Getting off to a good start

Apparently I'm not the only one who raised an eyebrow and thought "Does he realize what he's saying?"

President Bush turned from inaugural pageantry to a daunting second-term agenda Friday while his administration scrambled to explain his newly declared goal of ending tyranny around the world.

The president's expansive pledge, the major theme of his inaugural address, raised questions about whether Bush intended to apply new standards to allies or partners that are not ideal democracies, or aren't democracies at all. Saudi Arabia, Egypt, China and other countries fit that description,

as do some other allies in our War on Terrorism^{(c)(reg.)(pat. pend.)}, such as Uzbekistan.

But not to worry, State Department spokesman Richard Boucher

cited municipal elections in Saudi Arabia as one democratic advance, and he said the United States has long raised objections to human rights violations in China.

Uh-huh. In other words, either he didn't realize what he was saying or he didn't mean it. So breathe easier, all you pro-American, pro-capitalist dictators out there: He didn't mean you.

Footnote: Re Saudi Arabia: Anyone else remember how during Shrub Daddy's administration, our support of Saddam Hussein in the face of his horrendous human rights violations was explained away with the statement he was "taking steps in the right direction?"