Venezuela congress grants Chavez decree powers (for 18 months)

AP on Yahoo ^ | 12/17/10 | Fabiola Sanchez - ap

[NormsRevenge]

CARACAS, Venezuela – Venezuelan lawmakers granted President Hugo Chavez broad powers Friday to enact laws by decree, undermining the clout of a new congress that takes office next month with a bigger opposition bloc.

Chavez opponents condemned the move as a power grab, saying the law will be a blank check for the leftist leader to rule without consulting lawmakers. ..

A new congress goes into session Jan. 5 with an opposition contingent large enough to hinder approval of some types of major laws. Opposition lawmakers say decree powers now give Chavez a blank check to rule autocratically while ignoring the congress.

Chavez has argued he needs decree powers to fast-track funds to help the victims of recent floods and landslides, and also to hasten Venezuela's transition to a socialist state.

[stockpirate]

Only if the great O could be granted such powers, oh wait he has been given many new pwoers by the current congress. these new powers reside in the HC law, Banking bill and others.

[SC_Pete]

Before the 18 months are up, there will be a military junta in charge. I won’t speculate on where Hugo will be.

[Christian Engineer Mass]

lol. What a fine example of leftist democracy. Using democracy to abrogate democracy!

REMEMBER YOUR HISTORY. This is why leftist parties started calling themselves "democratic". The statement was "we're not like those dictatorial leftists, no it's OK, we're democratic..."

[Snickering Hound]

This'll end well.

[crz]

OK, Who is gonna bet on what he will decree first?

[pingman]

Standing by (with popcorn).

[Brilliant]

Thank goodness Chavez respects the law and will not exercise the power of decree without a law allowing him to do so.

[snuffy smiff]

I won’t speculate on where Hugo will be.

Hopefully, and with a little luck-right where he belongs!

[a real Sheila]

Google is run by folks so liberal that he won’t even have to pay them for that. They will be willing accomplices.

[SC_Pete]

We can only hope. :)

[gandalftb]

One of the unfortunate aspects of democratic governments is that they can vote themselves out of existence. Chavez used the old “national emergency” hustle to get it done.

[SampleMan]

Oh well, as long as its just 18 months. What could go wrong?

[griswold3]

I’m sure the ‘progressives’ are taking notes for future reference.

[MrDem]

For all you Pat Roberson detractors and mockers, his 25 cent solution to this grievous, lingering sore would have cured the “problemo instantaneso”

[4rcane]

this is what the dem tried to do during the lame duck period

[FS11]

If you want to see what B. Hussein Obama’s America will be like tomorrow look at Venezuela today.

Contact your congressman, senators, County Sheriff, DA, State Legislators, Governor, and County Grand Jury Foreman and demand that they indict, prosecute, convict and imprison BO and all his local co-conspirators for TSA Sexual Assaults, Voter Fraud, Identity Theft, Illegal Foreign Campaign Contributions, Poisoning of the Gulf of Mexico, Embezzlement of Government funds etc.

http://thesteadydrip.blogspot.com/2009/06/how-to-start-and-lead-citizens-grand.html

[MeganC]

Smooth move! So, out of curiousity, when are you going to implement the enganchado cruz as your party and national flag, eh, amigo?

[Pearls Before Swine]

Venezuelan lawmakers granted President Hugo Chavez broad powers Friday to enact laws by decree, undermining the clout of a new congress that takes office next month with a bigger opposition bloc.

I bet O wishes he could have pulled this off. Too bad, he'll just be limited to Executive Orders.

[GreenLanternCorps]

"The Imperial Senate will no longer be of any concern to us. I've just received word that the Emperor has dissolved the council permanently. The last remnants of the Old Republic have been swept away."

[RicocheT]

Venezuela used to be a country in South America that had a functioning economy and much potential due to educated people, a balance between economic classes (with potential upward mobility), a good farming sector and natural resources, including oil.

Hugo Chavez got in by pandering to the poor, uneducated, landless class. He said he would soak the rich and socialism would take care of every one else.

Now, the oil, mines, large farms and electric plants hardly produce as the prior owners and managers fled or are in jail. The bosses appointed by Chavez are incompetent and corrupt. The poor still are landless, the lights in their homes lack reliable electricity and socialist rationing means food and necessaries are scarce. Chavez has become a tyrant dictator and rules without heed to anyone, including the poor who got him in. Socialism=tyranny and idiot economics.