As Democracy Push Falters, Bush Feels Like a 'Dissident'

By the time he arrived in Prague in June for a democracy conference, President Bush was frustrated. He had committed his presidency to working toward the goal of "ending tyranny in our world," yet the march of freedom seemed stalled. Just as aggravating was the sense that his own government was not committed to his vision.

As he sat down with opposition leaders from authoritarian societies around the world, he gave voice to his exasperation. "You're not the only dissident," Bush told Saad Eddin Ibrahim, a leader in the resistance to Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. "I too am a dissident in Washington. Bureaucracy in the United States does not help change. It seems that Mubarak succeeded in brainwashing them."

In December, President Bush bestowed the Presidential Medal of Freedom on Natan Sharansky, whose book helped inspire the president's pro-democracy initiatives. (By Pablo Martinez Monsivais -- Associated Press) Graphic President Bush Who's Blogging? Read what bloggers are saying about this article. The Sideshow This ain???t Hell, but you can see it from here The Johnsville News Full List of Blogs (50 links) » Most Blogged About Articles On washingtonpost.com | On the web Save & Share Article What's This?