What's Missing from this Article?

New York Times reports on Hugo Chavez winning a clear majority of the vote in Sunday's recall effort.

The title of this post refers to what I DON'T see in several articles I've glanced at, namely, an official response from the United States government. The closest we get is a statement from Jimmy Carter, who commented on the large voter turnout.

I'm reminded of something I read in the book Propaganda. It can be just as important to OMIT reference to something as to comment upon it. For instance, in Nazi Germany, the directive most often ordered by the Propaganda Ministry was to remain silent on one topic or another.

Chavez's opponents, of course, are crying foul, and it wouldn't surprise me at all if the Bush Team is waiting to see if that will fly. After all, they did their damnedest to pull the rug out from under Aristide in Haiti. Chavez is a far bigger, um, I was going to say burr under the saddle, but given POTUS's fear of horses, perhaps the better metaphor is bigger spring sticking out of the bench front seat in the pickup. Two years ago, this administration displayed a remarkably cynical attitude--even by their standards--in regards to an attempted coup backed by disgruntled elites. Some have charged that the US was doing more than just reading the breeze. Whether this is true or not, it is evident that the Bush administration doesn't give a damn about the principle of democratic government in the region. If Bush is re-elected, the overthrow of Chavez would likely be at the top of their wish list, although the quagmire in Iraq might dampen the enthusiasm just a bit.

Still, it's good that Chavez survived, and even the business community is reacting favorably to the vote, as the price of oil futures fell following the news from Caracas.

This, by the way, is another issue where, should Kerry win, would require pressure on the new administration. The Kerry team has grumbled a bit here and there about the Venezuelan president. At the same time, I recall Kerry's own defense of Aristide last spring during a primary debate--he said something to the effect that while he wasn't a big fan of the Hatian president, we as a country must respect the democratic institutions of other countries. A Kerry administration will need to be reminded of that statement--often.

Oh--and how about the Puerto Rican basketball team?