The Chávez Democrats

[Omaha Steve]

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120510610822923099.html?mod=opinion_main_review_and_outlooks

The Chávez Democrats
March 10, 2008; Page A14

What is it about Democrats and Hugo Chávez? Even as the Venezuelan strongman was threatening war last week against Colombia, Congress was threatening to hand him a huge strategic victory by spurning Colombia's free trade overtures to the U.S.

This isn't the first time Democrats have come to Mr. Chávez's aid, but it would be the most destructive. The Venezuelan is engaged in a high-stakes competition over the political and economic direction of Latin America. He wants the region to follow his path of ever greater state control of the economy, while assisting U.S. enemies wherever he can. He's already won converts in Bolivia and Ecuador, and he came far too close for American comfort in Mexico's election last year.

Meanwhile, Colombian President Álvaro Uribe is embracing greater economic and political freedom. He has bravely assisted the U.S fight against narco-traffickers, and he now wants to link his country more closely to America with a free-trade accord. As a strategic matter, to reject Colombia's offer now would tell everyone in Latin America that it is far more dangerous to trust America than it is to trash it.



Yet Democrats on Capitol Hill are doing their best to help Mr. Chávez prevail against Mr. Uribe. Even as Mr. Chávez was doing his war dance, Senate Finance Chairman Max Baucus was warning the White House not to send the Colombia deal to the Hill for a vote without the permission of Democratic leaders. He was seconded by Ways and Means Chairman Charlie Rangel, who told Congress Daily that "they don't have the votes for it, it's not going to come on the floor," adding that "what they don't understand it's not the facts on the ground, it's the politics that's in the air."

Mr. Rangel is right about the politics. No matter what U.S. strategic interests may be in Colombia, this is an election year in America. And Democrats don't want to upset their union and anti-trade allies. The problem is that the time available to pass anything this year is growing short. The closer the election gets, the more leverage protectionists have to run out the clock on the Bush Presidency. The deal has the support of a bipartisan majority in the Senate, and probably also in the House. Sooner or later the White House will have to force the issue.

FULL story at link.

[Ned_Devine]

1. He's a revolutionary a la Che Gueverra...and that's...

...what scares the US the most. He wants an economically independant South America. No more IMF states, or World Bank owned nations.

[noamnety]

2. This sentence should be a clue

"He has bravely assisted the U.S fight against narco-traffickers, and he now wants to link his country more closely to America with a free-trade accord."

I have a good friend who did "counter-narcotics" in Latin America. He said that was the official mission. The real mission had absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with counter-narcotics. We make up cover stories, we tell them to the public, it ain't got nothing to do with what we're really up to.

As for wanting to link more closely to the US with the free-trade accord, how's that worked out for the people who've been there, done that? How's it worked out for their indigenous people?

I wouldn't trust any Latin America leader who says the best thing for their country is to sell it to the US corporations, piece by piece. My two cents.

[Ned_Devine]

4. Exactly! That's what stuck out with me as well

...Like El Salvador just before Reagan took office

[provis99]

3. The WSJ looks more and more like the Washington Times

They should put a big "Fair and Balanced" on their front page, so we know they're about as honest as Fox News is. I've never seen a MSM article full of more weasel words than this piece of crap.

[Omaha Steve]

5. Nice to see new faces

Stop by anytime.