Like his mentor, Fidel Castro, Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez hates everything about the U.S. His generalized opprobrium is such a known quantity that only the quality of his enmity for different Americans is worth watching.

There is a big difference between what Chavez says about George Bush and what he says about John Kerry, a man he actually endorsed for president earlier. To Chavez, floridly raving away, President Bush is 'the largest threat to the world '  as well as some unprintable things.

Kerry on the other hand, is a joke.  The latest indicator, from one of his ministers came as an official response to Kerry's statement in Wisconsin Friday condemning Chavez's 'political persecutions.' According to El Universal:

The Venezuelan official reminded that a presidential election is taking place in the U.S. in the next few days, and "during a campaign, people always tend to try to exacerbate rhetoric. Under these circumstances, any declaration may be useful to gain some votes...."

What a curiously bloodless way to respond to a direct political attack! It's a sign of something: Chavez, like the rest of us, publicly thinks Kerry will say anything to get elected.

Not an auspicious thing to have your enemies calculating about you in the post 9/11 era.

A.M. Mora y Leon    11 1 04