Woke up to the news on TV of Bhutto's assassination in Pakistan, and trying to get some useful information about it is a major undertaking.
The mainstream news outlets, as usual, give little context, and basically mouth the government's statements. And I tend to beware when I hear George W. Bush or any of his many mouthpieces opine about who is and isn't a proponent of “democracy.”
I found a pretty helpful and concise (most helpful due to its conciseness) statement from AJ on Americablog:
In terms of policy implications, this is reflective of a massive US foreign policy blunder, in that the Bush administration, in a monumentally stupid move, shoved Bhutto down the throat of Musharraf (and the rest of Pakistan) as a savior, despite her lack of broad popular support and general reputation as corrupt. In making someone who didn't necessarily have the ability to deliver the savior for democracy in Pakistan, we simultaneously set up our own policy to fail and offered Musharraf a return to (or continued) total power in the event that our little power-sharing arrangement didn't work. We also — though not only us — painted a big fat target on her back. Really a debacle all the way around.
And before you jump to conclusions about getting news and analysis from blogs, note that AJ is not spouting hot air (like most of the “pundits” on TV):
– AJ in DC
is a former Department of Defense civilian Intelligence Officer who was decorated for his recent civilian service in Iraq. He is an Iraq expert, and an authority on Iran, democratization, nation-building, Middle East politics, intelligence, and national security matters. He is a consultant on these and other political subjects, and writes on AMERICAblog about defense issues.
Spencer Ackerman at TPM Muckraker has a bit more thorough context, which I recommend you read, but it all can be wrapped up in a pretty small sound bite after all — just not the one you'll hear on the TV:
… U.S. strategy is “in tatters.
Follow the evolving story about the assassination and its implications at TPM, which has a stable of fine reporters.
Meanwhile, Booman has a list of the range of media coverage that includes Fox Noise, Times of India and Hindustan Times (with the first rush of conspiracy theories).