Harkin defends Venezuelan President's U-N speech against Bush

[ProSense]

Harkin defends Venezuelan President's U-N speech against Bush

by Darwin Danielson

Iowa Senator Tom Harkin, a democrat, today defended Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez's United Nations speech in which Chavez called President George Bush the devil. Harkin said the comments were "incendiary", then went on to say, "Let me put it this way, I can understand the frustration, ah, and the anger of certain people around the world because of George Bush's policies." Harkin continued what has been frequent criticism of the president's foreign policy.

Harkin says Bush came to office saying he wanted a new humility in foreign policy in reaching out to other countries, but Harkin says Bush's actual policy has been heavy handed. Harkin says the anger against Bush is generated from the Iraq war, which Harkin says was "unnecessary."

Harkin says, "We tend to forget that a few days after 9-1-1 thousands, thousands of Iranians marched in a candlelight procession in Teheran in support of the United States. Every Muslim country was basically on our side. Just think, in five years, President Bush has squandered all that." Harkin says the U.S. has put billions of dollars into the Iraq war, when it could be helping poor countries with things like clean water, medical aid and education.

AUDIO: Excerpt from Harkin conference call (3 min MP3)

http://www.radioiowa.com/gestalt/go.cfm?objectid=020BFC5A-FA7D-42CC-9BA6A4ED9DA063B8

From the National Review:

WASHINGTON - Congressman Charles Rangel announced today that CITGO, the Venezuelan-owned oil company, would begin to distribute fuel to select low-income residents in Upper Manhattan through their Low Income Heating Oil Program.

http://sixers.nationalreview.com/post/?q=ZWQ4MWM3NGY5MjYxZjg5MjMzZTMwODk0NTYxYTYwZjI=

[AX10]

1. K & R!

[Mass]

2. Thank you to Harkin. A little bit of good sense.

I like him more and more.

[Dr.Phool]

24. Damn! Harkin must have heard my speech!

I wrote it Monday for my congressional candidate, and he delivered it yesterday.

Mine said "Six years ago America was the most respected country in the world. The whole world mourned with us after Sept. 11th. Now this President and this Congress have squandered all that good will by invading Iraq...."

[indepat]

37. Squandered it without forethought or with malice of forethought

[Sam Odom]

3. That is just GREAT

:sarcasm:

Playing right into the hands of the 'divide and conquer' repubs

[stepnw1f]

7. Fear is Playing into their hands

not this.... uh uh.

[Sam Odom]

9. We'll see

All this will do is take the sheep's eyes off of the ball. The ball being the REAL problems in the world which bushco created.

[Armstead]

13. A wave of anti-Americanism around the world IS the problem

[Peace Patriot]

14. The sheep's eyes?

I find this contempt for other Americans despicable.

[ima_sinnic]

35. I find dim-witted obeisance to lying murderous greed-heads despicable

--if Americans showed any interest at all in what is being done in their names around the world we wouldn't even be having this conversation. They could care less if little Amin lies orphaned in a crowded dirty hospital with no limbs, no painkillers, and hardly any food and water. As long as they can buy cheap junk made in sweatshops by 12-year-olds they don't care if people are languishing in secret prisons with bodies broken by torture, without even being charged with any crimes. Complicity with murder and mayhem IS despicable.

[leftchick]

4. WOW! A Real Democrat!!!!

I am truly impressed! :applause:

:)

[acmejack]

18. Harkin gained my respect with this statement.

IMO it took a lot of gumption to against the flow and say something that makes sense like this. It is exactly correct, if anyone would take the time to think about. WTG Senator Harkin.

[Poll_Blind]

22. Indeed! n/t

PB

[Greeby]

5. Tehran, September 18th 2001

http://www.bestirantravel.com/culture/wtc-vigil.html

[stepnw1f]

6. A Dem with Ballz.... (nt)

[rodeodance]

8. yes, many have just cause to be angry.

[ProSense]

10. OP edited: Rangel played right into Repubs hands! n/t

[welshTerrier2]

11. how about talking about the CIA backed coup against Chavez?????

are there any Democrats telling the truth about that ???

Rangel waves his little American flag and hides behind nationalism in his defense of bush ... well, are we supposed to believe it is not appropriate for a foreign leader to EVER criticize an American president EVEN IF his democratically-elected regime was overthrown by that president?????

And, while Harkin's statement is much better, where's the TRUTH??? bush did a whole helluva lot more than just squandering the post-9-1-1 goodwill we saw in Iran; he successfully toppled the democratically-elected Chavez government in 2002 ... and bush already has US military personnel illegally operating INSIDE IRAN ... when are Democrats going to stop cowering and tap dancing and being so timid?????

how about a little good old fashioned truth??

[Webster Green]

15. Yeah, and Pelosi calls Chavez a "thug"

She is my rep, and I have always supported her, but I'm fucking pissed at her ignorance on this one.

Guess she has started listening to Pat Robertson.

[welshTerrier2]

20. even if Chavez is a "thug"

does that justify overthrowing his DEMOCRATICALLY-ELECTED government ?????

that's what's wrong here ... it's what's always wrong here ... imperialism, i.e. US Imperialism, is always about villifying a foreign leader and destabilizing his government ...

WHO THE HELL DO WE THINK WE ARE???

if Pelosi thinks Chavez is a "thug", i couldn't care less ... but what name should she be calling bush for ILLEGALLY sending the CIA to topple the Chavez government??? that's the problem; Democrats seem unwilling to step over the line and unwilling to tell the truth about exactly what US foreign policy has been ... they are either a. complicit in the policy or b. fearful that speaking its name will hurt them politically ...

neither option is particularly appealing ... we will never take back our country if there is NO OPPOSITION party willing to put the interests of the people ahead of the interests of greedy corporate swine ...

bush didn't cause the 2002 coup in Venezuela because Chavez had WMD or was about to invade the US or was "befriending Al Qaeda"; he did it to help his slimy, greedy friends in the oil industry ...

what would you give to have an opposition party that was willing to tell the American people the truth?????

check out this link from an earlier post i made on this subject: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x2800198

[KaptBunnyPants]

12. At least there are a few good Democrats...

What a depressing day. I was never dumb enough to think that Pelosi and Clinton were on my side, but these cheap shots at the base just remind me how little they think of us...

[Sam Odom]

16. Let me get this straight - Clinton, Rangel & Pelosi are against 'us'

'us' being the 'real' democrats?

Well then, who can be for us?

[KaptBunnyPants]

23. I don't know. Maybe Nader was right.

I always thought there was enough good in the Party to save it. I believed in political expediency, and believed all the excuses for why Democratic politicians couldn't push what they "truly" believe in. But now, having walked down the milque-toast path for practically my entire life, I've seen no political benifits from doing so. My Party sold it's soul and lost anyway. Clinton's DLC actively encourages the Party to disregard their own base, From has even said that the less they listen to 'us' the better.

Maybe noone is for us. Maybe we are alone, sheep amongst wolves, just waiting to be picked off one by one.

[Peace Patriot]

17. Bust the Machines--Vote by Absentee Ballot this November!

Really, it's the only way. If enough people do it, the reign of these diabolical voting machines will be OVER!

[leftchick]

19. I plan to!

:)

[frylock]

21. right on!

Nice to see someone display some backbone rather than tripping over each other to be the first to get shithead's back.

[bobbolink]

25. Hurrah for Senator Harkin! I love seeing some Dem backbone!

:applause:

Thanks for posting this.. makes me feel a bit better...

[melissinha]

26. Harkin saw through the name calling

and saw CHavez's real message... Harkin pointed out that the name calling was insendiary but the message was clear: that the problem is not everyday Americans, but the imperialistic motives of our leaders that have been raping countries abroad for years, counties not in the permanent Sec COuncil shoudl not have to be relegated to the side-lines... is B f*ing S! Venezuela has rights as does South America, Africa and other regions....


As a South American I couldn't agree more... incendiary remarks don't help, but you've got to admit Bush deserved that slap in the face.... cause in the very least he is a tool of the devil.

Bravo Harkin! I so miss being your constituent!!!!!!

:applause:

[IndianaGreen]

30. Harkin has allied himself with the same economic class Chavez represents

while Pelosi has allied herself with the class of which she is a member. No wonder she sided with Bush and the elites he represents, for they are cut from the same cloth as Venezuela's elites.

Way to go Harkin!

[eleny]

27. Good for Harkin!

[1932]

28. Stephen Kinzer makes this same point in his book Overthrow.

He says that a lot of Americans couldn't understand why Iran deposed the Shah (days after Carter was calling the Shah a beacon of light in the middle east).

Kinzer said that Iranians were so pissed about the Americans deposing their elected leader in '53 and supporting a tyranical, oppressive royal dictartorship that, even the passing of a quarter century couldn't heal the wounds. The reason American hostages were taken at the Embassy was BECAUSE, as leaders of that group said later, that's where the overthrow of Mossadegh was plotted. It didn't matter that noboy there in the 70s was responsible.

That's how angry America makes people in developing countries.

[Crunchy Frog]

29. I'm very impressed.

I honestly didn't think that any of our Dems had it in them to speak out like that.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

31. Thank you, Tom Harkin

The spirit you demonstrated at Paul Wellstone's memorial service is still there.

[Vidar]

32. Great to see a Democrat with balls. Bravo Harkin!

[Disturbed]

33. welshTerrier2- Exactly!

Harkin has integrity and courage.

[Vidar]

39. welshTerrier2??

[Kurovski]

34. K&R

I'm surprized this isn't rated higher here at DU.

[Blue Gardener]

36. I love my Senator!

He's a politician with a heart. We need more like him.

[The Count]

38. So Rangel aceepts oil from a "thug"? Great for Harkin!

Remember, Chavez personally was kidnapped by Bush's CIA. So, who's the thug here?

[ProudDad]

40. Way to go Harkin!

A Dem with spine. Refreshing...