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Originally Posted by spunkmaster
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - One of President George W. Bush's fiercest political opponents at home took his side on Thursday, calling Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez a "thug" for his remark that Bush is like the devil.
"Hugo Chavez fancies himself a modern day Simon Bolivar but all he is an everyday thug," House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi said at a news conference, referring to Chavez' comments in a U.N. General Assembly speech on Wednesday.
"Hugo Chavez abused the privilege that he had, speaking at the United Nations," said Pelosi, a frequent Bush critic. "He demeaned himself and he demeaned Venezuela."
Simon Bolivar led the fight for independence against Spanish rule in several South American countries in the early 19th century and is cited by Chavez as a political model.
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Interesting quote coming from a US politician - they are usually the first to trot out the "labelling" and assumptions about other people - who often don't even live in the country where they were elected.
This was the same country (the US) who invaded Latin America with a view to annexing it to the US for cheap labor - exactly the model Simon Bolivar tried to stop in earlier times.
From the efforts of Bolivar and others came some of the oldest democracies in the world. Perhaps Nancy Pelosi can take a lesson from history - a subject that seems to be hard to learn when in political positions in the US.
It may also be helpful to look inwards and examine what represents "thuggery" in an international scenario before offering stupid comments.
PS Ironic the cheap labor that was sought a few centuries ago is now a source of concern.