by Chris Bodenner
Goldblog urges Obama to do the pushing:
A government that uses rubber bullets and tear gas against its own people -- who want nothing more than a change of leadership after 30 years of one-man rule -- has no future. President Obama would be standing for American values if he encouraged Hosni Mubarak to leave office now. Mubarak (and his son, it is almost needless to say) have no credibility, and the U.S. will have no credibility if it doesn't support the aspirations of these frustrated protesters.
Will the Muslim Brotherhood follow in the wake of Mubarak's downfall? Not necessarily. But the U.S. will make that possibility less remote if it doesn't stand with the people now.
The latest from the White House:
Robert Gibbs's White House briefing has wrapped up after an hour. The most noteworthy points to come out:
Gibbs pointedly refused to take up an offer to say the administration stood by Mubarak
Gibbs also repeated that the "people of Egypt" would decide events suggesting that the White House has cut the Mubarak regime loose, calling their grievances "legitimate"
The White House confirmed that it was prepared to withhold aid from Egypt's government.
But the tone of the administration suggests the White House has been left stranded by the swift pace of events on the ground.