let's not turn our Musharraf Policy into a Zardari Policy

Nawaz Sharif, the second most powerful elected politician in Pakistan and rival of Asif Ali Zardari, was barred from holding elected office today. In the name of everything smart and sane, I hope the United States does not let this pass for expediency's sake, just because we're tighter with Zardari than we are with Sharif. It's important to have a Pakistan policy, not a policy of engaging the leader of Pakistan and propping him up against all opposition. The latter path, which we took far too often with Pervez Musharraf, is, well, somewhat undemocratic and makes us even more disliked in Pakistan than we already are.