Let me guess, the consequences will be obama picks somebody else for the job. It's funny when obama and his gang of thugs try to put on the tough act. They don't know anything about tough. They know sneaking and bribing. They know backstabbing and trickery, but they don't know a damn thing about tough. obama does try to talk tough, like when he wanted to know who's ass to kick, that was really funny.
I have a feeling that the thug dictator chavez will get about anything he wants from obama. Isn't he one of obama's socialist heroes? Aren't they buddies? Maybe obama should make sean penn the ambassador. Of course, nothing would ever get accomplished because sean penn is dumber than a bag of hammers and he has a man crush on chavez or maybe it is a real crush. Who knows and even more important, who cares...
From FoxNews
It is in the best interest of the United States to maintain relations with Venezuela, but that country may face diplomatic "consequences" if it refuses to accept Larry Palmer as the U.S. ambassador there, a State Department spokesman said Wednesday.
Spokesman Mark Toner said he's prohibited from discussing visa issues under U.S. law, but suggested Venezuela's ambassador to the U.S. Bernardo Alvarez could become the casualty in a diplomatic feud with Venezuela.
Toner was commenting after Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez on Tuesday dared the U.S. government to expel Alvarez in reaction to Venezuela's rejection of Larry Palmer as the White House's choice for ambassador in Caracas.
Chavez reiterated that he will not allow Palmer to be ambassador, and said "if the government is going to expel our ambassador there, let them do it! ... If they're going to cut diplomatic relations, let them do it!"
"We believe it's in our national interest to have an ambassador in Caracas so we can express our views and engage with the government of Venezuela," Toner said, noting that tensions between the two countries demands that they stay in contact.
The United States does have a second in command at the embassy, but Toner said an ambassador is an ambassador and head of the diplomatic mission in host countries.
Toner was grilled by reporters Wednesday and, while he would not say what the consequence could be, he did say there could be consequences. Toner didn't deny that throwing Alvarez out is an option but said his plans right now are the decision of the Venezuelan government.
The State Department has previously said it stands behind its nomination of Palmer, who is awaiting Senate confirmation. Palmer angered Chavez by suggesting during the confirmation process that morale is low in Venezuela's military and that he is concerned Colombian rebels are finding refuge in Venezuela.
State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley also said last week that Venezuela's decision not to accept Palmer -- after initially giving its approval -- will have consequences on relations with Venezuela, and that the U.S. government will evaluate what to do.
The State Department has also been strongly critical of decree powers granted to Chavez by his congressional allies this month, a maneuver Crowley described as one more way for the leftist president to "justify autocratic powers."
"Now the U.S. government is threatening us that they're going to take reprisals. Well, let them do whatever they want, but that man will not come," Chavez said in a televised speech.
There was no immediate reaction from the U.S. Embassy in Caracas, which has been without an ambassador since Patrick Duddy finished his assignment and left in July.
Chavez, whose economy relies heavily on oil sales to the United States, has accused Palmer of dishonoring the Venezuelan government by expressing concerns on several sensitive subjects, including 2008 accusations by the U.S. Treasury Department that three members of Chavez's inner circle helped Colombian rebels by supplying arms and aiding drug-trafficking operations.
"For an ambassador to come, he has to respect this homeland," Chavez said.
Chavez's latest actions in pushing through controversial laws are contributing to the diplomatic tensions.
