Today marks the first anniversary of the revolution that overthrew Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. Oddly enough, many tears have been shed for the departed Mr. Mubarak—and not just tears from his military cronies, his business cronies, his family cronies, and the Israelis, who had gotten used to the devil they knew in Cairo.

Wednesday and Thursday mark Egypt’s first post-Mubarak presidential elections. Sadly, what should be a purple-fingered moment brings some hope and much disappointment. Don’t get me wrong – Mubarak was a loathsome stooge, a petty and incompetent rentier tyrant who deserved what he got and more.

The crowds that brought down the Mubarak regime in Egypt do not believe America stood with them in their struggle for freedom-and many believe we stood against them.

Choice in Middle Eastern politics ranges from the bad to the worse, and Egypt is no exception.

The situation in Egypt appears to be somewhere between that of Tiananmen and that of Ukraine.

How will the United States respond to Saad Ibrahim being punished for supportingtheir democracy agenda?

U.S. engagement of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhoodwould bepremature, given the group's rigid interpretation of Islam.

It didn't take much conviction to decide Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak had to go after the Egyptian military turned on him.  Ditto for Libya’s Muammar Qadhafi, once large portions of the country had freed themselves from his rule and our European allies were clamoring for military intervention.  But when the outcome is in doubt, as in Syria, Barack Obama is sitting on the fence.