Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

The Chávez Democrats
WSJ ^ | March 10, 2008 | WSJ

Posted on 03/10/2008 5:43:31 AM PDT by Brilliant

What is it about Democrats and Hugo Chávez? Even as the Venezuelan strongman was threatening war last week against Colombia, Congress was threatening to hand him a huge strategic victory by spurning Colombia's free trade overtures to the U.S.

This isn't the first time Democrats have come to Mr. Chávez's aid, but it would be the most destructive. The Venezuelan is engaged in a high-stakes competition over the political and economic direction of Latin America. He wants the region to follow his path of ever greater state control of the economy, while assisting U.S. enemies wherever he can. He's already won converts in Bolivia and Ecuador, and he came far too close for American comfort in Mexico's election last year.

Meanwhile, Colombian President Álvaro Uribe is embracing greater economic and political freedom. He has bravely assisted the U.S fight against narco-traffickers, and he now wants to link his country more closely to America with a free-trade accord. As a strategic matter, to reject Colombia's offer now would tell everyone in Latin America that it is far more dangerous to trust America than it is to trash it.

Yet Democrats on Capitol Hill are doing their best to help Mr. Chávez prevail against Mr. Uribe. Even as Mr. Chávez was doing his war dance, Senate Finance Chairman Max Baucus was warning the White House not to send the Colombia deal to the Hill for a vote without the permission of Democratic leaders. He was seconded by Ways and Means Chairman Charlie Rangel, who told Congress Daily that "they don't have the votes for it, it's not going to come on the floor," adding that "what they [the White House] don't understand it's not the facts on the ground, it's the politics that's in the air."...

(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: chavez; colombia; democratparty; elections; uribe; venezuela
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-22 next last
The Dems are just Chavez lackeys.
1 posted on 03/10/2008 5:43:32 AM PDT by Brilliant
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: Brilliant

Because Chavez stood up to Bush and the Rats hate Bush..

Hey Obama good luck with that Bi-partisanship thingy. I guess if nobody agrees with your way then they are racist thats a great start.....


2 posted on 03/10/2008 5:46:12 AM PDT by tomnbeverly (All Ideologues are idiots.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Brilliant

With the Marxist dream team of Clinton, Clinton and O’Bama a war between Colombia and its communist-terrorist neighbors would see the US backing Chavez & Co.


3 posted on 03/10/2008 5:56:13 AM PDT by fweingart (Obama-Clinton (A real dream team!))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Brilliant
"The U.S. House of Representatives voted to raise the price you pay for gasoline at the pump and -- at the same time -- give a huge tax break to that America-hating dictator Hugo Chavez?

In common parlance, we call that a "twofer" and as unbelievable as it may sound, Pelosi and company have yet again proved that they have never met a socialist tyrannical despot that they did not like!

Last week, the House passed H.R. 5351, a bill that will jack up the prices that you and I pay at the pump for gasoline through the imposition of an $18 billion dollar tax increase! Then they turned around and EXEMPTED HUGO CHAVEZ'S STATE-RUN OIL COMPANY, CITGO, FROM THE TAX!"

4 posted on 03/10/2008 6:01:14 AM PDT by YellowRoseofTx
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Brilliant
that "what they [the White House] don't understand it's not the facts on the ground, it's the politics that's in the air."...

Well, at least Rangel was honest. The Dems here have always seen Latin America as their great laboratory of Socialism. The fact that the experiment always fails doesn't seem to bother them in the least.

Furthermore, the Dem attitude towards little brown people (which is how they think of Latin Americans) is once of condescension at best and contempt at worst.

Latin American countries produced wonderful works of Baroque choral and organ music, religious art and architecture, and poetry within only a few decades of their settlement by Spain. The Spanish also brought a tradition of learning and scholarship, and universities were established rapidly. There is no reason that those countries should not be leaders - except for Socialism, which has been rearing its ugly head there ever since the 19th century (when it was invented).

This is at least in part because European socialists saw the recently independent Latin American countries as a laboratory for their own theories, over one hundred years ago. The result is that most of Latin America has been torn between the terrible effects of socialism and socialist "revolutions" and the terrible effects of the sparodic reactions against it for well over a century now. And the Dems are doing their bit to make sure this continues.

5 posted on 03/10/2008 6:03:13 AM PDT by livius
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: tomnbeverly

With some of the younger ones, that’s all they know about Chavez, that he stood up to Bush. They’re actually pretty easy to wake up it just takes a few articles about how Venezuela is crashing into poverty and how Chavez silences political dissent. Ignorance is the only thing that keeps petty tyrants like him alive


6 posted on 03/10/2008 6:04:25 AM PDT by underground
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Brilliant

They are socialists and will support marxist socialism where ever they find it.

The average Rat voter will vote for them because they are ignorant because the presstitutes hide the truth.


7 posted on 03/10/2008 6:07:34 AM PDT by bert (K.E. N.P. +12 . Never say never (there'll be a VP you'll like))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: livius

“at least Rangel was honest.”

I wish I could have posted the whole story. I think the reason Rangel said it was “politics in the air” had nothing to do with Dems’ affinity to Chavez, but more to do with their association with labor unions and other interest groups that want to cut off trade with Colombia.

I’m not sure why it is that the Dems are afraid of trading with impoverished nations that import such things as bananas, t-shirts, and bamboo.


8 posted on 03/10/2008 6:08:49 AM PDT by Brilliant
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: Brilliant

Chavez is anti-American, and Democrats are all traitors.


9 posted on 03/10/2008 6:14:29 AM PDT by DGHoodini (A person educated without being taught morals, is a menace to society.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Brilliant
What is it about Democrats and Hugo Chávez?

Um, Chavez is an enemy of the US and has cozied up to both North Korea (communists) and Iran (jihadists), so of COURSE the traitorous leftscum Democrats love him. Duh!

/not even a little sarc

10 posted on 03/10/2008 6:17:12 AM PDT by piytar
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: piytar

DemonRats, since WW2 have ALWAYS sided with the tyrants of the world... lost to history is that until Hiltler betrayed his non-aggression pact with Stalin, and invaded the USSR in June 1941, most of the world’s lefties were NOT on board with the fight against the Nazis. But, when their precious “worker’s paradise” was attacked, walla we were united! Even Hollywood and the media! I suppose if Al Qaeda was to attack Cuba... or Mr. Chavez????


11 posted on 03/10/2008 6:54:16 AM PDT by FiddlePig (truth is hard... lies are easy - http://redneckoblogger.blogspot.com)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: underground

LOL you wish. The rats respect Chavez socialist utopia (Yikes) and want the same for the U.S. It is exactly this mentality that is going to get us all killed.


12 posted on 03/10/2008 7:10:55 AM PDT by tomnbeverly (Standing by for the: if your not with us your a racist tactic.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: Brilliant

Democrats pandering to their communist constituency. No surprise.

No surprise they’d support FARC too.

The Republicans have many such weapons to use against the Democrats. I don’t know why they never use them.


13 posted on 03/10/2008 7:12:50 AM PDT by VeniVidiVici (Benedict Arnold was against the Terrorist Surveillance Program)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Brilliant
The thing is, Chavez is a chr*stian socialist who says he bases his socialism on the teachings of J*sus. Also he has many supporters in the Venezuelan Evangelical community, and I doubt that he has ever even heard of "gay rights."

Can you imagine the outcry if such a person were to arise in the United States? The libs would condemn him as a "rightwing regressive populist homophobe."

Once again, the Dems applaud in another country what they condemn in their own (sort of like the Birch Society).

14 posted on 03/10/2008 7:14:07 AM PDT by Zionist Conspirator (Zakhor 'et 'asher-`asah lekha `Amaleq baderekh betze'tkhem miMitzrayim.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Brilliant
Read the Powerline and Gateway Pundits stories about Obama’s people are meeting with FARC , the Columbian drug terrorists .The story as usual is buried by the DNC media but its down right frightening the Dems are running a radical socialist that supports FARC over the Columbian govt and out national media hides this fact !
15 posted on 03/10/2008 7:15:28 AM PDT by ncalburt
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: VeniVidiVici
Excellent point.
The RNC are bunch of pansies . MCCain should have screaming that story.
16 posted on 03/10/2008 7:17:36 AM PDT by ncalburt
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: tomnbeverly

I think the older ones are more heavily invested in it, the younger ones tend to be mis-educated and more easily led..


17 posted on 03/10/2008 7:19:15 AM PDT by underground
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: Brilliant

The democrats hate America.


18 posted on 03/10/2008 7:21:08 AM PDT by KC_Conspirator
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: FiddlePig

Of course what better way to negotiate with our enemies then having them share a Hookah with the Kookah Obama.

Obama’s Nievete in rewarding terrorists and oppressors by sitting down and talking with them is definately a change. Rewarding bad behavior has historically only amplified problems.

But Yes We can... the light may be shining down on all the worlds leaders and they may be feeling Obama too...

America on track to become an Obamanation.


19 posted on 03/10/2008 7:24:59 AM PDT by tomnbeverly (Standing by for the: if your not with us your a racist tactic.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: KC_Conspirator

Didn’t Michelle Obama’s comments make that perfectly clear?

Why Obama must be the answer elect him and then we can all feel proud to be Americans again....

Right?


20 posted on 03/10/2008 7:26:19 AM PDT by tomnbeverly (Standing by for the: if your not with us your a racist tactic.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 18 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-22 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson