People in Egypt are standing up for freedom, and the world is inspired by their cause. But the U.S. government has been wishy-washy in its support for the Egyptian people. It's time for our government to give meaning to President Obama's words, and take a stand for freedom and democracy.

In public statements, President Obama, and Secretary of State Clinton have called for "restraint" and an "orderly transition," but they have refused to demand Egyptian President Mubarak's resignation, and have decided not to cancel the $1.3 billion in military aid that the U.S. gives to the Mubarak regime every year. (Watch this great video of an interview with Dept. of State spokesperson P.J. Crowley to see how the U.S. government is bending over backward to avoid taking a strong stance for democracy.)

In an interview on CBS on Sunday, opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize-winner Mohamed ElBaradei put it like this: "The American government cannot ask the Egyptian people to believe that a dictator who has been in power for 30 years would be the one to implement democracy. This is a farce. The first thing which will 'calm the situation' is for Mubarak to leave, and leave with some dignity. Otherwise, I fear that things will get bloody. The U.S. has to stop the life support to the dictator and root for the people."

Mubarak has already shown that he will cling onto power at all costs. His "reform" consisted of appointing his intelligence chief and right-hand man as his new vice president. His security forces have brutally killed at least 150 (and probably far more) of his country's citizens. And yet, the Egyptian military has stayed on the fence - and if the U.S., which has extremely strong military ties to Egypt, called for Mubarak's resignation, it's very possible that the army would push him out.

In his State of the Union speech last Tuesday, President Obama said that "we saw that same desire to be free in Tunisia, where the will of the people proved more powerful than the writ of a dictator. And tonight, let us be clear: the United States of America stands with the people of Tunisia, and supports the democratic aspirations of all people."

It's time for the U.S. government to put their money where their mouth is. It's time for them to demand Mubarak's resignation, and refuse to give Egypt another dime in military aid until Mubarak leaves.