No need for freedom when you have oil

Tell me the one about freedom again.

WASHINGTON - Searching for energy supplies and allies against Iran, the Bush administration is reaching out to leaders who rule countries that are rich in oil and gas but accused of authoritarian rule and human rights violations.

The presidents of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Equatorial Guinea are all getting special attention. The effort sometimes seems at odds with President Bush's stated second-term goal of spreading democracy.

I do think it's notable that this is being covered in this way. For my entire adult newsreading life, the American press has rarely covered this directly. (Story link from AmericaBlog.)