Denial Ain't Just a River

Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit and intelligence chief Omar Suleiman are visiting Washington this week, and WaPo’s Jackson Diehl is wise to remember what Bush said two weeks ago:

Bush, who in his State of the Union speech called on Egypt to “show the way” toward democracy in the Middle East, will look feckless and foolish if a regime so deeply dependent on U.S. military and economic aid stages another fraudulent election while jailing the very politicians who support his vision. But Mubarak is betting that this U.S president, like those who preceded him, won’t seriously confront him or threaten his economic lifeline at a sensitive moment in the “peace process.”

He may or may not be right.

That’s the second time since the State of the Union address that Diehl has issued a public reminder to Bush to stick by what he said that night.

Good on ya, Mr. Diehl.