Pat Robertson Calls for Assassination of Hugo Chavez!!!

maybe he's testing the waters for another run for the presidency.

I should go cruise CNN.

It may not be on the site yet, please post it if it is.

it's on USA Today: Link

RobertsonStory

Pat Robertson calls for assassination of Hugo Chavez
VIRGINIA BEACH (AP) ?- Religious broadcaster Pat Robertson called on Monday for the assassination of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, calling him a "terrific danger" to the United States.

'We have the ability to take him (Chavez) out, and I think the time has come that we exercise that ability,' Robertson said.
By Gene Puskar, AP

Robertson, founder of the Christian Coalition of America and a former presidential candidate, said on "The 700 Club" it was the United States' duty to stop Chavez from making Venezuela a "launching pad for communist infiltration and Muslim extremism."

Chavez has emerged as one of the most outspoken critics of President Bush, accusing the United States of conspiring to topple his government and possibly backing plots to assassinate him. U.S. officials have called the accusations ridiculous.

"You know, I don't know about this doctrine of assassination, but if he thinks we're trying to assassinate him, I think that we really ought to go ahead and do it," Robertson said. "It's a whole lot cheaper than starting a war ... and I don't think any oil shipments will stop."

Electronic pages and a message to a Robertson spokeswoman were not immediately returned Monday evening.

Venezuela is the fifth largest oil exporter and a major supplier of oil to the United States. The CIA estimates that U.S. markets absorb almost 59% of Venezuela's total exports.

Venezuela's government has demanded in the past that the United States crack down on Cuban and Venezuelan "terrorists" in Florida who they say are conspiring against Chavez.

Robertson accused the United States of failing to act when Chavez was briefly overthrown in 2002.

"We have the ability to take him out, and I think the time has come that we exercise that ability," Robertson said.

"We don't need another $200 billion war to get rid of one, you know, strong-arm dictator," he continued. "It's a whole lot easier to have some of the covert operatives do the job and then get it over with."

if he *is* running for president, i guess he's writing off the Hispanic vote, as well as any voters with common sense.

Thanks for the paste and links.

He also wrote me off, but hey, nothing changes. He's been the lunatic fringe for years.

#6. Thou shalt not kill.

"Hugo Chavez calls for the assassination of Pat Robertson"

I can see the screaming right wing nutbars now. Oh if you are one, relax, it's just me winding you up

It's on the news on NPR this morning. Just one question: why is this psychotic allowed to walk the streets? I mean, we used to have asylums for people like that. I know the mental health budget is at an all-time low but surely we could find a safe place for the troubled Robertson. To think that this cretin actually has had presidential aspirations gives one an overwhelming sense of despair.

Why are you concerned about what this radical nutcase has to say?

He is in no position of influence and not involved in legislation . He is just a private citizen with an opinion.

What sort of connections does he have? Is he one of the mega-rich? Does he have some sort of media outlet he can use to spray his lunatic ideas through? Does he contribute lots of money to political causes? If the answer to any of the above is "yes" then you might have an answer.

Oh, I disagree. I think that he has a lot of influence, on many people, who hang on to his every word. If he were just anyone, his thoughts would not have been on NPR this morning.

Now if one of his followers, who IS mega-rich and influential, happens to share the same lunatic ideas as his, there just might be trouble.

Yeah, I just heard this on NPR too.

I totally agree with you Phoenix, the Conservative Christian Right has just as much potential to become a terrorist group as any other sector that is under surveilence.
Who's watching them?

Kinda like Ms. Sheehan. Oh wait, but we can't question her because....why was that again? Oh yeah, because the left says so.

EDITED NOTE: I am not a big fan of Mr. Robertson simply because he says things such as this without thinking about what he is saying.

I think you'll find that unlike Ms. Sheehan, Mr. Robertson is advocating the murder of a living being.

It doesn't matter if it's an assassination. It is still a pre-meditated act of killing of someone who is alive and can think and feel, which is, a murder.

I get it. So we are talking degrees of statements and actions. Some statements/actions, those deemed worse than others, open an individual to criticism, name-calling, motive questioning and such, while other less offending speech/actions should not be questioned?

So who decides where the line is drawn? I am not attempting to defend what Mr. Robertson said, just trying to understand the hypocrisy of those who believe it is justified to call him names, etc while saying people have no right at all to question the motives of Ms. Sheehan.

Don't worry about it. No one is taking the idiot seriously.

Out of curiosity who is saying we have no rights to question the motives of Ms. Sheehan?