Obama Doesn't Have Time for Democracy

Olivia Offner | June 25, 2009 3:25 PM

The Washington Post's lead editorial today, "A Dissident Deflected," pointed out the Obama administration's unwillingness to support Cuba's pro-democracy opposition. Normally, the honorees of the National Endowment for Democracy's annual Democracy Award travel to Washington to have a meet and greet with the president. The Obama administration declined to honor this year's honorees, five leaders of Cuba's pro-democracy opposition. The

Post points out that Obama is not simply too busy to deal with Latin America in general, noting that he heaped praise on Chile and met with Hugo Ch?vez. The Post says,

Message to Mr. Ch?vez and the Castro brothers: We can work with you. Message to Cuba's democratic opposition: We don't have time for you.

Obama quickly wrote a brief statement in support of this year's honorees after the Post inquired, commending

"all the brave men and women who are standing up for the right of the Cuban people to freely determine their country's future."

For a president who is already being criticized for his failure to speak out on behalf of Iranian freedom, Obama does not need anyone else to point out that he isn't exactly a champion of democracy.
You can read the full editorial here.