Egypt Protests And US Semantics

I posted in a speculative piece last week that Obama would tie himself in knots trying to find words that mean nothing in calling/not calling for Mubarak, a US/Israeli stooge, to stand down. He hasn't disappointed but the real verbal acrobat has been Hilary Clinton. Some examples from just the last 24 hours :
She called for Egypt to move toward "real democracy" but also made clear that the United States was not demanding that embattled President Hosni Mubarakstep down in the face of continuing demonstrations.
In a series of television interviews, Clinton also eased slightly off the administration's threats on Friday to yank Egypt's billions in aid, saying such a step was not now 'under discussion.'
Clinton spoke warmly of the Egyptian military as a "respected institution" and advised it to help move the country from its current unrest to an "orderly transition."
"We are urging the Mubarak government, which is still in power; we are urging the military, which is a very respected institution, to do what is necessary to facilitate that kind of orderly transition."
U.S. officials are looking for what they are calling "managed change" -- in other words change that suits America and Israel.
Although the United States has been prodding Mubarak for days to do more to move toward reform, it has avoided becoming too specific out of a desire to allow Mubarak some running room.
Asked if the administration was backing away from the 82-year-old leader, she said: "We don't want to send any message about backing forward or backing away." Backing forward - hmmm.
Clinton said the military "appears to be showing restraint" in its handling of demonstrations so far. But she said the situation remained "volatile and complex."
"We want to see an orderly transition … so that no one fills a void -- that there not be a void," she said.
She said the government needed to open a 'political conversation' with Egyptians who had "legitimate grievances." A political conversation, eh?
"There are many steps that can be taken by reaching out to those who have advocated a peaceful orderly transition," she said.
Clinton made clear that the United States believes the political evolution in Egypt will 'take time.'