"Despite Being Democratically Elected . . ."

Ha ha. You thought I was going to say something here about the second election of W. But this quote is actually lifted from a statement by the U.S. Embassy in Spain. As you've probably already heard, the United States has objected to--and blocked--the sale of some Spanish military hardware (containing U.S. parts) to Venezuela. Spain is moving ahead with parts made elsewhere (why is the Bush administration anti-jobs?). But the most telling part of the story, thus far, has been the embassy statement:

Despite being democratically elected, the government of President Hugo Chávez has systematically undermined democratic institutions, pressured and harassed independent media and the political opposition, and grown progressively more autocratic and antidemocratic.

Isn't that funny? Do you think they mad-libbed that?