Dems Are Outraged!!!! (Eventually)After taking a day to reflect, contemplate and conduct overnight polling, the Democrats decided that they are (or, more accurately, should pretend to be) outraged at the insults their fellow Marxist, Hugo Chavez, directed at President Bush.
Popeye Pelosi called Chavez an "everyday thug."
Chuck Schumer, who's turned jumping in front of cameras into an aerobic exercise, labeled Chavez's comments as "despicable."
And Charlie Rangel, who was apparently upset that Chavez stole his act, had this warning for the Venezuelan dictator:
You don't come into my country, you don't come into my congressional district, and you don't condemn my President ... 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.Exactly! Saying grossly offensive things about our chief of state is Charlie Rangel's job, dammit. This was just another case of a foreigner stealing an American's job!
Let's cut through the donkey crap. As their delayed response suggests, these Democrats weren't bothered in the least by Chavez's speech and probably smiled a bit when they heard it. Then, no doubt, polling was conducted overnight which indicated: 1) most Americans strongly disapproved of Chavez; 2) Bush's approval rating improved as a result; and 3) the Dems' lack of response on the topic was hurting them with voters.
If Democrats were legitimately angry at Chavez, they would have more to offer than feigning outrage. They would propose consequences for Chavez's behavior, such as promoting
a nationwide boycott of CITGO -- the company which organized the Chavez rally in Harlem and is the face of the Venezuelan government's oil monopoly.
But don't hold your breath; Democrats would never organize such a CITGO boycott. In fact, some of the Democrats' kindred spirits are doing just the opposite: urging consumers to buy CITGO gas as
a show of support for Hugo Chavez. (Tip of the hat to
The Buzz Blog.)
