] Rhetorically, Bush has made the promotion of democracy,
] especially in the Middle East, a central theme of his
] administration. "This young century will be liberty's
] century," Bush said last month at the Republican National
] Convention. "By promoting liberty abroad, we will build a
] safer world."
]
] Last year, in a speech before the National Endowment for
] Democracy, Bush criticized past administrations for
] turning a blind eye to autocratic governments in the
] Middle East. "Sixty years of Western nations excusing and
] accommodating the lack of freedom in the Middle East did
] nothing to make us safe -- because in the long run,
] stability cannot be purchased at the expense of liberty,"
] Bush said.
]
] But, with only tentative and belated exceptions, mostly
] involving Powell, the Bush administration has remained
] largely silent as Putin has slowly dismantled democratic
] institutions, including taking over or closing all
] independent national television channels, establishing
] dominance of both houses of parliament, reasserting
] control over the country's huge energy industry and
] jailing or driving into exile business tycoons who have
] defied him.