ARE THE LEBANESE RIOTS TIMED TO MAKE BUSH LOOK BAD?

Well, if they aren't, the net effect is still that they are hitting the same day as the Presidential State of the Union speech:

An opposition protest turned violent today as thousands of Hezbollah supporters blocked roads leading into Beirut, burning tires and cars and clashing with government loyalists. The escalation brought the Lebanese capital to a virtual standstill and heightened fears that the nearly two-month long political crisis could burst into sectarian conflict.

Along one major thoroughfare, government loyalists faced off with Hezbollah demonstrators with a brawl and sporadic gunfire. One side raised photos of the Hezbollah leader, Sheik Hassan Nasrallah, and burned photographs of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri, whose assassination in 2005 originally set off Lebanon’s political turmoil. The other side, lined up across the street, raised photographs of Mr. Hariri and Prime Minister Fouad Siniora, and even of Saddam Hussein, while shouting epithets back.

Until now, the opposition protest has largely been noisy but peaceful, as both sides dug in for a long fight. Hezbollah, together with the Christian Free Patriotic Movement and several smaller groups, descended on Beirut last month, calling for Mr. Siniora’s resignation and for early parliamentary elections in order to form a so-called national unity government in which Hezbollah and its allies would have veto power.

Yep, until now, it's been "peaceful." One has to wonder if something big and bad will happen right before the SOTU address tonight. The enemy would love that. And they're very PR conscious.