First Firewoman

Meanwhile, as Bush armwrestles Prince Abdullah to try to "turn on the spiggots," the Secretary of State has been dispatched to South America to throw some water on the spreading left wing brushfires in Venezuela and Educador.

The strategy? Containment, what else?

Rice plans to to visit Brazil, Columbia, Chile and El Salvador. According to BBC World Edition>

More than half of South America's population is now ruled by left-leaning presidents, all elected in the last six years and seeking to distance themselves from Washington.

The US appears to be trying to re-engage, calling for greater efforts to deal with a twin challenge - bolstering democracy and alleviating poverty.

Will military aid and the economic globalization agenda continue to hold sway in our Latin American relationships? Or will the US be able to offer genuine support to the popular democratic movements spreading through Venezuela and Ecuador? In spite of the neoconservative administration, Congress and the people could force an American policy that makes sense for Latin America: rolling back corporatization and promoting sustainable development.