Israeli weighs in on Venezuela

In a speech, a member of the Israeli parliament referred to Hugo Chávez as a "senior member of the axis of evil." This is not necessarily surprising, since Chávez has cozied up to Iran and Syria, while also criticizing Israel very sharply. However, Chávez loves such outlandish statements, and they make him more popular. Funny thing is, they never stop coming either.

Meanwhile, the U.S. made only indirect mention of the election, and refused to speak Chávez's name (in other words, "he who shall not be named").

''We look forward to having the opportunity to work with the Venezuelan government on issues of mutual interest,'' State Department press officer Eric Watnik said. [Presumably in the most boring monotone as well]