Hosni Mubarak is scheduled to speak to the Egyptian people in the next ten minutes, and speculation is rife that he’s going to be announcing his effective resignation. This promises to be a Nixonian moment – remember “You won’t have Dick Nixon to kick around anymore“?  — but we’ll see …
Minutes before the address: the Egyptian “Minister of Information” is saying Mubby will not step down.
Stay tuned ….
Egyptian state television is now showing the Tahrir Square protests as they’ve never shown them before: wide-angle and up close. Also, we have real debates about corruption and other issues raised by the protesters has occurred in the last 24 hours. So we have a sea-change on state tv — perhaps a prelude to Mubby’s abdication. Also we have the “National Democratic Party,” Mubby’s party, saying Mubby has to go (!).
Stay tuned ….
Mubby is fashionably late to his own anticipated resignation speech. Rumors fly: He’s just going to announce the lifting of “emergency law.”
I’m still staying tuned, but this is getting … tiresome. Oh wait: looks like Al Arabiya has some news. According to them, Mubby is transferring his powers to the “Vice President,” Omar Suleiman, he will amend the Constitution, and — in an appeal to his nationalistic audience — he is not taking orders “from outside.”
Still waiting for Mubby’s Norma Desmond moment: “I”m ready for my close up, Mr. DeMille!”
Stay tuned…
Okay, he’s speaking:
My fellow countrymen. I am talking to you, the youth of Tahrir Square. A speeh from a father to his children. I take pride in you calling for a change for the betteer. I tell you before anything all those who fell their blood will not go down the drain. I will hold accountable those who attacked our youth. I address the families of those innocent victims —  I felt their pain. My resposne to your voice and your demands is a commitment that cannot be waived. I am determimned to fulfill all the promises. I am totally keen (!) on this. It is important to admit mistakes and rectify them . I cannot find any embarrassment at all in listening to the youth and learning from you, but I cannot and will not be dfictated [to] from outside. I announced in very plain words that will not run for president again. For over 60 years I served and Iwill continue to serve my contry. There will be elections in september. I have laid down a vision to exit the current crisis and to realize the demands of the youth without undermining the constitution. Laying down a framework for a peaceful transition to power. I laid down a framework for taking the country from this crisis. I am looking forward to your support [good luck with that one, Mubby!]. We have had a constructive national dialogue. This dialogue has yeielded a preliminary agreement. Therefore we have laid our foot on the right path. This will go day by day, until next september.
 blah blah blah blah blah blah.
Two committees will be formed of independent impartial egyptians. Once stability and security is restored, emergency law will be cancelled. restore confidence among all egyptians. We cannot tolerate for these circumstances to continue. It will end with a situation where the youth will be the first victims. it is not relating to me, it is now relating to egypt, we are all in the same trench. we need a friendly atmosphere [yeah, right!]. we need to restore confidence and peace to our economy and streets. I have been a youth just like you. I exhausted my life defending the homeland. I lived thru the days of occupation.
blah blah patriotic drivel.
 I was a pilot. I never relented under foreign pressures. I never sought false power or popularity [you can say that again!]. I feel pain in my heart from what I hear from some of my countrymen [poor Mubby! Nobody loves him!], we must put th ehomeland first. I am delegating power to the vice president according to the constitution. We will not allow others to gloat over us. We are not a satellite state. we don’t take orders from others. We will prove all this.
blah blah blah blah. committees will meet. blah blah
Egypt is eternal. I have lived for this nation, safeguard my responsiblity, egypt will live on above all persons, I will not leave this country until I am dead and buried in its soil. May god save Egypt.
My favorite line: “I feel your pain.”
Most significant line: “I will not leave this country until I am dead and buried in its soil.” That, I’m sure, can be easily arranged …
Most ominous line: “It will end with a situation where the youth will be the first victims.”
The crowd in Tahrir Square — and similar crowds in Alexandria, Suez, and elsewhere — is furious. Get ready for a major explosion….
