Rangel: An Attack On Bush Is An Attack On All Americans

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Missileer

Missileer

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This is a statement from Representative Rangel of NYC Harlem District. This is one of the most partisan Democrats on the hill. He also was awarded the Purple Heart and Bronze Star while serving in the Korean Conflict.

http://www.drudgereport.com/

RANGEL: AN ATTACK ON BUSH IS AN ATTACK ON ALL AMERICANS... 'You do not come into my country, my congressional district, and you do not condemn my president. If there is any criticism of President Bush, it should be restricted to Americans, whether they voted for him or not. I just want to make it abundantly clear to Hugo Chavez or any other president, do not 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'...

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Just like with people messing with my brother... I can call him a :cen: but if some stranger or someone I don't like does it I'm gonna monkey stomp your ass. Same as someone who is not black calling a black person a :cen: they can do it, but if youre an outsider beware the morgue slabs are cold year round. Same as when your out with your friends/soldiers/buddies... you can call each other names but pity the bastard who you don't know coming in and trying to have a go no matter how good natured it was intended to be. Just like when two groups in a country hate each other and are in open combat and a third party tries to intervene... both parties will turn on them, once he leaves they will resume hostilities against each other. Rankel is just being American.
 
I don't care about Chavez. He's a loudmouth and everybody knows it. But the truth is he was only saying out loud what most people already think, but are polite enough to keep to themselves. The part that disturbed me the most was that some people laughed and applauded when he made those remarks. Worse, Chavez little anti-US coalition is growing to include no less than 4 South American countries, he has been welcomed by Putin, by Ahamedinejab, and various other world leaders. In short, the man is gathering an audience, far greater that our incapable leader is.

When a loudmouth bully like Chavez garners more respect and appriciation then the President of the United States, there is something seriously, seriously, wrong.

I sense more trouble coming, I doubt we have heard the last of this.
 
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Well of course Rangel doesn't think it's cool to insult the President, unless you're a Democrat... check out the last part of the statement:

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I feel that I must speak out now since the Venezuelan government has been instrumental in providing oil at discounted prices to people in low income communities who have suffered increases in rent as heating oil prices have risen sharply. By offering this benefit to people in need, Venezuela has won many friends in poor communities of New York and other states. I am surprised that American oil companies have not stepped up to provide that kind of assistance to the poor.


Venezuela’s generosity to the poor, however, should not be interpreted as license to attack President Bush. Those who take issue with Bush Administration policies have no right to attack him personally. It was not helpful when President Bush referred to certain nations as an “axis of evil.” Neither is it helpful for a head of state to use the sacred halls of the United Nations to insult President Bush.
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Wow ... Congressman Rangel, let's condemn someone for doing the same thing you're doing.
 
jen.parabellum said:
Well of course Rangel doesn't think it's cool to insult the President, unless you're a Democrat... check out the last part of the statement:



Wow ... Congressman Rangel, let's condemn someone for doing the same thing you're doing.
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Not quite certain how he did the same thing that Chavez did. I do not see him calling anyone names. He is stating it is not helpful to say these things.



MMARSH:

Chavez is garnering the appearance of respect and appreciation from like minded individuals or is that the appearance of respect and appreciation of all individuals? I think it is from like minded individuals who have a small sense of propriety and petty sense of humor. You know what I mean, the kind that lauhgs when they set a cat's tail on fire or shoot at stray dogs with a BB gun.

As for the insults, I refer you to bulldogg's post. And will add that just because people applauded and laughed at/with him or even if they jeered and ridiculed him that does not make it right to air his grievances in such a personal manner in a so called political forum. This is to discuss matters of world interest. Not a podium for him to get up there and insult another world leader like one would in a grade school playground.

I would think that being an American and French citizen you could at least empathize with the American people when their leader gets verbally attacked by a foreign dictator like Chavez. But then again perhaps not.

I refer you to this for my stance on dual citizenship in case you bring that point up.

Again, either you are American or you are Mexican. You are an American with a Mexican heritage or Mexican with an American heritage. As far as that goes I feel the same about dual citizenship for any other countries.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by WarMachine
Bush is a *%4@head, there, i don't think i've insulted america with that.

What a truly intelligent thing to say, I am in awe.

Best to keep ones mouth shut and thought a fool than to open it and remove all doubt kid.
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Have to agree there. Of course he may be one of those trolls I keep hearing about but never see. . . .
 
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It's a slap in the face to the Bush administration. "How can you let Venezuela provide oil to heat the homes of American citizens..." ... while Rangel who is not a Bush supporter by any means says that one cannot criticize the President personally because it also insults America as well. Yet many of his colleagues insult Bush at every turn and every press statement.

And Rangel said in 2005:

"George Bush is our Bull Connor"

In case you don't know who Bull Connor is ... he was a strong supporter of racial segregation. So by his own statement to Hugo Chavez, this is a personal insult to the President that should not be allowed because it insults America including himself.

You can't have it both ways.
 
jen.parabellum said:
It's a slap in the face to the Bush administration. "How can you let Venezuela provide oil to heat the homes of American citizens..." ... while Rangel who is not a Bush supporter by any means says that one cannot criticize the President personally because it also insults America as well. Yet many of his colleagues insult Bush at every turn and every press statement.

And Rangel said in 2005:

"George Bush is our Bull Connor"

In case you don't know who Bull Connor is ... he was a strong supporter of racial segregation. So by his own statement to Hugo Chavez, this is a personal insult to the President that should not be allowed because it insults America including himself.

You can't have it both ways.
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We are saying that WE (Americans) can verbalize personal insults to our own President. But outside leaders like Chavez have no right to do so in a political or public forum to air his own personal insults.

That would be like two Generals in an AO standing in front of their men and one saying the other is an incompetent moron. Wrong on all levels of decency and propriety.
 
I thought this country was created and developed along the ideals of free speech and liberty. Is GW immune to idea of "I do not agree with what you have to say but I will defend to the death your right to say it?"

Presidents have been insulted since Washington and i don't think it has had a profound affect on the nation. Some countries like us and some countries don't like us, but for people to be worried about Chavez is like being insecure over our superpower status. Chavez can't do anything to us, he has less power than castro and he's not even a dictator. I'd worry more about domestic matters than some latin american president who thinks GW isn't very good at what he's doing, a statement which 60% of americans agree with anyway.
 
Well, I'm American so I have the right to say Bush is running the country into the ground.

Which he is. Only good thing he's done are invade Afghanistan and not renew that stupid Clinton assault weapon ban.
 
WarMachine said:
I thought this country was created and developed along the ideals of free speech and liberty. Is GW immune to idea of "I do not agree with what you have to say but I will defend to the death your right to say it?"

Presidents have been insulted since Washington and i don't think it has had a profound affect on the nation. Some countries like us and some countries don't like us, but for people to be worried about Chavez is like being insecure over our superpower status. Chavez can't do anything to us, he has less power than castro and he's not even a dictator. I'd worry more about domestic matters than some latin american president who thinks GW isn't very good at what he's doing, a statement which 60% of americans agree with anyway.
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You are totally missing the point or else I am not presenting it clearly enough. I have no problems with someone disagreeing with the POTUS or anyone else for that matter.

What I do have a problem with is a world leader taking the stage and declaring that the POTUS is the Devil. This is a personal attack and has no place whatsoever in an international political forum like the UN General Assembly. It is not that he said it it is where he said it and who he said it to in full view of the world.

That is akin to me calling you a racist and wording it as a statement of fact rather than a statement of opinion. If I got up in front of the national or international community and made that kind of statement you could sue me for slander. This is not about what he said or what he called who. It is about where he said it and who he said it in front of. Don't project America's freedom of speech and tolerance for our own on to Chavez.

He doesn't rate. Also in some of his first opening statements he basically declared the UN General Assembly a defunct notion and wanted reforms.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez took his verbal battle with the United States to the floor of the UN General Assembly on Wednesday, calling US President George W. Bush "the devil."

Now the POTUS is supposed to represent the American people. You can read into it or you can turn your head. But he doesn't like the US as it is and he dang sure doesn't like President Bush. So tell me again who he insulted by basically calling the POTUS Satan?

"The devil came here yesterday," Chavez said, referring to Bush's address on Tuesday. "He came here talking as if he were the owner of the world."
The leftist leader, who has joined Iran in opposing US influence, accused Washington of "domination, exploitation and pillage of peoples of the world."
"We appeal to the people of the United States and the world to halt this threat, which is like a sword hanging over our head," he said. He also said the UN in its current system "doesn't work" and is "antidemocratic." He called for reform, saying the US government's "immoral veto" had allowed recent Israeli bombings of Lebanon to continue unabated for more than a month.

Antidemocratic? Heck the UN was founded for and by democracy!! Dunno much about the veto perhaps you or someone else can shed some light on the subject to perhaps give a little more insight into his line of thinking.

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1157913670705&pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull
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I don't think I can make myself any more clear than that.
 
Marinerhodes

You made some interesting points, let me tackle it bit by bit...

Chavez is garnering the appearance of respect and appreciation from like minded individuals or is that the appearance of respect and appreciation of all individuals? I think it is from like minded individuals who have a small sense of propriety and petty sense of humor. You know what I mean, the kind that lauhgs when they set a cat's tail on fire or shoot at stray dogs with a BB gun.

You right. But what I was driving at that I think there are more of those "like minded individuals" standing against us than with us. I didnt see who exactly applauded, but I can guess, that Russia, China, much of the Arab world, and maybe even a few European countries were involved. The point is these arn't petty little backwaters, but countries with a certain amount of power (be it political, military, or economic), and they are pretty pissed off at us. 6 years ago nobody would have dared insult the POTUS at the UN, but we have so angred people that little pissants like Chavez get away with such things. Its a very sad commentary of the state of our world image.

As for the insults, I refer you to bulldogg's post. And will add that just because people applauded and laughed at/with him or even if they jeered and ridiculed him that does not make it right to air his grievances in such a personal manner in a so called political forum. This is to discuss matters of world interest. Not a podium for him to get up there and insult another world leader like one would in a grade school playground.

I don't disagree, although I agree with Chavez assessment of our President, I don't think the UN was the place for personal attacks. This is nothing more than Chavez sticking a finger in our eye.

I would think that being an American and French citizen you could at least empathize with the American people when their leader gets verbally attacked by a foreign dictator like Chavez. But then again perhaps not.

I am a New Yorker. In the past 6 years, this president has made it a point to "stick it" to people who disagree with him (espically those in NYC). I am not talking about differences in Politics or Ideology, I am talking vicious, punative, measures he has taken against us, and all because we dared disagree with him. The French too have also been treated in this same fashion. I have never seen *ANY* president be as cruel to his own people. I don't like Chavez, he's a pissant. But having been maligned by bush on both my residency and my heritage I dont think you could really expect me to sympathize for Bush. And on that subject, I dont think most Americans really care that Chavez insulted him either. I admit I'm bias, but can you blame me? I won't applaud Chavez, but I equally refuse to defend Bush. Besides, Bush created Chavez, (tried to overthrow Chavez in 2002) let him reap what he sowed, the 2 of them deserve one another.

I refer you to this for my stance on dual citizenship in case you bring that point up.

I dont agree with that definition at all, and I'm dual-national as well. I have always been comfortable saying I was of two nations. Neither the US nor French government doesn't force me to pick one over the other, so I don't think I should have to. In my heart, I am much more American but I refuse to be forced to choose one over the other. Imagine saying to a mixed-race person, "you must choose whether your Black or White". I find the very concept rather insulting.
 
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If we can't uphold the values that are tought to kids in this country on a national level, then why even bother? The right you or I have in criticizing our government isn't even a reality for billions of people world wide.

On the matter of Chavez, i don't see how what he did was any different from when Bush calls other leaders evil according to his own beliefs, like Saddam so he could justify invading Iraq a little more.
 
Chavez is a 'bully-boy' dictator who uses the 'hobnail' boot to keep his own citizens in their place and HE calls GW the devil ... c'mon get a life.

This was propaganda pure and simple to garner support and backing from the countries who ARE members of the UN that should NEVER been allowed to become voting members.

Not one single nation has ever been turned away from the UN because of their human rights stance and non-democratically controlled governments.

These were the nations Chavez was playing to.

As far as picking on GW (you all know where I stand where he is concerned) ... but ... even I look at Chavez's rant as an attack against America and all American citizens.

The right for him to have his beliefs is not the issue, it was the platform he decided to use as the platform from which to launch a propagandist tirade that I have the biggest problem with. The UN was created with an eye for ALL governments to carry out diplomacy to ensure peace ... Not as a dictator's soapbox.
 
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