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WSJ: US Shocked! by Chavez

A Wall Street Journal Friday's editorial is just an example of the many editorials and commentaries in the U.S. press after Venezuela's president Hugo Chavez made its his insulting anti-American speech before the U.N. General Assembly this week.

Her is the WSJ article;

Shocked! by Chavez

The Wass Street Journal
September 22, 2006

Review & Outlook

Hugo Chávez isn't used to criticism from Congressional Democrats, some of whom have actually welcomed his blatant attempts to buy U.S. political influence with cut-price Venezuelan oil. So it must have shocked the South American strongman when two prominent Democrats took public offense at his anti-American tirade before the U.N. General Assembly this week.

"Hugo Chávez fancies himself a modern day Simon Bolivar but he is an everyday thug," said House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, referring to the 19th-century fighter against Spanish colonial rule. Meanwhile, New York Representative Charlie Rangel blasted Mr. Chávez for coming into "my Congressional district" and condemning "my President" -- words we've rarely heard any Democrat use in reference to George W. Bush.

The Venezuelan dictator provoked this burst of bipartisanship by repeatedly referring to President Bush as "the devil." More broadly, his speech amounted to a justification of terrorism against the U.S., and in fact he is one of the world's most outspoken defenders of such terrorist state sponsors as Iran. However, none of this is a revelation to anyone who's watched Mr. Chávez in action in recent years.

Ms. Pelosi's and Mr. Rangel's remarks were politically shrewd if nothing else. Even smarter would be for the two of them to follow up by having a word with their Massachusetts delegation. Only last November, Congressmen William Delahunt and Ed Markey spoke of their "debt" to Venezuela after arranging to buy 12 million gallons of Venezuelan home heating oil at a 40% discount for the Bay State. Mr. Delahunt has called the dictator his "excellent friend," and yesterday the Boston Globe quoted him as blaming the dictator's outburst on "what low esteem the United States is held, not just in the Islamic world, but all over."

After Mr. Chávez's U.N. performance, you can bet Democratic leaders don't want another sweetheart oil deal this November.

VenEconomy is a Venezuela's leading specialized publisher in the economic and financial area. VenEconomy's Points of View on the issues of the day, as seen by VenEconomy during the last week. Petroleumworld not necessarily share these views.

Editor's Note: Petroleumworld not necessarily share the above Wall Street Journal views. Petroleumworld reprint this article in the interest of our readers.

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Petroleumworld 09/25/06

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