Summit Protest Staged by Chavez?

Is it wise for President Bush to attend the summit in Argentina? What was our administration thinking? Placing our President in the same place as Hugo Chavez and his maniacal protesters just appears to me that he could be in serious danger.

I understand the good reasons why he is there; namely, the U.S.-led negotiations to form a Free Trade Area of the Americas stretching from Alaska to Argentina.

"Washington maintains the proposed free trade accord, which has stalled amid opposition by several Latin American countries, is vital to creating jobs and increasing wealth in the region."

Chavez, apparently, has decided to be the 'leader' of the protest movement. As Neil Cavuto of Fox News just said on his show, "How tacky."

Indeed.

"Chavez, who regularly claims Washington is trying to overthrow him, has said free trade is being forced on Latin American countries and the deal would only help the rich. Instead, he is promoting anti-FTAA deal based on socialist ideals."

Oh boo hoo Chavez! You're an idiot and an evil socialist dictator!!

He's a cash cow leader with millions from oil who is subsidizing Cuba. How nice... Chavez and Castro...true birds (more like lizards) of a feather...

The contrast between a so-called 'leader' like Chavez and President Bush could not be more stark.

I know. I suspect that the typical naysayers who happen upon this blog will disagree. The liberal left in our country absolutely hate Bush. They are the 'Cindy Sheehan supporter types' who are rabid in their protest of the Iraq war. The "blame America" crowd. These Argentinian protesters have those three things in common with the radical liberal left. Now isn't that special?

So be it.

I think President Bush is quite brave to place himself in potential harms way and within a rabid political atmosphere of demonstrators whose only focus is to wreck havoc there in Argentina. Do these people just not understand how they could benefit from these meetings? Are they just so enraged by their own brainwashed ideology that they can't see any of the good going on?

Oh please! It's got to be staged!! And, Chavez is bankrolling it!!

Leaders attending the two-day summit agreed ahead of time to focus on creating jobs and reducing poverty. These people are protesting a summit designed to help create jobs for them and reduce their poverty? Does this make any sense at all? No!

I'm proud of our President. He doesn't shy away from controversy and goes about his business with dignity.

Don't let the coverage of the protest mislead any of you. It's not as bad as it looks, although Chavez is spending loads of money trying to make it appear that this is so. Maybe we are looking at an improptu Hollywood- type production when viewing this protest? I wonder what the pay rate for "extras" in an Argentinian production like this might be? Hmmm?

I'm glad the article ends on this positive note:

"But Bush seemed to be winning over supporters. A high-ranking Brazilian official, who said he was not authorized to give his name, told reporters 28 of the 34 countries participating in the summit had agreed to relaunch trade talks as early as April."