Great article about why Obama shook Chavez’s hand. I have to admit it was strange to see him meeting with a guy who regularly called Bush the devil and claimed the American government was a menace to the world. But as the article points out the Bush doctrine of using access to diplomacy as a bargaining chip not a tool and regime change as a method of dealing with rogue leaders didn’t work and is over:

Candidate Barack Obama could not have been clearer. He was going to talk to foreign leaders directly whether the United States agreed with their policies or not. And the purpose of this new diplomacy, Mr. Obama emphasized, was not to change regimes around the world but to advance American interests… As he made clear during the campaign, the president believes direct diplomacy is a tool in America’s arsenal. It is not a prize to be won.