American Thinker has long noted that many leading Democrats seem to have a special warm spot for Hugo Chavez, the increasingly dictatorial President of Venezuala.

He is a supporter of the FARC terrorist group operating inside our ally Colombia's territory. He is a fomenter of radicalism throughout South America, a partner and good friend of the Iranian regime. In short, he is an anti-American tyrant who lately has been trying to impose Nazi-like police powers in Venezuala.

He has had a high-level summit meeting with the Holocaust-denying, Holocuast-planning Presdient of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad . Just this past week, government officials have been linked to Hezbollah-helping to fund the terror group and giving its members safe haven. 
 
Even the New York Times has taken note of the increasing dictatorial powers that Chavez is grasping for ("Chavez Seizes Great Economic Power," "Chavez Decree Tightens Hold on Intelligence" ). Despite these reaches for power, certain leading Democrats seem to have no problem with Chavez.  

From an earlier American Thinker article : 

 

Ex-president Carter helped him secure his position by certifying election results that others have cast doubt upon.

In 2002, 16 Democratic Congressmen, including senior Judiciary Committee member John Conyers of Michigan, voiced their support for Chavez when they sent a letter to President Bush complaining that America was not protecting Chavez from internal opposition to his authoritarian and increasingly erratic rule.

In that same year, Representative William Delahunt of Massachusetts established a 'Venezuelan Caucus' to show 'friendship to President Chavez'.

More recently, Congressman Edward Markey (also of Massachusetts) joined with Delahunt to accept cheap heating oil for their constituents from Chavez under a program Chavez rolled out to curry favor with certain Congressmen in America. The program, awkwardly called 'From the Venezuelan Hearts to the US hearths', has several political aims.  It is geared towards minority communities in America as a way to garner support for Chavez among these groups. By doling out oil at a 40% discount in liberal congressional districts and allowing the incumbent representatives to take credit for it, Chavez is hoping to influence the makeup and policies of Congress and place these Congressmen in his debt. 

This same discount oil has lured a Kennedy, ex-Congressman Joseph P. Kennedy III (also of Massachusetts), to hook up with Hugo. Chavez supplies discount oil for Kennedy to run through his Citizens Energy Corporation. Jose Serrano (D-NY) is also a Representative who will benefit as his constituents receive this discount oil. While Chavez's most recent rantings and ravings at the United Nations brought forth some expressions of disapproval from some Democrats (Congresswoman Pelosi and Congressman Rangel), others like Delahunt downplayed it, and Iowa's Senator Harkin actually supported Chavez.