What Is Democracy?

William Jefferson Clinton, having agreed to be interviewed on FOX News in connection with his Clinton Global Initative to raise money for poverty, climate change, global health, and other issues, was in fact immediately poked by Chris Wallace with this increasingly common GOP "Chewbacca Defense":

Why didn’t you do more to put bin laden and al queda out of business when you were President?

Clinton responded eloquently and forefully, in many ways. Here's just one excellent quote, when asked whether President Bush "has that right" that "the fight against Islamic extremism is the central conflict of the century and his answer is promoting democracy and reform."

To advocate democracy and reform in the muslim world? Absolutely. I think the question is what’s the best way to do it. I think also the question is how do you educate people about democracy. Democracy is about way more than majority rule. Democracy is about minority rights, individual rights, restraints on power.

I believe it airs Sunday (9/24) morning.