Smartest President Ever Says Egypt Isn’t An American Ally

But let’s cut Obama some slack, it’s probably been more than three days since he’s been able to clear his head with a round of golf.
He’s been so busy dealing with the crisis in the middle east campaigning, he’s probably tired…

President Barack Obama didn’t intend to signal any change in the U.S.-Egypt relationship last night when he said Egypt is not an “ally,” the White House told The Cable today.
In an interview with Telemundo Wednesday night, Obama said that the U.S. relationship with the new Egyptian government was a “work in progress,” and emphasized that the United States is counting on the government of Egypt to better protect the U.S. Embassy in Cairo, which was attacked by protesters on Sept. 11.
“I don’t think that we would consider them an ally, but we don’t consider them an enemy,” Obama said. “They’re a new government that is trying to find its way. They were democratically elected. I think that we are going to have to see how they respond to this incident.”
That comment had Egypt watchers scratching their heads, especially since technically, Egypt was designated as a Major Non-NATO Ally in 1989 when Congress first passed the law creating that status, which gives them special privileges in cooperating with the United States, especially in the security and technology arenas.
White House spokesman Tommy Vietor told The Cable Thursday that the administration is not signaling a change in that status.
“I think folks are reading way too much into this,” Vietor said. “‘Ally’ is a legal term of art. We don’t have a mutual defense treaty with Egypt like we do with our NATO allies. But as the president has said, Egypt is longstanding and close partner of the United States, and we have built on that foundation by supporting Egypt’s transition to democracy and working with the new government.”

I can’t believe I’m about to say this but a writer at Mediaite disagrees with Obama…

This remark displays a flippant nonchalance about American security policy and a downright antipathy for history and the work of generations of Obama’s predecessors.
The United States, in concert with Egyptian President Anwar Sadat, wrestled the key Arab state away from the Soviet sphere of influence during the tenure of President Jimmy Carter. This effort culminated in the 1979 Camp David Accords, which are better known for cementing a lasting peace between Egypt and Israel. The agreement also served as a basis for a lasting partnership between Cairo and Washington — this relationship has safeguarded peace in the region for more than a generation.
By cavalierly saying Egypt is not an ally of the United States, the president has bucked more than 30 years of American foreign policy in a critical region. This casual display of disregard for precedent and a pillar of diplomatic policy should inspire a measure of outrage.

Finally, it was a tough day to be the spokeswoman for the State Department.