Reich, a former U.S. ambassador to Venezuela who now ranks as the senior U.S. diplomat to the Americas, said the Bush administration's categorical April 12 statement that President Hugo Chávez had resigned Venezuela's presidency ``reflected the best information that we had at the time.'' ''What we have here is typical Monday morning quarterbacking by people who are ill-informed,'' Reich said in a telephone interview in which he offered some details of his own actions during the two days that Chávez was ousted and until his return April 14. ``I pay absolutely no attention to people who say that we didn't respect democracy.'' ***
Reich, a Cuban-born political appointee of President Bush, was perhaps the lead figure among a handful of key advisors who managed the crisis for the White House. Key Democratic senators suggest the handling was inept. Reich's most prominent critic, Democratic Sen. Christopher Dodd of Connecticut, complained last week that he needs ``adult supervision.''***