Normally, when the extremists who run Latin America policy for the State Department and their bat boys in the press go after a Latin American leader like this, there is a reason for the timing. For example, the obvious attacks on Venezuela President Hugo Chávez last February came right before the coup in Haiti, when Chávez was pinned down with US-funded "opponents" rioting from their upper class neighborhoods, thus distracting and obscuring anything he might have to say about the coup in the Caribbean.

So what is the sudden attack on Lula about? Is it to neutralize him from something that is about to occur? Perhaps in Bolivia, where coup tremors have rumbled for the past couple of months?

Or (paging Chris Whalen and the economist co-publishers) is there some motive right now to weaken the Brazilian currency, the Real, in a manner that strengthens the dollar visavis the Euro in time for the U.S. presidential campaign?

There is nothing new or "news" in Rohter's article. Lula never said (a la G.W. Bush) "I don't drink" or, like Gary Hart, "follow me around." For years he has appeared in public and celebrated with his people, holding a mug of beer in an outward toast for the cameras, so why is Rohter playing "gotcha" on a non-story?

Something is up. Our job is to find out what... and why.