I've argued incessantly in support of Hugo Chavez. He's been tasked with an extraordinary mission made difficult by ingrained cultural aspects of Venezuelan society, criminal collusion in government, military and police organizations, institutional in nature.

During recent Senate armed services committee hearings Senator John McCain tried to accuse Chavez of supporting terrorists while speaking to General Doug Fraser of the US Southern Command. Fraser's response was:

"We have continued to watch very closely … We have not seen any connections specifically that I can verify that there has been a direct government-to-terrorist connection."

Of course Fraser wasn't privy to the Obama administrations agenda against Venezuela so apparently he was made well aware of that agenda because the next day Fraser issued a new response recanting his previous testimony in full. He said:

"There is indeed clear and documented historical and ongoing evidence of the linkages between the government of Venezuela and the Farc … we are in direct alignment with our partners at the state department and the intelligence community."

It's fascinating to me. The little things that take place that give great insight into the machinations of power in the United States. The General must have been spanked.