Democracy, American French-style

Looks like France is stealing a page from Bush's playbook: Protests against Bush in Paris are banned.

Demonstrations have been banned in central Paris throughout this week to ensure no hostile protests are in evidence to disturb President George W. Bush's brief presence in the French capital on Saturday, where he will be dining with President Jacques Chirac.

You know, this is what totalitarian states do. And if we didn't have a dictator who stole the presidency, maybe he would lambaste these actions and support actual democracy.