President Bush gave a stunning speech at the World Economic Forum meeting in Sharm el Sheikh today in which he said, among other things:
Too often in the Middle East, politics has consisted of one leader in power and the opposition in jail.
In our democracy, we would never punish a person for owning a Koran. We would never issue a death sentence to someone for converting to Islam. Democracy does not threaten Islam or any religion. Democracy is the only system of government that guarantees their protection.
I can’t recall a more serious rebuke issued on Arab soil by any President. Any chance that paragon of bipartisanship, Barack Obama, will quit carping about Bush’s Knesset speech long enough to acknowledge these remarks?
I won’t hold my breath.