The American Spectator

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Family Traditions

8.11.08 @ 12:01AM

WITH THAT NAME, IT'S NOT STEALING
Re: Shawn Macomber's Stolen Oil:

There are two distinct Venezuelans and both deserve their Chavista lives. The great majority of both fell for the promise of getting something (prosperity) for nothing and elected their messiah.

One Venezuelan is the "native" and has lived off government subsidies on every aspect of their lives and are comfortable with protesting when the results are not to their liking. They came out in impressive numbers many years ago when Castro came calling for funds to power his revolution. My Italian father, out of curiosity, attended one of these large rallies. The political culture has not changed much since then.

The other is the transplanted European (mainly Italian and Portuguese) that brought with them a work ethic that was inherited by their children. My uncle (we used to mock him as a Chavista until he wised up) is one of these along with a few remaining friends that never left. Many of them got sucked up in the growing anti-American sentiment promoted by Chavez and the clever "Bolivian revolution" that promised a better life by going after those who have more than themselves without thinking their accumulated wealth could be targeted for redistribution, which they now fear.

In US, those that always fall for the same con (somebody else controls your life) every election day deserve their spoils: higher energy costs, dysfunctional schools, crime, lost economic opportunities, corruption, and cynicism. There are many Chavistas living among us and they are call themselves "Progressives." As in Venezuela, those that don't fall for that false hope have to suffer also.
-- Name and Address withheld

Joseph Kennedy shares more then just a name with his grandfather. He seems to be following the older Joe's example in his support for dictators over democrats. Just as his grandfather supported Hitler and Mussolini Joe the younger has fallen in love with another fascist dictator.
-- Jerrold Goldblatt
Arlington, Virginia

Joe Kennedy might be impressed that, "Hugo Chavez can quote Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln by heart," but of greater insight are the words of an old, dead, and European male writer, "The devil can cite Scripture for his purpose." (William Shakespeare The Merchant of Venice, Act I, scene iii, line 99) For Chavez, reciting quotations is vastly different than speaking sincerely and legislating ethically. When one is rich in the pocket but bankrupt in morals, as seems to be the case with Joe Kennedy, stating one of your heroes can quote great American patriots counts more than policy. Ultimately, if a man is to be judged, let it be by his actions since actions reflect the true man more than the greatest of rhetoric.
-- Ira M. Kessel
Rochester, New York

FEW TRICKS LEFT
Re: The Prowler's Reaching Out to Cheney:

Come on, Senator McCain, surely you can do better than this! The conservative base, which you so disdain, loves Dick Cheney. A quick reminder...it is still their convention, too.

I can't decide if John McCain is rude, crude and socially unacceptable or just plain inept and unorganized. For donors it must be really painful to watch this campaign staff waste money, time and talent. More and more I think this election is John McCain's to lose...and he just might do that if someone in Crystal City, Virginia, doesn't get organized -- NOW.
-- Judy Beumler
Kentucky

If the McCain camp doesn't want Cheney around the convention, I'll get some extra Pabst Blue Ribbon, by a bunch of steaks and have my band over to play for the vice-President. I would love to have myself & the family and a lot of friends come by (yes they would ALL pass a background check!) and pose for pictures with the vice-President.

Havin' VP Cheney at my house would be COOL! Plus it would piss off all of my ultra-liberal neighbors.
-- P. Aaron Jones
Huntington Woods, Michigan

IN THE NOVAK
Re: Sean Higgins' No Nonsense Novak:

Sean Higgins piece on Bob Novak was well received here and in a lot of places where leftist/socialist/democrats DON'T congregate. I too have my copy of Prince of Darkness and it is a must have textbook on the realities of our political system for the last 50 years. Much could be said and, undoubtedly, will be said about Mr. Novak now that his column will be stilled.

In the summer of 1980 I found myself stationed in the Pentagon and, therefore, living in the D.C. area. Being a newspaper junky I, enjoyed my daily Washington Post despite its leftist bent. The Evans and Novak column helped cushion the propaganda and biased reporting one suffered in the Post's pages. For recent proof the daily trashing given Senator Allen in 2006 is all you need. But I digress. To know what was REALLY going on in politics Evans and Novak was it. A classic example of the inside nature of their column came as I reveled in what was D.C. after Jimmy was clobbered. Ripples went even to my little cubicle in the Pentagon. Having completed duty on Air Force budget panels before November, we reconvened after Reagan's election in light of expected repairs to the starvation budgets of four Carter years.

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