While the Department of Defense apparently is still attempting to block Senator Jim DeMint’s fact finding trip to Honduras, he told Mark Levin this evening that Minority Leader Mitch McConnell interceded to lift the stop placed by John Kerry:
The Hill (via Riehl World View) reported today:
Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.), the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, has blocked Sen. Jim DeMint’s (R-S.C.) trip to Honduras slated to begin Friday, according to DeMint’s office.
DeMint’s office informed The Hill of Kerry’s decision Thursday afternoon.
“@JohnKerry (Foreign Rel. chair) trying to hide truth to protect Zelaya, blocking our fact-finding trip to Honduras at last minute,” DeMint also tweeted late Thursday afternoon.
DeMint’s office followed with a statement. “These bullying tactics by the Obama administration and Senator Kerry must stop, and we must be allowed to get to the truth in Honduras. Not a single U.S. Senator has traveled to Honduras to learn the facts on the ground.
“While this administration has failed to act decisively in Afghanistan, it is has no problem cracking down on a democratic ally and one of the poorest nations in Latin America,” DeMint added. “Now, President Obama and Democrats’ blind support for this would-be dictator and friend of Hugo Chavez will prevent members of Congress from learning the truth first hand.”
Update: “They’re telling me if I will just let a couple of their nominations go through without debate or a vote, then they will let me go on the trip,” said Senator DeMint. Sounds like John Kerry learned a lot from then Senator Al Gore, who on the Senate floor asked for the highest bidder for his vote, one way or the other, on the Gulf War resolution.
Update II, Oct 2, 2009: Some here and on my Free Republic cross-poss asked how John Kerry could block DeMint’s fact finding trip to Honduras. The answer is in the Washington Post:
DeMint aides said he was preparing to travel to Honduras on Friday with three Republican House members — Aaron Schock (Ill.), Peter Roskam (Ill.) and Doug Lamborn (Colo.) — when they learned that the trip had been nixed by Kerry. As head of the Foreign Relations Committee, Kerry can withhold committee funds for travel and deny permission for the use of military aircraft. But he had never before used that power to block another senator’s travel, his aides said. DeMint’s office said Thursday evening that thanks to McConnell’s intervention, the trip would go forward. DeMint’s statement accused the State Department of being part of the effort to block his trip.
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Correct me if I’m wrong but one Senator doesn’t have authority over another Senator or for that matter any citizen, and our jurisdiction ends at our borders regardless, is DeMint some sort of submissive bitch or what?
Hey DeMint wave goodbye as you step on the plane!
How does the DOD fit in this, has the Obama administration already compromised and politicized the military?
I thought our military was “apolitical”?
DeMint did not explain how the DoD figures in yet I think they provide planes and could withhold the one for the trip. I also think your “bitch” remark was unfair.
Here is what Kerry said in the OAS emergency meeting on Honduras:
“America values its longstanding partnership with Honduras, but a push to rewrite the constitution over the objections of Honduras’s top court, legislature, attorney general, and military is deeply disturbing.”
His words condemn the blocking of DeMint, the actions of Zelaya, and the actions of the administration. So does the congressional research service report.
Viva Honduras! Viva 15-0!
I don’t get it. If you quote Kerry accurately, why did Kerry initially block DeMint’s trip? Kerry seems to be arguing with himself.
Maybe he voted for it before he voted against it. It wouldn’t be the first time.