How democracy works: the US immigration bill bites the dust

Now, before anyone gets excited I have to say that I have no major knowledge of the immigration bill that went down today in the US Senate. In fact I cannot even express an opinion about it. Though at least I am aware at how big an issue this has been in the US for that last year.

However I cannot but be stricken by the vote result. The bill lost 53 to 46. So what? you may say... The fascinating thing is that the vote was bipartisan on each side, that more Democrats supported the Republican President Bush than Republicans did.

33 Dems and 12 Gops votes Yes. And among the GOP voting Yes we find Trent Lott and Richard Lugar voting next to Barbara Boxer and Ted Kennedy.

15 Dems and 37 Gops voted No. And among the Dems voting No you had Tom Harking looking eye to eye with Sam Brownback.

Can you imagine something like that happening in Venezuela today? I am not talking about the 100% monochromatic National Assembly which of course makes such a scene impossible. But even if 20% of the Assembly were opposition, can you imagine enough chavistas crossing over, voting their conscience, to block an appointment that requires a 2/3 majority?

Meanwhile in Venezuela you get this. A journalist refusing a prize because he considers threatened freedom of expression. And right on his heels you see chavistas such a Desiree Santos Amaral (quite the biting bitter chihuahua these days, no?) excoriating him instead of wondering how come such prize is refused. Did she ever heard of these people that refused even the Nobel Prize for their principles? How far is chavismo gone away from principles?

With all its faults, the US again showed us today what great democracies do. Venezuela showed us today how democracy is killed.

Ps: As I watched the late news I saw the gesticulating Helena Salcedo trying to chase William Echeverria from the award ceremony. Her gesticulations speak volume about one of the rising stars of chavistofascism.

-The end-