An apt out of context quote

Outgoing Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge is quoted in the Washington Post today, concerning security arrangements for Dubya's coronation:

This is the most visible manifestation of our democracy.

Now of course he's referring to the inauguration itself, which already makes it an odd remark, since surely elections are the manifestation of democracy. But anyway, it's jarring to see this bromide in the midst of the description of the "security" (= anti-protestor) arrangements for the event:

Federal officials announced plans yesterday to close roughly 100 square blocks of downtown Washington to vehicles on Inauguration Day and to restrict traffic on another 100 square blocks ... widest planned shutdown of the core business district in memory ...
[Ridge] "Our goal is that any attempt on the part of anyone or any group to disrupt the inaugural will be repelled by multiple layers of security." ... officials plan to deploy 6,000 law enforcement officers and 7,000 U.S. troops ... Combat-ready troops with the 3rd Infantry Regiment showed off M-4 assault rifles and night-vision goggles ... The list of items prohibited from all event sites includes ... and "any other items determined to be a potential safety hazard," the Secret Service said.

All this even as:

Ridge acknowledged that U.S. authorities have received no information for several weeks to even consider raising the national terror threat level. Last spring, authorities predicted a high "election-year threat" continuing through the inauguration.

But as we said back in November, there's always some event somewhere to which the terrorists are said to be directing their attention.