Lean Left: Can't the Bush Administration At Least Try?: "From a fire station to a Madrid bar brimming with bullfighting paraphernalia, Spaniards said Friday they were offended by a senior Pentagon official's remark that bullfighting shows they are a brave people and they shouldn't run in the face of terrorism.

They saw the comment by Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz as narrow-minded and promoting a stereotype.

'This is an ignorant comment,' snapped Madrid firefighter Juan Carlos Yunquera, sitting on a bench outside his firehouse. 'For a top official, it shows he doesn't know what he's talking about.'


...snip...


In an interview on PBS television Thursday, Wolfowitz said Zapatero's withdrawal plan didn't seem very Spanish.

'The Spaniards are courageous people. I mean, we know it from their whole culture of bullfighting,' Wolfowitz said. 'I don't think they run in the face of an enemy. They haven't run in the face of the Basque terrorists. I hope they don't run in the face of these people.'"

As many in the blog world have noted, the Bush administration has shown a tremendous arrogance about democracy--it is democratic to endorse their actions, but when the people reject Bush, that isn't good democracy. Well, get used to it, because if you actually get democracy in the Middle East, who do you think they will support?

On another note, it is clear that this Spanish vote is, while very understandable, unfortunate. I have no doubt that the terrorists will see this as a victory. We are in there now, and have to stay. If Bush would recognize that instead of posturing like John Wayne on Barry Bonds fun pills, then he might be able to get more people behind him. Arrogance is indeed an ugly thing.