Ray LaHood way too calm about son being held in Egypt

It’s just before 8 a.m. ET and I caught a glimpse of Ray LaHood on CBS This Morning. Is it me, or was he way too calm about his son being held in Egypt and not allowed to leave?

The International Republican Institute (IRI) – loosely affiliated with the GOP political party – points to a Reuters article from yesterday.

The American groups raided were the IRI and the National Democratic Institute, both democracy-building groups loosely affiliated with the two main U.S. political parties, as well as the human rights group Freedom House and the International Center for Journalists.

The charges include allegations that the activists were working for organizations not legally registered in Egypt. The groups say they have long sought to register there.

They are also alleged to have broken the law by accepting foreign funds — grant money from the U.S. government — without Egyptian government approval.

The Egyptian government says the issue is a matter of law, not politics. But in Washington, both Congress and the administration of President Barack Obama have said the probe threatens U.S. aid to Egypt.

That aid has been running at about $1.55 billion in recent years; $1.3 billion of this has been military aid.

Back to LaHood’s nonchalant attitude. Is it just me, or would you be freaking out if this was your kid?

I’m not saying the situations are comparable, but how does Hood’s reaction compare to the actions of the parents of the hikers who wandered into Iran?

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Steve McGough

Steve's a part-time conservative blogger. Steve grew up in Connecticut and has lived in Washington, D.C. and the Bahamas. He resides in Connecticut, where he’s comfortable six months of the year.

3 Comments

  1. stinkfoot on February 17, 2012 at 11:03 am

    He either doesn’t care about his son or the “captivity” situation isn’t what we are being led to believe.



  2. JBS on February 19, 2012 at 9:47 am

    Of course the normal parent reaction would be concern. There is clearly something else going on here.
    Also, a normal reaction from a real leader, a president who has this country’s interests in mind would at least threaten to suspend foreign aid to Egypt if our citizen(s) were being held illegally.?
    $1.55 BILLION in foreign aid?? And, what does the U.S. get for that much money? LOL!
    We are definitely not talking normal here or in Egypt.



square-ray-lahood

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