Venezuela: Kerry's Done It Again! - Democratic Underground

kalian

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Tue Jun-01-04 04:31 PM
Original message

Venezuela: Kerry's Done It Again!

Edited on Tue Jun-01-04 04:40 PM by kalian

http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/articles.php?artno=1186

Dear Candidate Kerry:
Political campaigns are difficult. The upcoming 2004 presidential elections in the United States are critical for the Democratic Party. Those opposed to the war in Iraq and the interventionist foreign policy of the Bush administration consider Bush's removal from power as a matter of life and death, literally. Progressives, liberals, democrats and moderates have rallied around campaigns to ensure President Bush does not return to the White House for a second term. Conscious citizens are well aware that a cross section of voters needs to support one candidate to oppose Bush in a unified manner, to avoid the disaster of the 2000 elections, which resulted from a divide in constituents seeking a true alternative to the US political landscape.
Mr. Kerry, the Democratic National Convention has not taken place and you have not yet been selected as the Democratic Candidate for the 2004 presidential elections. Of course, you are the frontrunner, but you, more than most, understand the nature of politics and are well aware that things can change dramatically at the drop of a hat. After your first Statement on Venezuela a couple of months ago, I pondered over the reasons behind such blatant inaccuracies and political pandering. Many came to your defense claiming it was your advisors, not you, who had written and made public the statement. Then, I watched you on the Univisión channel, to my horror, claiming that President Chávez of Venezuela was on the path to becoming a dictator. After that interview on Univisión, it became clear that you truly felt (as true as politicians can feel) that President Chávez's view of democracy was different than yours.
Even so, your statements were written off as mere dirty campaign politics. For some reason, you think that making extreme statements against President Chávez and taking sides in Venezuela's polarized politics will garner you votes from the anti-Chávez and anti-Castro community in South Florida. At the same time, it is difficult to believe that you could be so naive as to truly think that Jeb Bush's state would go to you if you make it to the 2004 elections.
So, where does that leave your position on Venezuela? Your recent statement on the Referendum Process in Venezuela (May 27, 2004) is a true eye-opener. Mr. Kerry, you have successfully aligned yourself with the stance of the Bush Administration with respect to Venezuela and foreign policy in general. Not only do you once again expose your clear lack of knowledge of Venezuela's politics, Constitution and history, but you make such inaccurate statements and judgments that your capacity as a potential head of state is undermined. The only answer to why you would make such outrageous claims as stating that President Chávez has "undermined the constitution and used his Bolivarian Circles to repress peaceful dissent?" is that you care nothing about Venezuela and have chosen to use it as a stepping-stone to the presidency. You obviously believe that by berating the Bush Administration for not being tougher on Chávez, you will appear as a true democrat, a crusader for democracy. While chastising the Bush Administration for its messy war in Iraq, you attempt to use Venezuela to evidence some sort of "double standard" it has been playing.

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Scathing...

On edit: link added...