Okay: What well known political figure made this statement about unchecked presidential power?

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

In any country, if you don't have countervailing institutions, the power of any one president is problematic for democratic development.

[graywarrior]

1. Condi?

[Lucinda]

5. Yup.

[graywarrior]

9. How profound for her.

[Lucinda]

11. I especially love that it happened during her Putin visit.

Quite the trip for our little Condi.

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

6. Yes. (link here)

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071014/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/us_russia_rice

Rice worried by Putin's broad powers

By MATTHEW LEE, Associated Press Writer1 hour, 3 minutes ago

The Russian government under Vladimir Putin has amassed so much central authority that the power-grab may undermine Moscow's commitment 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.

...


The State Department frequently has 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.

...

[robinlynne]

2. one of the supremes?

[bemildred]

3. That has to be Bush.

I would hazard a guess that he is talking about Chavez.

[jkshaw]

4. No bemildered,

the words are too big.

[bemildred]

8. Like Bemildred? nt

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

7. Answered in post #6. No sense of irony OR shame here.

[bemildred]

10. Yeah, OK, that definitely works too. nt

[charlie]

12. Well, she's the idiot

who testily lectured Chavez to "respect constitutional processes" the day he flew back home after the foiled coup.

[Booster]

13. Remember, she's also the one who said "who could have

known they would fly airplanes into buildings", or something to that effect. Condi's not the brightest bulb in the chandelier.