A post from May 2007
Colombia's President Uribe is one of the most responsible leaders in Latin America. Like Mexico's Pres. Calderon, Uribe enjoys strong support back home because he is dealing with the problems.
Yet, the Democrats treated Pres. Uribe poorly during his recent trip to the US.
Why? Because Uribe believes in making decisions and solving problems. The Democrats believe in making speeches and non-binding resolutions.
What are the Democrats thinking?
Robert Novak had a great article about Uribe and the Democrats:
"The first Colombian president to crack down on his country's corrupt army officer hierarchy, and to assault both right-wing paramilitaries and left-wing guerrillas, last week confronted Democrats wedded to out-of-date claims of civil rights abuses and to rigidly protectionist dogma.This is remarkable U.S. treatment for a rare friend on the South American continent, where Venezuela's leftist dictator Hugo Chavez can only exult in Uribe's embarrassment as he builds an anti-American bloc of nations.In the real world, we choose to support men like Uribe or we will create more room for men like Chavez.
A former congressional staffer, who in 1999 helped author Plan Colombia against narco-guerrillas, told me:"President Uribe may be the odd man out, and that's no way to treat our best ally in South America." (How to Lose an Ally)
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