Bush takes jab at Chavez

Well, a small one at that. Here is what he said: Eyeing three upcoming presidential elections in Latin America, Bush said citizens must choose "between two competing visions" for their future. One, he said, pursues representative government, integration into the world community and freedom's transformative power for individuals. "The other seeks to roll back the democratic progress of the past two decades by playing to fear, pitting neighbor against neighbor and blaming others for their own failures to provide for the people," he said. "We must make tough decisions today to ensure a better tomorrow." True. Not bad. A little passive-agressive for my taste, but then again I call Chavez Crazy. And he is crazy, but not as crazy as his supporters. The disagreement between Bush and Chavez over trade unfolded against the backdrop of a daylong protest that turned from peaceful to unruly and lawless by evening as about a thousand rock-throwing militants burned an American flag and threw a gasoline bomb that ignited a blaze in a downtown bank at this seaside resort of 600,000. Argentine police responded with tear gas and rubber bullets as they contained the unrest to about a six-block area less than a mile from the luxury hotel where the American president and the leaders of 33 other nations met in the opening session of a two-day Summit of the Americas. The purpose of the summit is to devise strategies for reducing poverty, promoting economic growth and advancing the cause of political reform. The unrest grew after Chavez delivered a two-hour address to a crowd of about 10,000 at a local soccer stadium. The throng enthusiastically embraced the Venezuelan leader's anti-American rhetoric, which included a salute to anti-war protester Cindy Sheehan, the mother of a soldier killed in action in Iraq and the focal point of a domestic anti-war movement. Ahh, yes, because America really wants to invade South America and have even more hispanics. Brilliant.