Republicans have been frequently accused of questioning the patriotism of Democrats. I have yet to see a single such accusation confirmed by evidence, but let us concede the point because, well, it sets up my next point. The current clown prince of anti-Americanism, oogo chavez (pronounce the ch as in church), addressed the U.N. last week, and boldly proclaimed that President Bush is El Diablo. Not just a devil, mind you, but the Devil. Mr. D. Satan himself. The podium, he announced, wreaked of brimstone. Fortunately stanch Bush allies Charles Rangle and Nancy Pelosi were there to set matters straight. From CNN:
Two of President Bush's staunchest domestic critics leapt to his defense Thursday, a day after one of his fiercest foreign foes called him "the devil" in a scorching speech before the United Nations.
"You don't come into my country; you don't come into my congressional district and you don't condemn my president," Rep. Charles Rangel, D-New York, scolded Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-California, was blunt in her criticism of the Venezuelan leader. "He is an everyday thug," she said. (Watch Rangel rip Chavez -- 1:28 )
Those inclined to be cynical might suppose that Rep Rangel and Pelosi were only taking a cheap opportunity to distance themselves from Chavez and show that Democrats are in fact patriots. That was in fact what they were doing, it being no accident that Oogo arrives just short of an American election. I say though that in politics all that matters is what you say and do, not what you secretly feel and believe. Patriotism is in part a matter of instinct, and these two Democrats showed that they have not lost the right instincts. Sometimes all it takes for a quarreling family to come together is for a stranger to come into the house and criticize the least popular cousin. Rangel and Pelosi responded the way family is supposed to respond, and that's patriotism enough for me.
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