Bill Burton Defends Obama Reaction To Honduran Presidential Coup On "O'Reilly Factor" (VIDEO)

Deputy White House Press Secretary Bill Burton faced an outraged Juan Williams, sitting in for Bill O'Reilly, on "The O'Reilly Factor" tonight. Williams demanded to know why President Obama was supporting exiled Honduran President Zalaya, who had been removed from the country in a military coup, when he had stayed "silent" on the turbulence in Iran. At the end of a long introduction to his question, Williams finally splutters, "What is President Obama doing?"

Burton replied that the President was following American principles, which don't involve "taking someone out of their home in their pajamas and putting them in another country in order to swear in another president. It means going through elections and the democratic process in order to have changes in leadership."

Watch the exchange below.

Comments

[KRYSTY]

We know very well why Juan is a Fox news messenger. Can you imagine CNN hiring him? Or him working for MSNBC? No way no how. So, he has no choice but to follow Fox news orders.

[scornflakes]

Man, what happened to Juan Williams? Wow.

[barkrudedog69]

He is great. He is a true reporter. He is not a left or right wing goof.

[derekc06]

ha...

[johnr49]

Right, and Fox News is fair and balanced!

[stdeclan]

You see Juan, when you hang around Fox you inevitably start to become like them. You are now officially a caricature of Juan Williams the former journalist. And you appear on The Bill O'Reilly Show which is merely a parody of a news and opinion program.
It is no wonder that NPR requested that Fox stop referring to you as being associated with them.

[fairtaxplease]

urton didnt answer any questions at all, all he did was avoid direct answers. Obama slammed McCain for wanted to tax existing benefits but now refuses to take it off the table. you can try to pass the blame to congress but the president has the power of veto.

we are quickly finding out that campaign Obama and president Obama are two completely different people. big surprise.

[Ginger5]

put the cr ack pi pe down

[fairtaxplease]

is that your best comeback? not surprising. call names when you cant dispute the facts!!!!

[Luke2John]

It is sad to see Juan Williams wading into the absolute muck of Fox craziness. (to even be somewhat connected to O'Reilly actually makes me think of the need to shower).

How long can NPR continue to consider him a journalist with any integrity? At some point even current NPR (not the higher earlier NPR) might have to make a tough decison.

Talk about being tarred by association.

[Daniel Torluemke]

Juan WIllimas apparently has no sense of dignity. He is willing to mimikck Billo for a paycheck. Juan is Fox News' idea of having the "other side" on.

[RoofinReality]

In the economy left by G-dub, many of us are doing gigs we'd rather not do in order to maintain a level of decency for us and our families.

[punkingale]

I could barely hear the d.a.m.n video, but what was that goofy smile of Juan's face at the end?

[underoath]

Dems don't need to even go on this right wing propaganda channel just laugh them off and keep on going.

[regroupthink]

It is sad to see Williams playing a role on the O'Rielly show. He should be morally and intellectually above it .

[PresidentRobertBooth]

***Williams demanded to know why President Obama was supporting exiled Honduran President Zalaya, who had been removed from the country in a military coup, when he had stayed "silent" on the turbulence in Iran***

The fact he has to be told why there is a difference shows his absolute lack of intellect.

But to answer his question:

1- Iran is more delicate. Interference will embolden the current regime who survive by casting the United States as an interfering imperialist power. In Honduras, those factors weren't involved.

2- Obama pretty much used the same language in both cases. He basically said he was concerned about the rule of law and democratic principles and so forth.

3- The ousted president of Honduras is the legitimate internationally recognised leader of that country. In Iran, there is a serious question over the legitimacy of their elections.

4- One is a disputed election, and the other is a military coup.


Try to keep up, Juan.

[cered]

Couldn't have said it better myself.

[Tom Theodosiades]

Thanks for saving me the typing. Much appreciated, homie.

[barkrudedog69]

AL has a new job. You may apply at SNL for his old one now.

[punkingale]

Didn't Al leave SNL in 1995? Try to keep up.

[punkingale]

Could you please pass your post on to that goofball, Sean Hannity? He doesn't get it , either.

[LeftLeanWing]

I like Bill Burton.... I thought he was going to be the Press Secretary. He'll probably get the job once Gibbs burns out like all press secretaries eventually do.

[joster]

Did you notice that Huffington conveniently chose not to show or comment on the first part of Juan's interview with Burton in which Juan repeatedly asked him to address Obama's repeated and ardent vow not to add ANY FORM of tax increase on people making less the $250,000 as it relates to the impact that Obama's cap and trade and healthcare reform policies will have on that precise group of people. Please watch it. Since most of the comments here are belittling Juan, can anyone explain to me how these questions were biased, misleading, dishonest or out-of-line. Do you think Burton's responses were clear, precise and comforting to the watchers of that interview? People, wake up and take your head out of the sand. Gee, does anyone think the few bucks in tax decreases for families that Obama provided will offset the increased family expenses that will be required to pay for his energy and health care reform?

[hillvoter]

Just like Chavez, Zelaya was trying to end democracy and create an authoritarian dictatorship. We should stand with the rebels that want democracy and freedom. The new america seems to want to squash freedom wherever it appears. We don't want to interfere in Iran where the authoritarian (fascist) governement is well in control, but we will intervene when a freedom loving revolution occurs in Honduras. I would gladly go support the Honduran revolution, if they would assure me that I could stay there and enjoy the freedom that we are letting slip away in the US.

[Gripen]

Freedom of americans are an illussion.

[Gersson Oviedo]

From what I hear from all my family members, the big city, San Pedro Sula, almost unanimously supports the action taken against Zalaya.

The facts, as I know them, are what Juan said. The drama was the forced exile. They should have gone trough the judicial system and possibly could have put him in jail with less controversy.

He would have attained what he wanted were it not for the fact that the military is very conservative unlike is the case with Chavez.

[thaneb]

He was seeking a referendum on holding another referendum on extending his term of office. You think he would have attained what he wanted but for the military's action. Would not the majority will of the whole population (city folk and country folk together) be preferable, regardless of what the city folk may feel.

[Ginger5]

So then if he is that unpopular, settle things the democratic way. VOTE

[cigi]

Both sides were wrong here...Zalaya was to hold a referendum on Sunday to try to get the votes that would allow him to run for re-election when his term officially expires on January 27, 2010. It was against the Honduran constitution and law to do so. The opposition party could have gone to their legislative and judiciary branches and officially impeached him, but they chose to throw a coup instead. The duly elected person is still Zalaya's until his term expires. That is the difference in Iran and Hondurous. Hondouras is a poor third world country and they will never be much more until someone takes office that will address the issues of the poor and work to build a middleclass. If we continue to destroy the middleclass in this country as has gone on for the last 30 years, we too could go down to third world status. Any country without a middleclass cannot sustain democracy.

[ajaye]

Why would they choose to remove him now in the middle of the night? That says it all right there.

Democracies do not throw out leaders on their ears out of the country in the middle of the night.

Just another military coup. Maybe the guy was a loser, but he still did get elected. The day after his term is over, if he claims another day in office...that's when you arrest him.

[dogstar7]

Williams tries to confabulate so many memes that his 'question' doesn't actually make sense. It sounded more like a string of baseless implications strung together with something-something to do with Honduras.

[unity08]

So true. First of all Obama was not "silent" over the Iran situation and he never said he "supported" Zalaya.
The thing about many conservatives is they only support democracy if the leader agrees with the US on every issue.
There was a better way to handle this than a military coup.

[Alcove-One]

And Obama only befreinds nations that hate us and betrays our allies.

[waters60]

Juan Williams sitting in for O'Reilly? Will he next fill in for Limbaugh? It is a long way since Talk of the Nation! Maybe he will wake up one day from his self induced coma.

[nordstrom]

He's Bill O'Reilly's black friend.,

[BPearTree]

So sad...Juan's going over to the dark side (ooops...the white side?)...I am a white, middle-aged woman. I always appreciated his voice on NPR. But for the past few years, he has seemed to care far more for the bucks than the principle. It's really, really sad to see his apparent new ambition in life: to be the next token "liberal" on Faux.
Bye Juan, it was good to know ya (once upon a time). Hope it's worth it to ya.

[timewaster2dcore]

What? Juan a liberal? Where did you hear that from?

[zapper502]

you havent learned much on your journey to middle age have you

[shamaniceconomist]

Is the WH saying it is opposed to impeachment no matter what?

[dogstar7]

huh? President Zalaya wasn't 'impeached'.
He was kidnapped at gunpoint and flown out of his country.

[JuliusR]

Kinda like Bobby Kennedy did to Carlos Marcello?

[SansArc]

Maybe someone should explain to you what impeachment means.

[unity08]

The President is for following the democratic process, not a military takeover.
If Honduras has articles of impeachment, then thats the way they should have gone.