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Finally, there were the comments of U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, who, in a radio press conference the next day, was about as articulate as one might expect from the man who held Howard Dean's coat the night his head exploded in Iowa. Harkin's rambling defense of Chavez's antics went like this:

"I can understand the frustration and the anger of certain people around the world because of George Bush's policies...If anything, George Bush is just fanning the flames of a Cesar Chavez. Hmmm? Oh, Hugo Chavez! What'd I say? Cesar Chavez? Hugo Chavez. Where'd I get Cesar? Oh my gosh. Memory banks. Farm Worker's Union. But you get what I mean."

Yes, senator, we certainly do. Apparently, encouraging anti-American behavior and speech is no longer considered giving aid and comfort to our enemies. Dictators the world over now feel emboldened to come to the United Nations, as guests of the United States, and say things so ridiculous only a Democrat could agree with them. Nikita Khrushchev would be proud.

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Doug Patton is a freelance columnist who has served as a political speechwriter and public policy advisor. His weekly columns are published in newspapers across the country and on selected Internet web sites, including Human Events Online, TheConservativeVoice.com and GOPUSA.com, where he is a senior writer and state editor. Readers may e-mail him at dougpatton@cox.net.

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Note -- The opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions, views, and/or philosophy of GOPUSA.

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