[Cincinatus' Wife]

True, there were reports that Chavez resigned, but this was definitely not a peaceful transfer of power - it was a coup. Bush should tell the world "Look, democracy is good, but only if property rights are respected." I don't think he (or anyone else) has the balls to do that.

Bush and his administration said that many times, publicly and from reports, privately. When they got word he'd resigned under pressure from his top military, who'd been ordered by Chavez to shoot opposition Venezuelans peacefully holding a march, it was obivious to anyone who believes in constitutional order, that Hugo Chavez had departed from democracy and Bush had "the balls" to say Chavez was the architect and instigator of his own downfall.

[billybudd]

All I saw was Ari Fleischer's press conference and he was more evasive than a frightened matador. Of course, implicitly, he was giving off the impression that Bush was happy about the whole affair. But I'm fairly confident Bush didn't send any message such as "A benevolent dictatorship that respects property rights is preferable to a democracy that doesn't", or we'd have heard about it. If you can find me a quote that approaches that, I'd like to look at it.