Rice Worried by Putin?

I couldn't help but choke upon reading "Rice Worried by Putin's Broad Powers:" This from one of the crew who have pressed the concept of "Unitary Executive" for the United States?

Rice's comments ran a shiver down my spine. Here she was encouraging "human rights activists" in Russia to struggle against the consolidation of power, while supporting the destruction of democracy in the United States. Her statements clearly show she understands what the consequences are for such a consolidation of power. Therefore she apparently knows full well what the implications are of all power residing within the president's office.

Russian President Vladimir Putin's concentration of power is stifling his country's transition to democracy, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Saturday.

''In any country, if you don't have countervailing institutions, the power of any one president is problematic for democratic development,'' Rice told reporters after meeting with human-rights activists.

''I think there is too much concentration of power in the Kremlin. Everybody has doubts about the full independence of the judiciary. There are clearly questions about the independence of the electronic media and doubts about the Duma,'' said, referring to the Russian parliament.

...

The State Department has frequently criticized what Washington regards as creeping authoritarianism among Putin and other top Russian leaders.

Its most recent human-rights report on Russia notes continuing centralization of power in the Kremlin, a compliant legislature, political pressure on the judiciary, intolerance of ethnic minorities, corruption and selectivity in enforcement of the law, and media restrictions and self-censorship.

And why was Rice in Russia?

Rice and Defense Secretary Robert Gates later met with Prime Minister Viktor Zubkov for talks on trade and economic relations, including negotiations for Russia's accession to the World Trade Organization.

Moscow and Washington signed a trade agreement last November that removed the last major obstacle in Moscow's 13-year journey to join the 149-member group. Moscow must still conclude other outstanding bilateral deals and assuage the European Union's concerns about energy supplies.

I am constantly amazed at how people can so facilely engage in such lies and duplicity. How can she so clearly outline the threat to hegemonic presidential power and its underpinnings to Russian democracy, while actively working to create hegemonic powers and destroying democracy in the United States?