Chavez Catches Hell For 'Devil' Speech

Democrats Take A Break From Criticizing President Bush To Defend Him

(CBS)  It’s rare to hear Congressional Democrats coming to the rescue of President George W. Bush. But a day after Venezuela's president called Mr. Bush a "devil" in front of the United Nations General Assembly, several prominent Bush critics are siding with the White House.

Rep. Charles Rangel – the Democrat who represents the New York City neighborhood that Hugo Chavez visited Thursday – took a swipe at the Venezuelan President for his behavior at the U.N.

Rangel said he wants to make it clear to the Venezuelan President that his comments on Wednesday were inappropriate and the American people are offended by his criticism of President Bush.

"I just want to make it abundantly clear to Hugo Chavez or any other president - don't come to the United States and think because we have problems with our president that any foreigner can come to our country and not think that Americans do not feel offended when you offend our Chief of State," Rangel said.

"Any demeaning public attack against him is viewed by Republicans and Democrats, and all Americans, as an attack on all of us," Rangel said.

House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, who spent most of the day criticizing the Bush administration's economic and environmental policies, told reporters that Chavez's performance at the U.N. "demeaned" himself and the his nation.

"He fancies himself as a modern day Simon Bolivar, but all he is an everyday thug," Pelosi said.

Speaking before the General Assembly's annual meeting of world leaders on Wednesday, Chavez called Mr. Bush the "devil" and even said the podium that the President had used still smelled of "sulfur."

Chavez received applause from the audience at the U.N. in New York after his remarks. Mr. Bush was not in the room at the time having already returned to Washington, D.C. after making his own speech to the General Assembly.

This isn't the first time Chaves has taken verbal jabs at President Bush. In a past appearance, Chavez said, "George W. Bush: You are a donkey, Mr. Bush."

But none of his previous comments have been on as large a stage as the United Nations.

Mr. Bush's predecessor, Bill Clinton, added his voice to chorus of Democrats condemning Chavez.

"I think Chavez would be much more effective if he would say something that's true," Mr. Clinton said on CNN. "You know, to me, that would be a much cleverer thing for him to do, where he'd really be doing something good, and he could say, 'I disagree with President Bush,' instead of calling him the devil."

Republicans on Capitol Hill got in on the act, too.

House Majority Leader John Boehner released a statement bashing Chavez.

"Hugo Chavez is little more than a power-hungry autocrat on an anti-American public relations tour -- a showboat whose speech to the United Nations was an embarrassment and an insult to the American people," the Ohio Republican said.

The White House so far has refused to fire back at the Venezuelan leader.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Chavez's comment "is not becoming a head of state."

U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. John Bolton said the remarks "don't warrant a response."

Bolton did add that, while Chavez has the right to express his opinion, it was "too bad the people of Venezuela don't have free speech."

CBS News reporter Charles Wolfson, who covers the State Department, says the Venezuelan's comments are not that big a deal.

Every leader gets his or her fifteen minutes in the spotlight – most use their time for standard policy statements which concern their countries, Wolfson reports. But there are always a few leaders who simply feel, either for nationalistic or individual pride, the urge to use their time to provoke, to use the U.N. podium as their personal platform to see and be seen as an actor on the world stage.

But, CBS News Foreign Affairs Analyst Pamela Falk says Chavez could be setting himself up to be the chief thorn in America's side.

"Venezuela's Hugo Chavez is rapidly becoming the new Fidel Castro, but with petro-dollars, at the U.N.," said Falk, "and as a candidate for a non-permanent seat on the Security Council in October, his anti-Bush comments are making him increasingly popular with member states in his campaign for that position."

Chavez's personal criticisms of the American president were not slowed by the American officials' chidings. During his Thursday appearance in Harlem, he called Mr. Bush an "alcoholic and a sick man."

Venezuela's president had just promised to double the amount of discounted heating oil his country is shipping to needy Americans when he fired the latest salvo.

"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," said Rangel, adding that it was also "not helpful when President Bush referred to certain nations as an 'axis of evil'."

[mh4cbs1]

Thanks you Chavez! He called it like it is, and it drives Bush and the corproate media nuts! Of course NOTHING is reported about the substance of Chavez statements, the legitimate complaints over the decades of US exploitation, CIA supported coups, US finaced death squads.
Finally a Chavez comes along, gets elected by a huge margin (more popular than Bush!), and the media can only trivialize and marginalize him.
Does the media forget? It was Bush who LIED his way to his unproovoked invasion of Iraq - costing $300 Billion (so far), thousands of innocent lives, and making us less safe than ever. But Bush is all about FEAR, HATE, LIES and endless WAR. This keeps him in power and profits the super wealthy - his true base.If you love America, you should fear Bush, not Chavez.

RichGarcia2 wrote:

"You can tell Hugo Chavez is just a big liar to stand up there and make the sign of the cross when he is useing all his country oil money to buy weapons"

Bush claims to be religious and uses American Tax Payers dollars that could be spent on improving the lives of millions of Americans to by weapons, so by your definition, that makes Bush "just a big liar" as well.

Do you understand the concept of irony? I bet you don't.

Bush once claimed "I think they pray to a false God, otherwise they wouldn't be killing %u2026 like they have been."

How many people do you think Bush is responsible for killing?

No man of god would do what Bush does.

[richgarcia2]

You can tell Hugo Chavez is just a big liar to stand up there and make the sign of the cross when he is useing all his country oil money to buy weapons,His goal is to take over all of south america If I were the president of the U.S. today I would say lets go kick his *** and take his gas, better to do it now it would be a lot easier we are going to have to do it later when he already has the weapons..Mr. Richard Garcia

LesB35, Venezuela has always had a high crime rate, which has largely been attributed to a huge gap between the rich and the poor and an ineffective and corrupt police force.

This was the case before Chavez even became President.

Having said that, crime, especially violent crime, has increased in the past few years.

To combat this, Chavez has introduced a number of reforms, including socio-economic reforms, as well as police reforms.

Whether these reforms work or not, only time will tell. Hopefully they will.

As part of his reforms, Chavez has been distributing much of the oil wealth into social programs and "missions" aimed at helping the poor.

Some of the "missions" include:

- providing free medical clinics for the poor
- increasing literacy (especially for adults)
- food and housing subsidies

If only Bush did this for the poor.

[lesb35]

MCdazz,I wasn't defending Bush. I was curious why you were defending Chavez. I've heard a very different story from Venezuelans. I hear that crime has become rapant and he has taken money from anyone that owned anything. The biggest question is what is he doing with all that oil money. Is it being used to feed his people.

drgoodwin12 wrote:

http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2006/9/20/123752.shtml?s=rss

"I do not agree 100% with Chavez but he has some points."

Chavez certainly makes some excellent points about the UN and it's failings.

The shortened version is below:

1. Expansion - giving other countries access as new permanent members.
2. Effective methods to address and resolve world conflicts and transparent decisions.
3. The immediate suppression of the "anti-democratic" mechanism known as the veto.
4. Strengthen the role and powers of the Secretary General of the UN.

I don't think there are too many people - Republican, Democrat or other, that would disagree that the UN needs to be re-established or restructured.

[drgoodwin12]

Here is the link to the complete statement by Chavez.http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2006/9/20/123752.shtml?s=rss Now with tax breaks for U.S. corporations to move overseas where they pay the workers less than the equivalent of minimum wage(U.S.) and not enough to buy the products they are manufacturing. Chavez has a point.And remember Bush called Saddam Hitler prior to the invasion.I do not agree 100% with Chavez but he has some points.

LesB35,

Perhaps you could explain to me what kind of a man GW Bush is.

I could use a good laugh.

LesB35 wrote:

"Really, why don't you share with us what kind of a man he is?"

Chavez is a man who is seeking to create a better life for all Venezuelans - something that Bush should be trying to do for ALL Americans.

Chavez has introduced a range of policies that were sadly lacking due to the previous Venezuelan Gov, which actively sought to keep the poor uneducated and oppressed.

Of course, Bush would have you think that Chavez is an evil man, who doesn't have the support of the majority of Venezuelans - another Bush lie.

There is a reason why Chavez is popular with this people - it's because he cares about them.

It's also why Bush and Co need to demonize Chavez.

Anyway, here's a few reasons why Chavez is more of a man then Bush.

Chavez: Graduated from the Venezuelan Academy of Military Sciences with the rank of sub-lieutenant (left with the rank of lieutenant colonel).
Bush: Skipped Office Candidate School, but received a "special" commission as 2nd lieutenant - the best money could buy.

Chavez: Served his country without dodging his military service.
Bush: Dodged his military service while trying NOT to serve his country.

Chavez: First foreign leader to offer aid to those affected by Hurricane Katrina.
Bush: Refused Chavez's aid offer and then failed miserably in helping those affected by Hurricane Katrina.

[lesb35]

Really, why don't you share with us what kind of a man he is?