Hugo Chavez, continuing his embarrassing rant started at the United Nations where he called our President the devil, walks through the streets of Harlem today and continues to bash George Bush. Much of what Chavez has said in the past two days, we can hear almost any day of the week from Cindy Sheehan and the Code Pink crowd. Chavez may have made a huge tactical error in thinking that the talking points he got from the Sheehanistas are actually representative of the American people as a whole.
From Turkey's Turkish Press:
Chavez says Bush 'alcoholic' and 'sick man'
NEW YORK - Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez launched a new personal attack against President George W. Bush on Thursday, calling the US leader an "alcoholic" and a "sick man" during a tour of the New York district of Harlem.
Speaking while walking in a Harlem street, Chavez told a group of passers-by: "Bush is an alcoholic, a sick man with a lot of hang-ups."
"He walks like John Wayne," declared the left-wing Venezuelan leader. "He doesn't know anything about politics, he got there because of Daddy." Bush's father, George Bush, was also a US president.
In a controversial speech before the UN General Assembly on Wednesday, Chavez called Bush "the devil" and "a tyrant."
Chavez went to Harlem to announce the expansion of a programme to send cheap Venezuelan oil to poor families in New York.
Charlie Rangel is not happy about this turn of events and seems to come to the President’s “defense” that you don't come into his District and start bashing our President:
” I want to express my extreme displeasure with statements by the President of Venezuela attacking U.S. President George Bush in such a personal and disparaging way during his remarks at the United Nations General Assembly.
It should be clear to all heads of government that criticism of Bush Administration policies, either domestic or foreign, does not entitle them to attack the President personally.George Bush is the President of the United States and represents the entire country. Any demeaning public attack against him is viewed by Republicans and Democrats, and all Americans, as an attack on all of us.
I feel that I must speak out now since the Venezuelan government has been instrumental in providing oil at discounted prices to people in low income communities who have suffered increases in rent as heating oil prices have risen sharply. By offering this benefit to people in need, Venezuela has won many friends in poor communities of New York and other states. I am surprised that American oil companies have not stepped up to provide that kind of assistance to the poor.
Venezuela’s generosity to the poor, however, should not be interpreted as license to attack President Bush. Those who take issue with Bush Administration policies have no right to attack him personally. It was not helpful when President Bush referred to certain nations as an “axis of evil.” Neither is it helpful for a head of state to use the sacred halls of the United Nations to insult President Bush.”
And Governor Pataki went on a rant against Chavez in a telephone interview on Fox. I heard this live and he was hot.
New York Governor George Pataki called for a united front by Americans from all political parties to stand together against Chavez.
"This person has no right coming to our country to criticize our president," Pataki said in a phone interview on FOX News.
"He can take his cheap oil and do something for the poor people of Venezuela."
He also said that he has no intention of ever buying CITGO gas again. I know I wouldn't want to be a CITGO station owner in the next few days, although knowing how these things work, the controversy will die down and everything will just go on as usual.
I think what I found the most offensive about Chavez today (after all this other garbage) was his lecture to the American people on how they don't turn off their lights.
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