POMED Report in the Spotlight

Ben Smith at Politico writes about POMED’s recent report that analyzes the 2010 foreign aid budget in the lens of democracy promotion.  Citing President Obama‘s budget cuts for democracy and civil society promotion for allies Egypt and Jordan, Smith highlights some potential contradictions in new U.S. policy about Middle East democracy promotion:

“The return to ‘realism’ is an element of Obama’s agenda that has rankled with some of his allies on the left, and though the administration doesn’t advertise a willingness to compromise on human rights and democracy in exchange for friendlier relations with Egypt’s and Jordan’s government, it’s a logical connection that the budget request seems to set out in black and white.”