Mubarak's stages of departure

Nearing the end of his 30 years as Egypt's president, Hosni Mubarak appears to be going through the stages of grief popularized by Elizabeth Kubler-Ross in her book, "On Death and Dying": denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance.

The quicker he realizes that he must go straight away, the better it will be for Egypt and the United States. Mubarak was in denial last week after protests broke out. His initial bid to avoid the inevitable by imposing curfews was a gross misreading of the passion for his ouster.

Next he angrily sent out the police, army tanks and jets.

When that failed, Mubarak promised a new government - but with himself still at the helm. Then, after that didn't calm protesters, he said he wouldn't run for re-election in September.

Unfortunately, he seems stuck there in the bargaining stage. That's dangerous, as yesterday's violence attests. The longer the stand-off continues, the greater the risk that protesters, and the government the Egyptian people ultimately choose, will be radicalized - an outcome that could spell trouble for the United States.

President Barack Obama should help Mubarak through the inevitable depression and insistently push Mubarak toward resignation. Only that will signal that he has finally reached acceptance.