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Whatever happened to a U.S. backed coup? I think it was Carter who made that "illegal," at least assassinating a country's leader, but I know Bush was talking about situations under which that didn't apply. You know what a president (who is a strong leader) needs to do? He needs to do whatever the situation calls for at the time and then just do it and the hell with what the critics say. A strong leader acts and doesn't worry about the ramifications. Bush has the strong support of the American people in fighting terrorism so he should fight it and hard. South American countries have long had these communist leaders who need to be deposed for the good of the hemisphere and the good of the U.S. This guy in Venezuela is a supporter of terrorist regimes (Cuba, Iraq and others) so if the Bush doctrine of "you're with us or with the terrorists" applies, then this guy is with the terrorists. If he was deposed once he must be on shaky ground, so he can be deposed again. The oil is what makes this country important.

He needs to do whatever the situation calls for at the time and then just do it and the hell with what the critics say.

I agree with you 100%.

Sometimes, though, people like Boxer scare me because they have no understanding of other cultures, and this is where big mistakes are made. I'm still laughing at Boxer and her frijole brigade -- taking beans to Castro. When I mention this to my Panamanian friends, their reaction is the same. First they say, "what?" They know they misunderstood me. I repeat it again. Their next reaction is the eyebrows dart upwards and connect with the hairline and the jaw drops in total disbelief. After the third repetition, there comes a howl of laughter which goes on forever.