by Matthew Hay Brown
Quick: Of which major South American country is Hugo Chávez president?
If you answered "Venezuela," the score is now You 1, Dick Cheney 0.
Asked today how concerned he was about the influence of the Bush-baiting Bolivarian, the vice president appeared to install Chávez as the leader of Peru.
Or perhaps he was trying to show how little he cared.
"We have refrained from making public pronouncements about Mr. Chavez – I think, for good and legitimate reasons," Cheney said today during an appearance before the World Affairs Council of Dallas. "He’s a – obviously, an individual with his own agenda. And he spends a great deal of his time worrying about us and criticizing the United States.
"My own personal view is that he does not represent the future of Latin America. And the people of Peru, I think, deserve better in their leadership. But that’s obviously a matter they’ve got to resolve for themselves."
For the record, the people of Peru have resolved that they deserve Alan García in their leadership. They elected García president last year in part out of fear that rival Ollanta Humala, the choice backed by Chávez, would turn the country into a Venezuelan satellite. Chávez has been president of Venezuela since 1999.
President Bush met with the actual president of Peru, Alan Garcia, in October 2006, at the White House. Photo by Eric Draper of the White House staff.
Earlier, the vice president had allowed the Dallas audience a glimpse of his map of the world. Asked why the United States calls China and Russia allies when they oppose U.S. efforts in Iran and Iraq, he said he would reserve the word for such traditional friends as NATO partners Britain, Germany, Italy and Poland.
"I define those as allies," he said. "We’re committed to come to one another’s cause in the event any of us should be attacked.
"And when I look at the situation with respect to China and Russia, I would use a different term, in terms of describing those relationships. I don’t believe they’re allies in the traditional sense. I also don’t believe they’re enemies in the traditional sense."
"We’re at a state with respect to both nations where we have very important relationships, where it’s important those relationships be well managed, going forward."
The challenge ahead, he said, is that the United States does "everything we can to see to it that those relationships work out to our national interest.
"And part of that test, obviously, is whether or not they’re willing to step up and be counted in the effort to get Iran to give up its aspirations to be able to enrich uranium to produce nuclear weapons."
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Comments
Nice 'high tides' boys.
That woulda' got your @$$ kicked where I went to school.
Posted by: C.Morris | November 2, 2007 5:54 PM
""We have refrained from making public pronouncements about Mr. Chavez – I think, for good and legitimate reasons," Cheney said today during an appearance before the World Affairs Council of Dallas. "
Most Americans wouldn't know Chavez from Lar Daly.
Chavez is the cut out for all seasons, and Gunner knows it, esp. in Dallas, TX.
Posted by: C.Morris | November 2, 2007 6:02 PM
The "face" of the Republican Party:
http://s86.photobucket.com/albums/k88/Duke_S/?action=view¤t=Dick_Cheney_200.jpg
Posted by: John E | November 2, 2007 6:41 PM
Poor Peru. They're going to get bombed in a case of mistaken identity.
Posted by: AJF | November 2, 2007 7:11 PM
OK, Mr Matthew Hay Brown, name the President of England.
(Dont look it up, dont ask your fellow Loony Lefty Lib "retorters"!)
Now you know why you are "retorter" and why Mr. Cheney is a heartbeat away from the presidency.
Posted by: Smirky McFlightsuit | November 2, 2007 7:18 PM
Alternate caption:
"All those South Americans look the same to me, Yuk, Yuk"
Posted by: dt | November 2, 2007 7:20 PM
Hey Dubbya!
Give him the 'OK' hand signal!
Posted by: C.Morris | November 2, 2007 8:26 PM
Should Congress impeach Dick Cheney? ----> http://www.youpolls.com/details.asp?pid=866
.
Posted by: PollM | November 2, 2007 8:41 PM
Poor Peru. They're going to get bombed in a case of mistaken identity.
Posted by: AJF | November 2, 2007 7:11 PM
Very funny!!!
Posted by: An Inconvenient Truth | November 2, 2007 8:58 PM
Does anyone really listen to Cheney the ventriloquist anymore? He's probably surprised that betrayal of his ignorance was caught. Between he and our esteemed and exulted George the 2, the word smiths have their hands full.
Posted by: GW | November 2, 2007 8:58 PM
What do you expect, quoting another former vice-president
"We all know the leopard can't change his stripes. "
Posted by: Terry | November 2, 2007 9:26 PM
If they don't have Republicans or people who are giving money to Republicans, who CARES which of those third-world countries Chavez is from? All those people look alike anyway, don't they, Dick?
Posted by: Op109 | November 2, 2007 9:34 PM
With all the other dumb things this vp has done to screw-up this country, this incident only solidifies him as being one of the worst there ever was.
Posted by: RomanB | November 3, 2007 1:32 AM
You say Venezuela, I say Peru. What difference does it make as long as we bomb somebody?
Posted by: Dick | November 3, 2007 3:10 AM
All of this talk about Iran and it's nuclear endevors, is being exploited by the Bush administration so people get so scared they would not pay attention to the catastrophie that is Iraq; Also all of this also creates a climate of uncertanty where the price of oil just keeps going up and this is what the Bush administration really wants to maximise profit for the oil industry.
Posted by: Humberto Benavides | November 3, 2007 4:53 AM
President of England? Ha ha ha... What's funny about your question is that it reveals more ignorance on your part than you think:
1) England is not a country in it's own right, it is a part of Great Britain
2) Great Britain has a parlimentary form of government and therefor does not even have a president
3) Gordon Brown is the current Prime Minister (look up the term if you don't know what that means)
3)
But back to Chavez. The fact that he is a major counterweight to the US in our backyard means that he should know off the top of his head who he is. Mistaking Chavez with Peru would be like mistaking Ahmedinejad (sp?) with Afghanistan. Chavez is a brilliant, but crazy politician who is continuously baiting the US and with his OPEC power and resources is fueling his "Bolivarian Revolution" with our $$$.
Read a map once in a while, Smirky. The fact that the average American can't name these things off the top of his/her head doesn't excuse the VP, whose JOB it is to know these things.
I mean, hell, why don't we also Cheney for unilaterally mismanaging the war with his other neo cons. Oh wait, it looks like we already have.
Posted by: Pilsen Dave | November 3, 2007 6:50 AM
Smirky:
England doesn't have a President. I'd accuse you of trying to plant a trick question, but that would imply that intelligent thought was behind your idiotic post.
Posted by: a blinkin | November 3, 2007 9:43 AM
president cheney is an idiot- like his assistant earboy.
Posted by: rncbs | November 3, 2007 6:12 PM
Peru certainly deserves a better leader, but better than Chavez it doesn't get. Plus, he's not their man, though I'm sure a lot of Peruvians wish he were. They should have voted for Ollanta Humala when they had the chance. Instead they got a notoriously unstable blast from the past--one who ruined them financially and is bidding fair to do so again. Of course, Washington loves him because he bashes communists (real or imaginary, it doesn't matter).
BTW, Smirky: The Big Dick is one stolen election away from the White House--same as his puppet. Get it straight and don't embarrass the British.
Posted by: Bina | November 4, 2007 1:16 AM
Chavez is a brilliant, but crazy politician who is continuously baiting the US and with his OPEC power and resources is fueling his "Bolivarian Revolution" with our $$$.I thought he was fueling his revolution with Venezuela's oil ?
Posted by: ZapPow | November 4, 2007 6:02 PM
"1) England is not a country in it's own right, it is a part of Great Britain"
Smirkey, you're spot on in every other respect, except the this. England IS a sovereign country in it's own right, as is Scotland and Wales (Northern Ireland is a bit more complicated).
But, you're right. There is no Prime Minister, or even President, of England. Gordon Brown is the Prime Minister of Great Britain, who all vote in the UK Parliamentary general election every 4 or 5 years.
Posted by: Northern Uproar | November 4, 2007 7:26 PM
I thought he was fueling his revolution with Venezuela's oil ?
Posted by: ZapPow | November 4, 2007 6:02 PM
ZapPow: Yes, you're right. He's fueling "his" revolution with Venezuela's oil. But, you know what "his" revolution is? "His" revolution is make poverty history, and provide education and free health services to EVERYONE in the country. I think that deserves a bit of Venezuela's money, doesn't it?
Posted by: Venezolano | November 4, 2007 8:16 PM
This just shows how ignorant our politians are!!! I bet they cant even locate the US in a world map!
Posted by: bla | November 5, 2007 7:34 AM
Posted by: Venezolano | November 4, 2007 8:16 PM
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A noble goal, hermano. And yes, I can't see a better use of Venezuela's riches.
I was just answering to the guy writing that Chavez was fueling his revolution with our dollars.
Posted by: ZapPow | November 5, 2007 10:21 AM
So now Cheney proves that he's just as geographically challenged as Geographically Challenged Dumb Dumb Little Johnnie D, "the Joseph Stalin of Streamwood".
No surprise there.
Posted by: BC | November 5, 2007 12:25 PM
*giggles*
Posted by: peruvian | November 6, 2007 10:51 PM