No Stones to Throw at Obama

I had fairly low expectations from President Obama's speech in Cairo this morning. I expected him to suck up to his hosts, bash Israel, and commit America to a softer gentler foreign policy. To be sure he criticized Israel for their settlement policy and I'm sure most Israelis would find little comfort in Obama's hollow words, "America's strong bonds with Israel are well known. This bond is unbreakable." But I'll commend the president for promoting democracy on Egyptian soil:

6:48 a.m. Big whoops in the audience -- listening in a country where dissent has been quashed -- when Obama says he wants to discuss democracy.

6:49 a.m.: The president delivers a pointed message to his Egyptian government hosts: "Government that protect these rights are ultimately more stable, successful and secure," the president said. "Suppressing ideas never succeeds in making them go away."

6:50 a.m.: "You must maintain your power through consent, not coercion; you must respect the rights of minorities and participate with a spirit of tolerance and compromise."

It sounds like motherhood and apple pie over here, but making those statements over there could offer strong encouragement to Muslims living under tyranny. I'm curious to see how this will play out.