Obama Gets Played by Chavez

We had the grin-and-grip picture of Barack Obama and Hugo Chavez greeting each other at the summit and looking like old buddies. Media hacks were declaring an end to the cold war between Venezuela and the U.S.

Guess not:

PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad and Tobago -- President Obama endured a 50-minute diatribe from socialist Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega that lashed out at a century of what he called terroristic U.S. aggression in Central America and included a rambling denunciation of the U.S.-imposed isolation of Cuba's Communist government.

Obama sat mostly unmoved during the speech but at times jotted notes. The speech was part of the opening ceremonies at the fifth Summit of the Americas here.

Later, at a photo opportunity with Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Obama held his tongue when asked what he thought about Ortega's speech.

"It was 50 minutes long. That's what I thought."

Yes, let's dare not call a communist thug what he really is. We might hurt his feelings.