Obama Calls Chavez Gift a ‘Nice Gesture’

“It was a nice gesture to give me a book. I am a reader,” Obama said during a solo press conference at the end of a the summit held in the Caribbean nation of Trinidad and Tobago

“We had this debate throughout the campaign. I mean the whole notion was somehow that if we showed courtesy or opened up dialogue with governments that had previously been hostile to us that would show weakness. And the American people didn’t buy it and there’s a reason they didn’t buy it — because it didn’t make sense,” Obama said.

Obama credited Chavez, who has been slowly instituting constitutional changes that will allow him to become president for life in his country, with successfully stealing the limelight during the weekend summit. But he said meeting with the Venezuelan leader, who has made “inflammatory” anti-American comments, isn’t going to break the United States.

“There have been instances where we’ve seen Venezuela interfere with some of the countries that surround Venezuela in ways that cause concern. On the other hand, Venezuela is a country whose defense budget is one-six hundredth of the United States. They own Citgo, the oil company. It’s unlikely that as a consequence of me shaking hands or that having a polite conversation with Mr. Chavez that we endanger the strategic interests of the United States,” Obama said

Lot’s of err and ahhss…… (video)

The point is Mr. President, not that Venezuela poses a threat to US, it’s that Thugo poses a threat to the liberty of his own people, and by accepting a gift you legitimizes an illegitimate Thugo who does not rule with the consent of the people. Same thing for Cuba.