military establishments in his region.

Too bad he stopped short of applying that observation to the Yanquis.