A Falling-Out Among Thieves

Former BFFs Hugo Chavez and Barack Obama have just had a lovers' spat. It seems that Obama had appointed another one of his diplomatic geniuses as ambassador to Venezuela and Hugo "Boss" Chavez didn't like him. Appointee Larry Palmer is a typical Obama hack, but he also shares a trait common among all Obama State Department picks in that he has foot-in-mouth disease. Palmer suggested that the Chavez regime might be less than perfect.

In fact, Palmer's exact words were: "Morale in the Venezuelan military is low, and the Colombian rebels are easily finding refuge in Venezuela." He also suggested that there was solid information that the US Treasury Department had identified three members of Chavez's inside cadre as helping Colombian drug-terrorists by supplying them with arms and assisting in their trafficking operations. Palmer spoke truth to power, he just picked the wrong power to tell the truth to.

So Chavez said he would reject Obama's appointee. Obama said "I dare you, and if you do, I'll expel your ambassador." Chavez replied: "I double dare you." To which Obama replied: "Lookee here, I double-dog dare you." This was a very high-tone diplomatic exchange.

The official State Deparment announcement following the yanking of the two ambassadors was: "We believe it's in our national interest to have an ambassador in Caracas so that we can candidly express our views and engage with the government of Venezuela." It seems to me that doing so was Palmer's big mistake. State Department spokesman Mark Toner said: "There are tensions in the relationship, and it's precisely because of that that we feel it's important to have appropriate diplomatic relations." And where would this country be without this great nation of ours?

So the socialist-by-choice in Venezuela has told the socialist-in-denial in America that his nation will not accept any ambassador in whose presence there has been heard a discouraging word. What a shame. Just a year-and-a-half ago the two were hugging each other enthusiastically at the international socialist conference for the western hemisphere. Part of the problem is that Chavez is within inches of succeeding in eliminating all political opposition, squelching speech entirely, and ruling by diktat. So there might be some jealousy involved. Obama has been trying to do the same thing, and has failed miserably, facing a fairly hostile Republican House when Congress returns next week. And speech is still allowed in America, though most of the press are in lockstep with the left wing of the Democratic Party.

Chavez is about to succeed in passing serious restrictions on the internet, barring messages that "disrespect public authorities, incite or promote hatred or crimes, or could create anxiety in the citizenry or alter public order." Since Obama has the same goal, perhaps there is hope for change in the seeming diplomatic impasse. The two leaders could conduct some private diplomacy, instruct each other on how to squelch dissent, then give each other big hugs as they reinstate their mutual ambassadors. All Obama has to promise is that no American ambassador to Venezuela will ever again slip and tell the truth. Peace for our time.