CNN reporting Morsi has backed down on the expanded powers, but is still insisting on the referendum.
So he basically backed down on nothing.
Exactly. The referendum - which he will undoubtedly win because - was the thing that the secularists and Christians were objecting to.
First of all, you can’t do a “referendum” on something that happened about 3 weeks ago. Secondly, it’s obvious that the “referendum” is simply a rubber stamp, and on top of that, I’m not sure how much the existing Egyptian laws provide for government by referendum. But that doesn’t matter, because his strategy is all worked out, and he’s not deviating at all.