Bush gets spanked by Chirac. And it's about time. Bush's arrogance is so firmly wrapped around his image that he can't help but draw fire for such comments. If Clinton or Bush Sr. or even Reagan had made the same comment, there would not have been any big deal. But because Bush jr. has made pushing people around his primary way of doing things, he has cast himself as the quintessential "ugly American." His cowboy image and his Christian moral certitude may win him votes in America's conservative heart but it gains us little with our Allies and only encourages our enemies to fight that much harder. Force-feeding Iraq democracy has only caused so many more of the people to fight something that they might otherwise have clamored for. There are times when pushing in one direction only causes someone to fight that much harder. It's like dealing with teens. Sure you can't be a permissive parent, but you can't be so strict and overbearing that they fight you just for the sport of it and to assert their sense of power.
The number one thing America has in it's pocket is our culture and standard of living. Sure we SuperSize more things than we should, we don't care much about Opera, and we gave the world Jessica Simpson. But our culture has such appeal to people that they emulate us and in tyrannical regimes, it undermines them and promotes democratic thinking.
Ugh. I do get so tired of seeing how much this Administration can screw things up.

Oh and WTF was Jack Ryan thinking? (not the Tom Clancy hero--and Ben Affleck's portrayal doesn't count) I mean dude you are married to 7of9 and your idea of "romantic getaway" is sex clubs? Isn't being married to Jeri Ryan enough of a sex club? Sure there are times when the club isn't open, but guess what, you are the only one on the guest list. What more do you need? People are never satisfied.