In a joint press-conference with Canadian prime minister Stephen Harper, President Obama began with a brief opening statement about Egypt. He repeated what he has been saying all along, guarding his words carefully. Uniquely, though, he finally took a question this time. A reporter asked him if the oft-referenced beginning of a transition could begin with Mubarak still in office. Here’s Obama’s measured response:

I’ve had two conversations with President Mubarak since the crisis in Egypt began. Each time I’ve emphasized the fact that the future of Egypt is going to be in the hands of Egyptians. It is not us who will determine that future. I have also said that in light of what happened over the last two weeks, going back to the old ways is not going to work. Suppression is not going to work, engaging in violence is not going to work, shutting down information flows will not. In order for Egypt to have a bright future, the only thing that will work is moving an orderly transition process that begins right now, that engages all parties, that leads to democratic elections in a fair process that responds to the grievances of the Egyptian people.
Mubarak is proud but also a patriot. What I suggested to him is that he needs to consult to those who are around him in his government. He needs to listen to the voices of the Egyptian people and make a judgment about a pathway forward that is orderly but is meaningful and serious. I believe he’s already said that he is not going to run for reelection. This is somebody who’s been in power for a very long time. Having made that psychological break, that decision that he will not run again. The important thing for him to ask himself is, how we will make that transition effective, lasting, and legitimate. Ultimately that’s not a decision any country outside of Egypt makes.
What we can do is affirm the core principles that will be involved in that. If you have gestures toward the opposition, but it leads to continuing suppression of opposition, that won’t work. If you have the pretense of reform, but not real reform, that won’t work. Once the president announced that he won’t run again, and since his term is up relatively shortly, the key question he should be asking himself, is how do I leave a legacy behind that will help Egypt through this transition – and I hope he will make the right decision.