Our intrepid local nutcase, Sheila Jackson Lee, wants to do the bunny hug with Venezuelan dictator, Hugo Chavez. What prompted this turn of events? Maybe she felt that Georgia’s favorite daughter Cyntha McKinney had gotten too much ink for her tiff with the capitol police? Or maybe she’s looking to improve her already legendary standing with Capitol Hill.
Setting aside her odd views on hurricane naming, what possible benefit is there in befriending an authoritarian lunatic like Chavez? Jackson Lee has spent considerable time & energy toward lifting a ban on sales of F16 parts to Venezuela, who allegedly now want to sell those F16’s to Iran, another nation we’re not too cozy with. I’m not particularly concerned with Chavez’ posturing, vis a vis his declaration of Bush as “the devil” or his offer of free heating oil to poor Americans. It’s his destabilizing influence on the region that bothers me. At the very least, the storm-lovin’ Jackson Lee should appreciate the irony that her Latin Pal shares a name with a Category 5 hurricane, but I wouldn’t count on it.
Do you think she flew Continental to Caracas? I’d have ponied up for a seat next to her, just for the show.