I have not always been a big fan of Nancy Pelosi or Charlie Rangel, but I applaud them for quickly responding to Hugo Chavez’ remarks at the U.N. yesterday.  While, on the one hand, the remarks helped sell additional thousands of copies of Chomsky’s book to the fringe left, they also allowed the Democratic leaders to set the record straight.  

While neither Pelosi nor Rangel have any love for the President, they both stood on principle.  Dictators just don’t have a leg to stand on when they come to this country and call a sitting President the devil.   Chavez’ own record of repression is well known and his attempts to come to the U.S. to instill class and racial warfare are transparent.

Charlie Rangel responded to Chavez by saying,  “You don’t come into my country, you don’t come into my congressional district and criticize my president”  and  “it would be crazy to think that Americans do not feel offended.”   Thank you Mr. Rangel.

New York Governor George Pataki said  “This person has no right coming to our country to criticize our president.”  And while a year ago, Nancy Pelosi issued this statement; “President Bush must unequivocally denounce Pat Robertson’s outrageous call for the United States to assassinate the President of Venezuela,”  she today said “The manner in which he characterized the president demeaned himself and demeaned Venezuela. He fancies himself a modern day Simone Bolivar … But he is an everyday thug.”

Right on Mr. Rangel and Ms. Pelosi………..party politics aside, these were the right statements to make.