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.

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.

President Obama and Secretary Clinton should support establishment of a technocratic transitional government and welcome Egypt's new democratic order.

Mubarak cannot stay in office until the September elections; Egypt needs a transitional government until that time.

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.

As the Obama Administration's reaction to the protests have reached the streets of Egypt, the perception has taken hold that the United States is siding with Mubarak.

The new dawn in Egypt will require active engagement by the administration to bolster pro-democratic secular forces over more radical Islamist elements.

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.