Bush Push for Musharraf Angers Pakistan

His political future might be in doubt, but Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf is still receiving forceful backing from the Bush administration after his party's drubbing in parliamentary elections—and it's angering Pakistanis, reports the New York Times. "I’ve never seen such an irrational, impractical move on the part of the US," said a political scientist at Lahore University, incredulous that Washington would sideline the two victorious parties, both moderate and pro-American.

 Anger is growing in the media as well. In the past week more than a dozen editorials in Pakistan's leading newspapers have decried Washington's "meddling" in its affairs. Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte yesterday told a Senate panel that "we look forward to continuing to work well" with Musharraf. (More Pervez Musharraf stories.)