Bush Calls for Transparency in Venezuela Recall

[maddezmom]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Bush (news - web sites) on Monday urged transparency in an August recall referendum against Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez and backed calls for open access for observers monitoring the vote.



His comments could draw criticism from left-winger Chavez who has clashed frequently with Washington over what he says is U.S. meddling with his government in the world's fifth largest oil exporter.


"The referendum must be conducted in an honest and open way," Bush told reporters after meeting with Chilean President Ricardo Lagos, whom he said agreed.


In an interview with Reuters shortly before his meeting with Bush, Lagos said a large observer mission "would make this referendum a transparent act, which would strengthen democracy in the region."

~snip~
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=586&ncid=586&e=6&u=/nm/20040719/wl_nm/venezuela_bush_dc

STFU already Shrub!! :eyes:

[Liberal Veteran]

1. Fuck that! How bout transparency in OUR elections?

Then we can worry about other's.

[Parche]

10. exactly

Just what i was going to say...what about our elections

[mstrsplinter326]

2. This just in:

Master Splinter (me) calls for transparency in US elections. Specifically the southeast region.

[Beetwasher]

3. My Irony Meter Has Had It!

If you're in the NYC area, get out now! My meter is going to blow and she's gonna take out half of the city when she does!

[NewYorkerfromMass]

4. Ohh... this is rich. the expert in clean elections comes calling.

No thanks.

[Joanne98]

5. Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

That's good!!!!!!!!!! Let's nominated this thread for the days funniest story. :)

[HuckleB]

6. It's the Hypocrisy, stupid!

George, you've got nothing to stand on when it comes to this type of matter, well, on any type of matter, actually.

[ElsewheresDaughter]

7. any more irony from this asshole* magnets are gonna stick to my skull

[neuvocat]

8. That means Hugo Chavez will likely win this.

[movonne]

9. I know what he is doing.....he is trying to drive all of us crazy so we

won't be fit to vote.

[ignatius]

11. Say what??? Honest and open are two words that don't even

belong in his vocabulary!!

Hey Chimpy, how about those energy meeting papers if we are being all honest and open about things.

[stickdog]

12. And in the 2004 US election?

Will we have "transparency" in Florida, Mr. President?

[Judi Lynn]

14. We never have had transparency in Florida YET!

Who doesn't remember hearing about the Miami mayor's race a couple of years BEFORE they stole the Presidential election:

Judge Orders New Miami Mayoral Election
Absentee-ballot fraud voids last November's balloting

MIAMI (AllPolitics, March 4) -- A judge has overturned last fall's election of Xavier Suarez as Miami's mayor because of evidence of absentee ballot fraud.

A new election has been ordered held within 60 days, but it's unclear who will run the city until then.

Circuit Judge Thomas Wilson's decision is the result of last month trial of a lawsuit brought by former Mayor Joe Carollo, who lost to Suarez in a Nov. 13, 1997 runoff election.

"The evidence presented in the case clearly demonstrated fraud and abuse of the absentee ballot laws," the judge wrote.
(snip/...)

http://www.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/1998/03/04/miami.mayor/

And that wasn't the first dirty Florida election, either.

I'd like to know why the party which has ridiculed the use of lawyers to settle disputes was also the party which streaked to the courts to stop the recount the very second they realized Al Gore was likely to win the vote recount, after winning the national popular election outright.

Yeah, _Bush really insists on clean elections. Everyone knows that. :eyes:





He's such a godly man, isn't he?

[Cocoa]

13. can we strike Bush's comment from the record?

let's have a vote.

[struggle4progress]

15. I want election monitors here in November!

And none of those opaque electronic voting machines either ...

[jackofhearts]

16. Oh please oh please God...

Let Chavez come back with a lashing against bush telling him he should get his own house in order...that democracy died in the US in the 2000 elections. Chavez has let bush have it before and this would be a perfect time call the bastard to the carpet.

An international slam against the fascist would make my f$#%ing day.

[Judi Lynn]

17. Yep, Bill Nelson thinks we need a transparent FLORIDA election, too!

Junior Florida senator says he's worried about voting technology

Published July 19. 2004 4:41PM

By BRENT KALLESTAD
Associated Press Writer


U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson asked the federal government Monday to audit touchscreen voting machines that are to be used in 15 Florida counties in statewide elections next month and in November.

In a letter sent Monday to U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft, the Democrat asked for an independent Department of Justice audit of the touchscreen machines.

"We need to act now while there's still time to ensure this fall's ballots will be counted accurately and fairly," he said.
(snip)

In a terse response, the Republican secretary of state suggested the Democratic senator no grandstand on the issue and take a firsthand look at the voting machines.
(snip/...)

http://www.starbanner.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20040719/APN/407190842

[cprise]

18. They stuck the obligatory "left-winger" label

Right on cue.

[cprise]

19. I hope plenty in Venezuela get to see F-911

[IndianaGreen]

20. I hope more Americans see "The Revolution won't be televised"

A documentary that lays bare all of the lies the US told about Venezuela and the way the Venezuelan elites conspired to topple Chavez. The documentary is brutal in exposing the shameful role of the corporate media in lying to the people about the events taking place.

[demigoddess]

21. Translation--

Open and transparent means that it should go the way he wants it to. Doesn't matter what the votes say.}(

[fdr_hst_fan]

22. I've just nominated this for

FRONT PAGE! Hope it makes it!
:thumbsup:

[kohodog]

23. hahaha...hahahaha

What a creep. I guess it depends on the definition of "transparency." Do you really think he knows what it means, much less pronounce it? transp...transpa gareeb.

I'd really be laughing if it wasn't so sick.

[0007]

24. You tell 'em Mr. Hugo Chavez

"What right do you and your little devils have to pressure us, Mr. Bush?" Chavez said on Sunday, responding to a U.S. call for a fair vote.

[struggle4progress]

25. kick

:kick:

[maddezmom]

28. another kick and don't forget to rate it

just for the irony

[Judi Lynn]

26. Here's the entire crappy remark:

Q -- from Chile. What do you think about the role that Chile is playing in the reconstruction in Haiti and as an observer of the political referendum in Venezuela?

PRESIDENT BUSH: Listen, the Chilean response in Haiti was rapid and important. President Lagos is a decisive man, and when he saw a problem, he went to the people of Chile and explained the problem and responded. And I want to thank him for that. It was -- Chile is making a very important contribution to the stability and, hopefully, the prosperity of Haiti. And we spent a lot of time talking about, today, about how the United States can continue to not only stay involved, but to help. And I find it very interesting that the United Nations is sending a very distinguished citizen from Chile to Haiti to help stabilize that country so the people of Haiti have a chance to live a hopeful life.

And that's going to require security measures, and as the President mentioned -- I think you said in Spanish, there's a donors conference tomorrow, it's a very important conference, and that we will be attending, along with Chile, to see if we can't set priorities for the people of Chile * so they have a chance to live a good life.

And the second part of the question was?

PRESIDENT LAGOS: Venezuela.

Q About political referendum --

PRESIDENT BUSH: Again, this is a -- Chile plays a very important role in our neighborhood, and the referendum in Venezuela is an important referendum. And the referendum must be conducted in a honest and open way. And the influence of President Lagos is a very important influence, because he has made it clear that for the credibility of the current government, they must welcome observers, they must encourage observers, and they must not interfere with the process, so that the people of Venezuela have a chance to express their opinion without fear of reprisal.
(snip)

http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/040719/dcm045_1.html



As _Bush is starting to run out of people to man the fort for the Coalition of the "Willing," it may be that _Bush is turning to this soclialist ELECTED President to shake him down for Chilean troops to send to Irap.

I can't see _Bush having much to do with him otherwise, as _Bush tries to lead Americans to distrust and dislike Socialists, just like he hates Democrats and other lib'ruls.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

27. duh

the referendum in Venezuela is an important referendum. And the referendum must be conducted in a honest and open way. And the influence of President Lagos is a very important influence, because he has made it clear that for the credibility of the current government, they must welcome observers, they must encourage observers, and they must not interfere with the process, so that the people of Venezuela have a chance to express their opinion without fear of reprisal.

Reads like a 7th grade civics paper.

[sofa king]

29. Kids! Cut and save this Presidential Proof-of-Bullshit coupon!