It doesn't get worse than when some ignoramus from U.S. Congress steps in to defend an indefensible government, undermining its oppressed people. In an letter addressed to the Washington Post,  Senator Chris Dodd blithely defends Chavez's regime on the premise that Venezuela is a democracy, like other democracies. Dodd says the only problem with the state of US.—Venezuelan relations is Bush, whose dislike of Chavez is a matter of ideology.

So, Dodd, if Bush were just ... nicer ... and ignored Venezuela's gag law, its attacks on reporters, its land confiscations, its electoral fraud, its judicial stacking, its Cuban agents, its prosecution of NGOs who took cash from Dodd's own Democratic—Party—owned National Democratic Institute via NED, its abuse of oil workers, its guerrillas in the midst — and a slew of other outrages — Chavez would respond in kind and stop speculating about sex with United States Secretary of State Dr. Condoleezza Rice?

My response to that is unprintable.

Bush gets along just fine with people on the left who are democrats — Blair, Lula, Lagos, Gutierrez — even Bill Clinton for crying out loud! But that inconvenient fact is invisible to Senator Christopher Dodd, who berates the Washington Post for its superb editorial.

I'm looking for signs of a payoff in his case. Dodd's action makes no sense unless he's just stupid, ad I don't think he's just stupid.

Here is a Venezuelan reaction  to the guy's sanctimonious defense of tyranny, and here is my own take.  The three—word to you, Senator Dodd.