The Door That Bush Kept Open By Jackson Diehl

By Jackson Diehl
Friday, December 12, 2008; A27

By now it's commonplace for pundits like me to point out that President Bush has come nowhere close to fulfilling the promise of his second inaugural address, which was that he would commit his government to the spread of freedom and the defense of democratic dissidents around the world. The State Department long ago squelched the president's initial attempts to act on those soaring words in places such as Egypt and Azerbaijan; even worse, many Democrats have reacted to Bush's fecklessness by concluding that the incoming Obama administration should preemptively swear off any attempt to pressure the autocrats of the Islamic world, or powers such as Russia and China, for democratic change.

Please continue reading this amazing article linked below:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/11/AR2008121102952_pf.html

And, editorial from Venezuelan Blogger Miguel Octavio who was also invited to The White House:
The Devil's Excrement (a.k.a. oil) by Miguel Octavio

Thursday, December 11, 2008

Round Table discussion at the White House on Human Rights Day

Today I participated in an event with the President of the United States who invited eight bloggers from different countries to tell him how we use blogging and Internet technologies to tell the world our message of what is happening in our respective countries where Human Rights are constantly being violated. While Human Rights is not the sole subject of my blog, someone thought my discussion of such topics in my blog made me an appropriate representative of the Venezuelan blogosphere on Human Rights Day, which celebrated today on 60th. Anniversary of the of the UN’s Declaration of Human Rights.

http://blogs.salon.com/0001330/2008/12/11.html#a4142

Miguel goes to Washington by Daniel Duquenal
http://daniel-venezuela.blogspot.com/search/label/blogging%20as%20a%20way%20fo%20life

Bush dialoga con los blogueros más polémicos
http://www.elmundo.es/elmundo/2008/12/11/comunicacion/1228999122.html

Maru Angarita
My blog is: http://maruangarita.blogspot.com/

Chavez's Revenge and Students Counter Attack

Dear Journalists,

The daily verbal confrontations have escalated in Venezuela where Chavez's is seizing the television networks more frequently to insult and threaten citizens. Chavez can not tolerate that he is losing ground for good and his mental breakdowns are more severe. In the meantime, Venezuelan students are protesting with posters and fliers expressing that they also want the chance to lead, and be president of Venezuela, and imagine a perpetual Miss Venezuela!

The following link is to article La Revancha written by Amb. Adolfo Taylhardat which accurately describes the situation in Venezuela:

www.eluniversal.com/2008/12/10/opi_art_la-revancha_10A2163205.shtml

Next are links to opposition protests:

http://www.eluniversal.com/2008/12/11/pol_art_estudiantes-y-ciudad_1185641.shtml

http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2146572660099752410hOlZTm

http://english.eluniversal.com/2008/12/11/en_pol_esp_opposition-party-ask_11A2165127.shtml

http://english.eluniversal.com/2008/12/08/en_pol_esp_vargas-llosa-lambast_08A2160265.shtml

Venezuelans need help from developed governments and international organizations to restore democracy and end corruption.

Cordially,

Maru Angarita
My blog is: http://maruangarita.blogspot.com/
Resources:
http://www.urru.org/lonuevo.htm
www.noticias24.com
http://alekboyd.blogspot.com/2006/03/sequoia-smartmatic-e-voting-fiasco-in.html
http://www.eluniversal.com
http://english.eluniversal.com
http://www.iht.com
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
http://g400mas.blogspot.com/
http://www.analitica.com
http://www.daniel-venezuela.blogspot.com/
http://www.venezolanosenlinea.com/
http://venezuelavigilante.com
http://www.globovision.com/
http://www.gentiuno.com/
http://pmbcomments.blogspot.com/
http://www.marthacolmenares.com
www.venezuelareal.org
http://www.thehrf.org

Venezuela's Political Disaster - December 10, 2008

Dear Journalists,

Update

Venezuelan students are protesting because they all want the chance to be president of Venezuela while the infamous Hugo Chavez is cheating to stay as permanent president. He must be totally insane!

http://www.noticias24.com/fotos/227/en-fotos-estudiantes-protestan-diciendo-todos-podemos-ser-presidentes/

Chavez is allegedly openly abusing power trying to amend the constitution for re-election terms that Venezuelans have already voted against on December 2007. Nevertheless, Chavez is using his members of Congress to pass the law against the will of Venezuelan citizens:

http://english.eluniversal.com/2008/12/09/en_pol_esp_congress-formally-pr_09A2163007.shtml

http://english.eluniversal.com/2008/12/08/en_pol_esp_vargas-llosa-lambast_08A2160265.shtml

In the meantime, Chavez's thugs continue to harass newly democratically elected officials as video reported by Globovision:

Oficialistas bloquearon accesos a la alcaldía metropolitana
http://www.globovision.com/index.php

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/photo/2008/12/06/PH2008120601898.html

There are witnesses reports that at least five women newly elected officials were physically assaulted by Chavez's supporters in the city of Valencia last night.

Venezuelans need help from developed governments and international organizations to restore democracy and end corruption.

Cordially,

Maru Angarita
My blog is: http://maruangarita.blogspot.com/
Resources:
www.noticias24.com
http://alekboyd.blogspot.com/2006/03/sequoia-smartmatic-e-voting-fiasco-in.html
http://www.eluniversal.com
http://english.eluniversal.com
http://www.iht.com
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
http://g400mas.blogspot.com/
http://www.analitica.com
http://www.daniel-venezuela.blogspot.com/
http://www.venezolanosenlinea.com/
http://venezuelavigilante.com
http://www.globovision.com/
http://www.gentiuno.com/
http://pmbcomments.blogspot.com/
http://www.marthacolmenares.com
www.venezuelareal.org
http://www.thehrf.org

Dog Hero dies

Orion, one of the rescue dogs that courageously worked during the horrible December 1999 landslides in Vargas States has died.

http://www.animanaturalis.org/post/8837

May Orion be in Heaven!

Maru Angarita
My blog is: http://maruangarita.blogspot.com/
Resources:
http://www.cvmbs.colostate.edu/clinsci/wing/aavdm/newletter_march2000.htm#Venezuelan
http://www.comet.ucar.edu/resources/cases/venezuela/

Chavez Allegedly Caught Buying Votes!

The Nuevo Herald reports that during the Municipal Election held in Venezuela on November 23 Chavez's supporters gave money in amounts up to $480.00 for citizens to vote for their candidates. Even after spending several thousands equivalent to U.S. dollars Chavez's candidates still lost.

http://www.elnuevoherald.com/167/story/335076.html

Next is report from Noticias24 with pictures of Chavez's aircrafts. Humm, perhaps this is one of the reasons why the infamous leader does not want to allow democratic elections. He may want all the wealth for himself!

http://www.noticierodigital.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=464263/

Maru Angarita
My blog is: http://maruangarita.blogspot.com/