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Politicians have been using the term "democracy" in a more generic sense to include republics like the USA and parliamentary governments like the UK since Woodrow Wilson's war to save democracy.

What I resent about this article is that is assumes that Bush labors under the impression that we are creating pure democracies in the Middle East. We are helping the Iraqi's to create a republic based on a parliamentary form of government with some power devolved to regions like Kurdistan. Bush is not trying to establish pure democracies in the Middle East.

Further, in my opinion, the key to having political freedom is that people have the right to vote for their representatives and leaders in government. If they never experience that right, they become apolitical and apathetic about who's in charge (beyond their control). This allows thugs like Saddam or Assad to take over and create a newer version of the NAZI party.
Give people the power to vote and determine their leaders, and eventually they will learn the consequences of the leaders that they choose.
Palestinians chose Hamas in the last elections. Now they are paying the price for that choice. Perhaps they will eventually learn the consequences of such a choice.
To ignore those persons that want freedom in the Middle East is to surrender to tyrants before you give the people a chance to develop good leadership on their own.
Turkey has done so for 90 years and is still struggling a bit, but have a form of government far superior to anything else in the Muslim world.