Chavez showing his true colors

It was September of last year when Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez used his pulpit at the UN General Assembly to compare our President Bush to Satan.

Chavez's tirade drew some applause from the crowd of foreign leaders and dignitaries at the UN as well as a few kudos from Bush's critics here at home.

Some Americans used Chavez's speech to give credence to their own anti-Bush views and to show just how poorly the U.S. leader is being viewed on the global stage.

But anyone who put stock in Chavez's outburst or leadership abilities should take notice of what's happening in Venezuela right now. Police in that country are currently using force to put down angry protests after the Bush-bashing Chavez shut down Venezuela's most popular television station.

The 54-year-old station, Radio Caracas Television, just happens to be seen as a voice for those who oppose Chavez.

Venezuelan soldiers took control of the station's transmitters and shut it down Sunday night. It has been replaced by the state-funded TVES, which opened its programming with artists singing pro-Chavez music.

Chavez has refused to renew RCTV's operating license, accusing the station of subversive activity.

Its replacement is being referred to as a socialistic channel. The programming on TVES will include exercise programs, educational shows for children that promote socialist values, and documentaries.

RCTV had talk shows, soap operas (some of which were aired in the U.S.), sports and a popular long-running comedy that poked fun at presidents, including Chavez.

He accused the network of "poisoning" Venezuelans by airing shows that promoted capitalism, breaking broadcast laws and committing other infractions.

Looking back to last September and Chavez's comments accusing the U.S. of "domination, exploitation and pillage of peoples of the world," an argument could be made that he's guilty of some of the same things in his own country.

Chavez made the sign of the cross during his attack on Bush and ended his UN diabtribe by saying, "It smells like sulfur here, but God is with us."

Something evil was clearly at the UN last September but it wasn't Bush.

Hopefully, anyone here or abroad who put Chavez on anything resembling a pedestal after his insane commentary has come back to reality.

The Venezuelan president's recent actions in his country should cause every American to stop and think about our First Amendment freedom of speech rights.

We should all be thankful we live in a nation where everyone, TV stations included, can be critical of our government or anything else without fear of punishment.

Free speech is what makes our country great and it should never be taken for granted.