The Latest From Cairo…

…is that Mubarak isn’t there. The New York Times is excited about this, headlining, “Mubarak Reportedly Leaves Cairo.” The most recent report, however, is that he is in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, where he has a palace and “spends a good deal of time.” So at this point, whether Mubarak’s departure from the capital is significant is anyone’s guess.
Your guess, in fact, is probably as good as the CIA’s. Based on recent revelations, it appears that the DNI is most likely watching CNN so that he can brief Congress on developments.
As Scott noted earlier today, the Obama administration has gone out of its way to offer support for the Muslim Brotherhood’s participation in the next government. That is unpardonably obtuse, and if the administration has actually worked behind the scenes to support the ambitions of the Brotherhood, it is unpardonable, period. Beyond that, the administration has put on a pathetic show throughout the Egyptian crisis. It has seemed that President Obama’s principal object has been to give the appearance of being in the know and of having some control over events, when in fact the administration has generally been clueless and has been at best a bystander. This accounts, I think, for the inconsistencies in the administration’s position from day to day. As events shift, Obama shifts with them, like an irrelevant player who tries to get in front of a crowd so as to create the illusion that he is leading it.

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