It started about a week ago — CNN opened the firing shot against Venezuela's brutal dictator in an expose on his manipulation of oil prices on the Lou Dobbs show. That was enough to upset Hugo Chavez's press acolytes, who whined about it here,  upset in particular about CNN's straightforward reference to Chavez as a 'strongman.' Fox News returned fire last Friday, with Brit Hume's Grapevine show reporting Hugo Chavez's filthy televised talk show about having sex with distinguished US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

Last night, CNN had another detailed item on Chavez's efforts to ship oil via Iran to China — a very hot issue already well reported by bloggers Alek Boyd,  Miguel Octavio,  and the Financial Times. Word is that Shepard Smith on Fox News Channel is to feature a segment on Chavez at 7 PM Eastern tonight.
 
A source told us that the new attitude in television coverage was prompted by Dr. Rice's lead. Secretary Rice at her confirmation hearings warned the Venezuelan dictator was a 'negative force' in the region. "That caught (television's) attention — (they were) surprised by it and are looking closer."
 
Dr. Rice stood up to tyranny, and the news media noticed, shifting coverage. That's the moral power of this administration and it's making an impact even before Dr. Rice takes office.
 
Thank you, Dr. Rice.
 
A.M. Mora y Leon 02 01 05