Every day we don’t act

Unbelievable. The lack of conscience in American foreign policy is now officially in question.  The complete lack of moral clarity astounds. After years of beating the drum against George W. Bush, president Obama has all but abandoned PEPFAR and now—rather than just keeping his own word—Obama has embraced, by saying nothing and more importantly doing nothing—endorsed, in the name of every American, a genocidaire. On President Bush’s watch the entire human rights community beat the drum about social justice, about Darfur and so many other critical and pressing issues. Few remember Bush’s envoy Rich Williamson—because it was President Bush’s responsibility. Today, the community must be intellectually and morally consistent. They must follow the examples of men like John Prendergast, a scholarly and passionate man for whom the issues of human rights are a moral imperative.

It was my privilege to be one of a handful of journalists who listened in, took notes and asked questions of Prendergast, the exquisite Mia Farrow, Omer Ismail of Enough, Nagi Musa of Girifna, Mark Lotwis of Save Darfur, and the always amazing folks from Investors Against Genocide, who were kind enough to sponsor calls every day last week. It was a reeducation for me about the elections in Sudan.

Prendergast, who must be the hardest working man in human rights, broke my heart with his honest accounting of Sudan. His voice, and the other activists—though each one deserves a special place in whatever heaven exists—is one we must respect. He is direct, open and wise: “Sadly, it remains an open question as to whether President Obama will listen to the Sudanese and international monitors on the ground in Sudan who say this election wasn’t free and fair, or whether he will listen to his envoy in Washington who is arguing to whitewash the results for the sake of expediency…”

“If the U.S. makes yet another moral compromise in its Sudan policy, it will only embolden Sudan’s self-appointed president to escalate the war in Darfur and undermine the upcoming referendum on southern Sudan’s independence.”

President Obama, this is your presidency.

Elizabeth Blackney is best known as a media & communications strategist, political emissary, confidante and commentator.  Perceptive and quick on the draw, she served as Political Director for BlogTalkRadio’s 2008 election coverage, and as a a writer for the AOL News Hot Seat.   Now a full time opinionista, and Twitter maven, her targets are anti-war liberals, entrenched feminism, moral relativists and solipsistic elected officials and academics.  Blackney authored Sex, Lies & Politricks.