He Was A Simple Lad, and Fell Among Bad Companions

A man is known by the company he keeps; our character is reflected in our choice of friends.
Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)

Perhaps it all began with Joe Kennedy and Citizens' Oil. A chance for a new Congressman and old prosecutor to align himself with the Golden Boy of the reigning family in Massachusetts Democratic politics. Bill Delahunt found himself assigned to Foreign Affairs, and had a chance to make interesting new friends, in places like Havana and Caracas.

In 2005, Susan Milligan reported in the Boston Globe (link HERE):

The group, which called itself "Grupo de Boston," met in 2002 and 2003 on Cape Cod. Participants often engaged in heated political talks in the mornings (one session needed an intervention to stop a fistfight).

They also went whale-watching and played intramural baseball in the afternoons, with mixed teams and a bipartisan group of legislators as umpires.

Bottles of Scotch were in the guest rooms, and all had been consumed by the end of the session, a Delahunt spokesman said.

Chávez has been less cooperative and friendly toward Bush, calling him a "crazy man" and an "assassin." When Bush was in Latin America earlier this month, Chavez derided him at anti-Bush rally and declared "dead" the Free Trade Agreement of the Americas, a Bush administration priority.

At a congressional hearing last week, the US assistant secretary of state for Western Hemisphere affairs, Thomas A. Shannon Jr., warned that the Chávez government was "subverting democratic institutions by using them to restrict the rights of those who disagree with it."

Asked if he was subverting State Department policy toward Chávez, Delahunt said, "I don't work for Condoleezza Rice. I don't report to the State Department. I report to the people who elected me in the state of Massachusetts. I belong to an independent branch of government."

Indeed - an independent branch of governmet, but supported by the perks and protecols of the rest of the government. Perhaps it was the glamour of hob-nobbing with a head of state and a Kennedy, after being a mere Quincy prosecutor. The irony is, he and Kennedy chose to go whoring after cut rate oil during some of the mildest winters in years, selling out our national interest for a commodity we needed less than usual. Delahunt's friendship with Fidel Castro began around the same time. But his friend Chavez is far more sinister, even for a brutal dictator.

Congressman Delahunt - your political partner has been getting admiring support on Al Jazeera for his support of Iran's nuclear program (HERE). In a 25 minute rant, he told OPEC, "If the United States is crazy enough to attack Iran or commit aggression against Venezuela ... oil would not be $100 but $200!"

Now, even Chavez's erstwhile allies are warning the world that he has crossed several lines, Congressman Delahunt - even those that threaten the United States more than George Bush. In a remarkable editorial in the New York Times, one of his oldest friends writes -

Hugo Chávez and I worked together for many years. I supported him through thick and thin, serving as his defense minister. But now, having recently retired, I find myself with the moral and ethical obligation as a citizen to express my opposition to the changes to the Constitution that President Chávez and the National Assembly have presented for approval by the voters tomorrow (Dec. 2).

A link to the rest of the editorial is HERE.

Congressman Delahunt - these are the words of Chavez's political ally of 35 years, the Commander in Chief of his Armed Forces until this past July. This is not the opinion of a remote figure, but a warning from a member of his inner circle. Chavez has gone too far and is trying to codify his dictatorship of Venezuela.

Are you able to set partisanship aside long enough to realize that a head of state that refers to your President as 'Satan', and who publicly embraces the sworn enemy of your nation who is devoping nuclear weapons, really is NOT somebody who should be a political partner?

For the good of your nation and constituency - Congressman Delahunt, repudiate Hugo Chavez.

The True Meaning of Bi-Partisan Cooperation

The man of principle is known as such, and even in the fury of faction is respected.
Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)

An interesting appointment has been made by the Bush White House. U.S. William Delahunt, D-Mass., has been named as a Congressional representative to the 62nd session of the General Assembly of the United Nations, which begins next week. Delahunt will participate in sessions of the General Assembly as well as working-level meetings at the UN Secretariat.

Another appointment by the Bush White House is still waiting confirmation in the United States Senate - held hostage by Rep. Delahunt’s colleagues in the Massachusetts Congressional delegation - that of Reed Hillman, eminently qualified former Colonel of the State Police, a legislator who expanded Amber Alert laws and drunk driving statues. Kennedy has publicly expressed concern about Mr. Hillman's qualifications, for even though he has held and commanded all the other portions called for by the Marshal post, he never worked as a Court Bailiff. Who does Reed think he is, Guy Glodis?

The way the UN appointment works is that it includes one member of each party, and membership rotates between the Senate and the House. Therefore, the nomination of Delahunt was made by Nancy Pelosi on March 28, 2007. Also nominated and appointed as a delegate was U.S. Rep. Ted Poe, R-Texas.

U.S. Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., said Delahunt's background makes him a natural for the appointment. "Bill has made a real mark on foreign policy with his hands-on approach and his willingness to dig into the issues and put himself on the line," Kerry said."

Um, yes. Boosting a brutal dictator like Hugo Chavez, who recently declared himself President for Life, while calling George Bush 'Satan' at a speech at the UN General Assembly would certainly indicate a real 'hands-on approach and willingness'. Whether or not his views represent in any way the diplomatic stance of the American Government or the American People is a question for quite another day.

Yet, when Speaker Pelosi nominated this loon to represent us, as is her prerogative, the White House did not refuse to confirm her choice, or throw roadblocks regarding his fitness to serve in the path of that confirmation.

Meanwhile, Ted Kennedy and John Kerry, apparently ardent admirers of Delahunt's far-left foreign policy stances, are still holding hostage Reed Hillman's nomination as a Federal Marshal after three years.

So- March to October for Democrats from the 'obstructionist' Bush White House, and three years to the 12th of Never for the 'bi-partisan' Democrat Senate. All for one, and One for Themselves. Now that the Democrat definition of Bi-Partisanship has been made so manifest, it helps us all to realize how hollow and hypocritical it is, and we should value such calls accordingly.