Jesse Rides Again!

Just when I think there is no stunt that Jesse Jackson could pull that would surprise me, he takes it up a notch and manages to amaze.

THE GUY WENT TO VENEZUELA TO SHOW SUPPORT FOR HUGO CHAVEZ!

Jackson addressed the Venezuelan National Assembly on Sunday. What is Jackson doing???

The BBC calls Jackson's visit a "propaganda coup" for Chavez.Rev Jackson urged US authorities to take action against Mr Robertson's statements.

"We must choose a civilized policy of rational conversation," he told reporters during his three-day visit to speak at a ceremony.

Rev Jackson later met and shook hands with Mr Chavez during the Venezuelan leader's weekly radio and television programme, the Associated Press reports.

Mr Jackson's visit is a propaganda coup for the Venezuelan president, says the BBC's Justin Webb in Caracas.

Mr Chavez is likely to use the reverend's presence to demand that the White House apologise for Mr Robertson's remarks, our correspondent adds.

I still contend that the White House is not responsible for Robertson's stupid comments.

Donald Rumsfeld or Condoleezza Rice didn't recommend that Chavez be assassinated. The administration has made it clear that political assassination is against the law and is not U.S. policy.

Why should the White House apologize for something as ludicrous as Robertson's statements?

The administration has repeatedly made its position known. Case closed, right?

Wrong.

So, why is Jackson down in Venezuela acting as if he's an American government official and brokering an accord between the countries?

The way I see it--Jesse Jackson is addicted to media attention, much like John McCain. It's a sickness.

No doubt, Jackson was desperate for some press. He probably figured that if he went down to Crawford, Cindy Sheehan would overshadow him, so that was crossed off his list. Venezuela was open. Yeah, that's the ticket. Next thing you know, Jackson is addressing the Venezuelan National Assembly, useful idiot-style.

Unbelievable.

Naturally, Aljazeera picked up on this story.

Addressing the Venezuelan National Assembly on Sunday, Jackson called for the US Justice Department to investigate the statement by famous evangelist Pat Robertson, who last Monday said of Chavez: "I don't know about this doctrine of assassination, but if he thinks we're trying to assassinate him, I think that we really ought to go ahead and do it."

Jackson, on a three-day visit to Venezuela to meet Chavez, politicians and community leaders, also called on US President George Bush to express "a swift rejection" of Robertson's statement.

"It must be unequivocally clear that such a heinous act is not desirable nor designed nor planned. We must use power to reduce tensions, reduce the rhetoric of our threats," Jackson said.

"It was such a repugnant, immoral, illegal statement," he said.

...US officials last week distanced themselves from Robertson's comments.

This is completely insane!

Robertson is a fool. Not surprisingly, he said something ridiculous.

He is not a member of the Bush administration. He is not an elected official. He does not make U.S. policy. He's the host of the 700 Club.

An appropriate reaction would be for his sponsors to pull their ads, resulting in the cancellation of the program. Robertson would lose his forum.

What does Jackson expect to accomplish by going to Venezuela and talking to Chavez? I guess he didn't think that organizing one of his trademark boycotts would get noticed in this summer of Cindy.

This is just another in a line of recent non-scandal scandals, created by the media, special interest groups, and PR firms.

Robertson is accountable for his words. The Bush administration is not responsible for what Robertson says.

The liberal media once again expose the double standard they employ.

For example, at the time of Bill Clinton's "troubles," Alec Balwin made some incredibly reckless remarks. During a 1998 appearance on Late Night with Conan O'Brien, Baldwin said that House Judiciary Committee Chairman Henry Hyde should be stoned to death and his family killed.

Baldwin ranted:
"If we were living in another country, what we, all of us together, would go down to Washington and stone Henry Hyde to death, stone him to death, stone him to death! Then we would go to their house and we'd kill the family, kill the children."

I don't recall Jackson demanding that the Clinton administration apologize for Baldwin's "repugnant, immoral, illegal statement."

It's absolutely crazy for Jackson to be supporting Fidel Castro's buddy, Hugo Chavez. It's even crazier for him to suggest that the U.S. Justice Department should investigate Robertson's comments.

I have an idea. Jesse Jackson and Jimmy Carter should plan a trip together--Dictator Tour '05. They could join forces to undermine the Bush administration.