Rice Sings to the Mubarak Choir

Condolezza Rice is on a "Middle East tour," stopping by various anti-democratic governments in that region to convince them to stand against the Hamas government in Palestine.

First up on the program was Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak, a man whom I expect will not be difficult to convince that certain uncomfortable outcomes, which can result from democracy, ought to be resisted, punished, ousted. Perhaps, shot on sight.

We would all recall that Mubarak orchestrated his own coup in Epgytian elections last year when he had Egyptian police blockade polling stations and fire upon would-be voters in regions that were supportive of the Muslim Brotherhood.

Police firing tear gas and rubber bullets blocked voters from reaching polling stations in several electoral districts around the country Wednesday and at least eight people were reported killed on the violent and chaotic last day of Egypt's fiercely contested parliamentary elections.

In Badaway, the Nile Delta home town of one Brotherhood candidate, dozens of police officers blocked the streets and alleys leading to the lone polling station, preventing anyone from voting throughout the day. Youths occasionally rushed the cordon of black-clad and helmeted officers, who fired tear gas and rubber pellets in response.

Something tells me that Rice doesn't have all that much trouble with Mubarak's version of democracy. It produce a "comfortable result" for Washington and now Rice can continue to yuk it up with Rubber Bullet Mubarak about how to stamp out the untoward results in West Bank.