Venezuelan VP to McCain: 'Go to Hell'

www.chron.com ^ | 01/23/2006 | Christopher Toothaker

[crushelits]

CARACAS, Venezuela - Venezuela's vice president derided Sen. John McCain (news, bio, voting record) for suggesting that "wackos" run the South American country, saying Monday that the United States should focus on its own problems.

Jose Vicente Rangel was responding to McCain's statement on Sunday that America must explore alternative energy sources to avoid depending on
Iran or "wackos" in Venezuela — apparently a reference to Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.

"It looks like they have nothing else to do in the United States," Rangel said, adding that the Americans have "so many problems, 40 million poor people, 30 million drug users, and an American senator is paying attention to us. He can go to hell."

McCain, a potential Republican presidential contender in 2008, said recent actions by Chavez and by Iran's leaders make it clear that the United States will be vulnerable as long as it remains dependent on foreign energy.

"We've got to get quickly on a track to energy independence from foreign oil, and that means, among other things, going back to nuclear power," the Arizona senator said on Fox News Sunday. "We better understand the vulnerabilities that our economy, and our very lives, have when we're dependent on Iranian mullahs and wackos in Venezuela."

Despite political differences between Caracas and Washington, the United States remains the top buyer of oil from Venezuela, the world's No. 5 exporter.

Chavez has repeatedly accused the United States of conspiring to topple his government, an allegation U.S. officials deny.

The Venezuelan leader says his government would halt oil exports to the United States if Washington ever attempted to invade this South American nation.

[jocon307]

Hey, is he relate to the wacko NY Congressman Charles Rangel?

[crushelits]

Maybe is his cousin???

[Nateman]

Chavez is not wacko. He knows just what he is doing. He's just plain old EVIL.

[SoCalPol]

Venezuelan VP to McCain: 'Go to Hell'

It makes those third world wack-os feel like adults
talking trash.

[jazusamo]

Jose he teel evereeone he related to Chaluzco but he lies.

[Leatherneck_MT]

ok this is tough... Mcain or Chavez....

I'm so torn

[sageb1]

When McCain made the "wacko" comment, it was the first time I ever applauded him. It will probably also be the last, but it was good for a laugh.

[GottaLuvAkitas1]

"ok this is tough... Mcain or Chavez...."

I'd say Chavez was bound to say something right eventually. LOL

[adorno]

..adding that the Americans have "so many problems, 40 million poor people, 30 million drug users,

40 million poor? The poor and middle-class Venezuelans would be more than happy to live like the poor in the U.S.

Drug users in the U.S.? People are free in the U.S. to make choices, even to ruin their lives. Besides, our drug users have the money to ruin their lives. What do the Venezuelans have. What can Hugo do for his people. If he's in power 20 years from now the people there will be even poorer. Oil alone can't make a country prosperous.

[DoNotDivide]

"The Venezuelan leader says his government would halt oil exports to the United States if Washington ever attempted to invade this South American nation. "

Quite possibly the most ignorant comment ever uttered.

[dfwgator]

Hey, he can't say that about McCain. Only WE can say that about McCain.

[headstamp]

You said it. Like we are going to run right down there. He should worry more about one of his own countrymen giving him a third eyeball.

[Rome2000]

Takes one to know one.

[sageb1]

Fr. Jonathan Morris went to Venezuela last week. He reported that it takes anywhere from 6-8 hours to get from the Caracas airport to the Caracas city center. Evidently a bridge collapsed and Chavez is saying it will take 2 years to rebuild the bridge. In the words of Fr. Morris, "Some revolution, eh?"

[WoofDog123]

"The Venezuelan leader says his government would halt oil exports to the United States if Washington ever attempted to invade this South American nation."

I suspect his exact words were not quite this, among the more comical translations.

'ok gringos you are invading and troops are approaching major port facilities so we are going to stop oil deliveries!!'

[This Just In]

I suspect that the "environmentalists" who are staunchly against the United States capitalizing on her own natural resources such as mining and refining crude oil, not only wish to deprive us of independence, but they also wish for us to be vulnerable.

Liberal's are in essense socialists/communists. Our enemies south of the border are a real threat due to our dependence upon their oil. Not only due we rely on fuel for domestic use, but fuel which our military relies upon as well.

Perhaps this may be considered as "conspiracy", but federal policies that have prevented the United States from producing our own oil may be one of the main threats to our national security.

[WoofDog123]

chavez probably is whacko. He is unable to deal with any authority figure (has been in confrontation mode his entire adult life), and probably got where he was because by all accounts he is very charismatic in person despite having no idea how to govern. He is still in power now thanks to the amazing incompetence of the junta that succeeded him in early 2002.

Of course, the VZ people elected him in 98 knowing darn well he preferred coup to election, a statement about their previous governments as much as anything.

[DoNotDivide]

Hey now, Jimmy Carter said that it was a straight-up election down there in Carackazz! (vomitting now)

[oldenuff2no]

The solution to this problem is in new technology.
We need to come up with a cheap energy source that is not crude based and then give the technology to the rest of the world.
We can then sit back and watch the Middle East and South America EAT THEIR OIL!!!!!
About that time we need to take a look at all of our food goods that we ship overseas and move the decimal point two places to the right.
Last but not lease we need to give these idiots the single finger salute while having the best laugh we can come up with.