Hugo Chávez narrowly loses referendum vote

I'm not sure what the Venezuelans were saying in the referendum vote. Were they voting against socialism? Were they voting against Hugo Chávez? Was it both? Or was it some of the other 67 amendments contained in the referendum? My gut feeling is it was a all of the above.

It is a democracy and denying Hugo Chávez the opportunity to hold office as long as he's re-elected doesn't make him president for life. Each seven years the people would have the opportunity to kick his ass out.

Venezuelan voters narrowly rejected a constitutional referendum that would have bolstered President Hugo Chavez's embrace of socialism and granted an indefinite extension of his eligibility to serve as president, the National Electoral Council reported early Monday.

About 51 percent of voters opposed the amendments, while approximately 49 percent were in favor of them.

"Don't feel sad. Don't feel burdened," Chavez told supporters immediately after the results were announced.

More than nine million of Venezuelan's 16 million eligible voters went to the polls Sunday.

President of the National Electoral Council, Tibisay Lucena, said the process "shows the entire world that we are a democratic country."

Chavez, in what he called a talk "from my heart" acknowledging the results, thanked those who opposed his proposal, saying the election had proven that Venezuelan democracy is maturing.

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The most controversial amendment would do away with term limits, thereby allowing the 53-year-old former paratrooper, who has already served almost eight years in power, to hold it indefinitely as long as he is re-elected.

Well, at least Putin got his.

Vladimir Putin’s party won a crushing victory in Russia’s parliamentary elections, paving the way for the authoritarian leader to remain in control even after he steps down as president.