Could the Quran BBQ get any worse? You better believe it!

Earlier today word came down that Rev. Terry Jones of the Dove World Outreach Center had backed down from his plans to roast the Quran on the anniversary of 9/11. For many people this is a positive development. It certainly was for me.

But you always have to read the fine print. And the whole series of activities that led to Rev. Jones' announcement today stinks.

Rev. Jones met with FBI officials today for half an hour of conversations. About what? Nobody's saying. Not Rev. Jones, not the FBI. Why not?

If the FBI was simply reiterating what everybody else has been saying about intolerance, insensitivity or the threat of violent activities in reaction to Jones' plans, there wouldn't be any reason to be secretive. And that leaves really only two realistic possibilities.

The first is that the FBI was informing Rev. Jones of a potential threat to his own life or other specific parties involved in the book burning. With general threats of violence already known, the only possible violent threats that might sway Jones would be specific, close and personal.

I don't buy it. If there were some eminent threat against Rev. Jones, he would be screaming it to every camera out there as an example that proves his point of view surrounding Islam being a violent religion. He'd want the public to know and the FBI would not be able to stop him.

The other option is that the FBI itself is coercing Rev. Jones into not taking action. This would not surprise me considering the man pulling the FBI's strings -- President Barack Obama -- himself has heavily criticized Rev. Jones' actions and given every indication of what he wants.

What kind of threat the FBI would make is anybody's guess. But the far left has criticized the FBI for supposed pressure tactics going all the way back to the Hoover years. Does it seem likely that the FBI is incapable? Hardly.

Now, some will point out the apparent deal to move the New York Park51 development that Rev. Jones trumpeted first between himself and the Park51 developers -- who denied it -- and later with Florida Imam Muhammad Musri -- who also denied any deal. In the face of both parties denying what Rev. Jones claims, Jones has stated that he was lied to but was still postponing the Quran burning until he can talk to these parties.

But who really believes that Rev. Jones -- who himself has called Islam the devil's religion -- would remain in a holding pattern based on what he has now called a lie only so he can deal with representatives of a religion he clearly has no respect for and in fact has a great hatred towards? Does that make any sense whatsoever?

If I was just called a liar on national TV by a person I believe was evil but who I supposedly had a deal with a few seconds ago, I would be fuming! And if I was the type of man Rev. Jones is, I might have burned a Quran right then and there out of spite. But the reaction of Jones tells me that he has other concerns on his plate that lie outside the realm of Muslim representatives that he obviously has no interest in.

Considering that the only other party to put real pressure on him today was the FBI, the process of elimination on whose influence is making the difference is fairly simple. If true, it would be clear that the government -- from the top down -- has focused its sites on this US citizen to prevent him from speaking his mind or performing actions that he has every legal right to do.

The exact opposite of what has happened in New York City in regards to the Park51 development!

The whole thing stinks. The layers of hypocrisy on both sides of this issue is just about enough to make me throw my hands up in the air and scream, "A plague upon both your houses!"

But the completely lack of leadership on the part of Barack Obama and the US government in general is nothing short of pathetic. Seventy percent of Americans don't want to see the Park51 complex developed near Ground Zero. And instead of either bowing to the will of the people or trying to lead them in a different direction -- basically showing a little backbone and standing on principle either way -- Barack Obama has once again shown himself to be the indecisive, non-committal coward that he is.

He could have gotten all of these parties into one room to talk with a snap of his fingers. The complete lack of guidance on this highly divisive issue is the final proof that Barack Obama has absolutely none of the leadership or moral character that it takes to be a leader.

Once again, he votes present.