What should Rangel have said about Chavez?

[BurtWorm]

What would you say if you were in Congress and someone in the media asked your opinion of Chavez's speech at the UN and his comments to passersby in your district?

[Poll_Blind]

1. How about...

"While I disagree strongly with President Bush's deception which has led us into the costly and dangerous Iraq war, his assult on reproductive rights and his stunning assault on the division between church and state, I cannot agree with President Chavez when, even jokingly, he refers to Bush as the devil. Such rhetoric is not only unhelpful, it is unstatesmanlike. It is rhetoric like this which causes political problems to get worse, not to get better."

Would that have been so difficult?

PB

[BurtWorm]

4. All I can say is

:applause:

[Poll_Blind]

16. And that's all it would have taken. These people are career...

...politicans. Damnit to hell, they should know how to deal with situations like these and be surrounded by literally dozens of people who have the same skills. Being able to distance one's self from a person who has the same opponent while still driving the skewers into that opponent is less....less...than politics 101.

  This absolutely unconscionable defense of the President was unnecessary in the extreme, especially for a person (Chavez) who goes out of his way to insult Bush, the Bush Administration, but never the American people.

  Because of the extreme simplicity of making a statement like the one I did, I choose not to recognize Pelosi or Rangel has having been the victims of inexperience or having been afflicted by a momentary lightning-strike of idiocy: This was intentional. At this level of politics every public move like this is carefully calculated and weighed against other moves.

  It makes me really fucking sad because I am a Democrat. Not a Green, not a Libertarian, I'm a fucking Democrat. That these figures would make such choices is beyond my understanding, presuming of course that they have the same goals as I do.

  Right now, BurtWorm, that presumption is coming under attack from my experience. It's frustrating in the extreme.

  OnEdit: I am surprised they did not all hastily gather on the steps of the Congress and sing The National Anthem as a show of solidarity.

PB

[BurtWorm]

19. It comes from living most of your life inside the Beltway.

From spending your days among no one but other people who are afraid to speak the truth for fear of having it come back to snap their asses off.

If you judge Rangel by his actions, he's basically a good man. Better than most inside that town.

[Poll_Blind]

22. Oh, I AGREE with you about Rangel- and that's why it's like a slap...

..in the face. He and Pelosi are generally "good" (whatever that ultimately means) politicians in my book. When Pat Robertson indicated that Hugo Chavez should be assassinated, WHO spoke up and rose hell about it? PELOSI! Their unified reaction against Chavez in protectin of Bush is one in a string of constant reminders to me that American politics is many things, but seldom what it seems.

PB

[QuestionAll...]

10. you forgot torture and mass corruption, but that's a nice summation.

[etherealtruth]

24. Perfect!

You'd have my vote.

[Selatius]

2. "As a believer in freedom of speech...

I would say to him that he should be allowed to have and express whatever opinions he wishes to have no matter how tasteless it may be. Without the right to say things people may not want to hear, there is no freedom of speech.

Although I believe his more inflammatory remarks could've been omitted, it generally doesn't detract from his message urging reform and the taking of responsibility for what the federal government has done and continues to do to people around the world in the name of the American people. No amount of innocent blood can be justified in the name of the people.

Let everybody hear me now when I say we cannot honestly expect to stand for freedom in distant lands when we abandon it here at home."

That is what I would say.

[bpeale]

21. WOW!

WOW! This is what I would have said. BRAVO!

[otohara]

3. Apparantly Pres. Chavez Didn't Appreciate Bush's Failed Coup

attempt back in 02. Oh that Chavez, can't take a joke.

[kenny blankenship]

11. Yeah he probably took it amiss when Bush tried to have him killed

and formed a longlasting negative impression of our President--first impressions counting for so much and all that.

If you would like people to think well of you, don't try to assassinate them, I guess is the moral of the story.

[Poll_Blind]

27. Indeed, both of you have captured a very important point which is....

...getting some airplay in these threads but not enough Amens. So, Amen! Not only that the Bush administration had a hand in it but, presuming for a moment that it did not, their quick acceptance of the coup government even as that said coup government began dissolving historic organs of the Venezuelan judicial and political system...it's despicable and, morally, demonic.

  Demonic, anyway, if you elevate Liberty and Democracy to the sphere of importance which normally only religions occupy which, generally, I do.

  God may free a heart but it is Liberty which keeps your neck free of Tyranny's Yoke.

PB

[babylonsister]

5. I wonder why they're not asking more repugs their opinions. Odd that. nt

[MissMarple]

6. What do the American people think about GWB is a more cogent question.

Chavez can't bully Americans or effectively effect our foreign policy. What Chavez thinks about George W. Bush has more meaning for his people than it does for us.

Now, when more and more of South America begins saying the same things...that could pose a problem.

[Virginia Dare]

7. Do what Felix Macaca did...

blame the victim, something along the lines of: I'm very sorry if the President was offended by Mr. Chavez's, perhaps unfortunate choice, of words. Mr. Chavez probably didn't know the meaning of "diablo", he probably just "made it up".

[Hell Hath No Fury]

8. I woudl have said this....

While I don't agree with President Chavez's remarks, we are a country where people have the right to Free Speech -- allowing someone to voice an opinion, even if it is unpopular, is what has made America strong. I am thankful I live in a country where even a visitor such as Mr. Chavez, where we ALL can have full expression of civil rights.

[Malikshah]

9. That Chavez was not being helpful. End of statement.

Simple and to the point.

Rangel and Pelosi's statements went beyond that and showed them to be politicos of the worst order.

[az chela]

12. okay what is the difference between calling bush the devil and the

middle east the axis of evil.Dont they pretty much mean the same thing ???bbut when georgie porgie says it people agree with him.
He is a dictator and as I dont know much about chavez maybe he is one too but it is like the pot calling the kettle black.
Little school yard bullies

[Malikshah]

26. there's a big ass difference

One involves a recess pissing contest, the other involves the deaths of tens of thousands.

Why the fuck does this need to be pointed out to people.

I, for one, agree w/ Chavez (no insult to the devil mind you), and feel that after all the shit Bush has tried to pull with his govt, Chavez was being nice.

[BurtWorm]

13. I like that.

Short and sweet. No opening for media fuckers to twist it into a pro-Chavez statement, or a deference to Bush.

:applause:

[Malikshah]

28. It's diplomatic speech, a tasteful as warm wallpaper paste and

about as interesting.

Other key words: unfortunate, provocative, misguided, misinformed...

[countryjake]

14. "That guy is like a thorn in our ass!"

"We'll buy his oil, hell, we'll even take if for free whenever we can get it (lord knows I ain't helpin' no poor people), but DO NOT threaten our imperialism!"

[Swamp Rat]

15. ¡Gracias Presidente Chavez!

:D

[countryjake]

20. I was hoping you'd pop up with some good El Diablo pics!

[Skidmore]

17. There are a number of really good suggestions on this thread

as to what could have been said. What should NOT have been said was what Rangel & Pelosi said.

[Joe Chi Minh]

18. Pass.

[Poll_Blind]

23. Agreed. n/t

PB

[CBGLuthier]

25. How about this

It concerns me deeply that our president's image is so poor in other countries.

[FloridaPat]

29. Nothing. No comment has worked well for year.

[Nutmegger]

30. Maybe he should have said that it was in bad taste and

address that the actions of Bush Inc has caused a rapid rise in anti-Americansim.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

31. "Bravo!" "Right on!" "Gracias!"

Alas, Charlie decided to play politician and wave the flag.

[Clarkie1]

32. Chavez is a petty populist who is not acting in the people's best interest

when he says such childish things and turns the U.N. into a primary school playground.

[countryjake]

33. Is that the official Democratic line? Voting day is almost here...

people need answers quick. If we have to accept free oil from Venezuela to heat our homes this winter, sure as hell ain't gonna cast a vote that may jeopardize this windfall! Never knew the Democrats thought of populism as petty, what a shocker!

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

34. nothing.

it's not rangel's responsibility. by acting like it is, he feeds the GOP straw man that dems and chavez are linked