For former president Bill Clinton, the language that Chavez used in his United Nations speech was unfortunate. "Obviously I think he made a mistake to do it. I wish he hadn’t done it," said Clinton on Wednesday. "He’s not hurting us, just himself and his country."

Washington’s UN ambassador John Bolton dismissed Chavez’s speech as a "comic strip approach to international."

Bush administration officials have not responded directly to Chavez’s remarks.

"I am not going to dignify a comment by the Venezuelan president to the president of the United States. I think it is not becoming for a head of state," Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said on Wednesday.

The US news media on Thursday was surprised to find Chavez’s UN remarks harsher than those by Iranian President President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

"Iran who? Venezuela takes the lead in a battle of anti-US soundbites," read The New York Times.

The Washington Times featured front-page side-by-side photographs of Bush next to Chavez with his hands joined in prayer at the UN podium.

USA Today compared the Chavez speech to Soviet leader Nikita Khruschev’s famous 1960 shoe-banging UN speech, and Palestinian leader Yassir Arafat’s 1974 UN speech, delivered with a gun on his hip.

Charles Rangel, an opposition Democrat who represents Harlem in the US Congress and a harsh Bush critic, was not impressed by Chavez’s rhetoric.

"You don’t come into my country, you don’t come into my congressional district and you don’t condemn my president," he told US media on Thursday.

"If there’s any criticism of president Bush, it should be restricted to Americans whether they voted for him or not," he said. "I just want to make it abundantly clear to Hugo Chavez or any other president — don’t come to the United States and think because we have problems with our president, that any foreigner can come to our country and not think that Americans do not feel offended when you offend our chief of state."

CONG. RANGEL CONDEMNS CHAVEZ’S ATTACK ON BUSH 

WASHINGTON - I want to express my extreme displeasure with statements by the President of Venezuela attacking U.S. President George Bush in such a personal and disparaging way during his remarks at the United Nations General Assembly.

It  should be clear to all heads of government that criticism of Bush Administration policies, either domestic or foreign, does not entitle them to attack the President personally.

George Bush is the President of the United States and represents the entire country. Any demeaning public attack against him is viewed by Republicans and Democrats, and all Americans, as an attack on all of us.

I feel that I must speak out now since the Venezuelan government has been instrumental in providing oil at discounted prices to people in low income communities who have suffered increases in rent as heating oil prices have risen sharply.  By offering this benefit to people in need, Venezuela has won many friends in poor communities of New York and other states.  I am surprised that American oil companies have not stepped up to provide that kind of assistance to the poor.

Venezuela’s generosity to the poor, however, should not be interpreted as license to attack President Bush.  Those who take issue with Bush Administration policies have no right to attack him personally.  It was not helpful when President Bush referred to certain nations as an "axis of evil."  Neither is it helpful for a head of state to use the sacred halls of the United Nations to insult President Bush. 

Leading Bush critic at home calls Chavez a "thug"

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - One of President George W. Bush’s fiercest political opponents at home took his side on Thursday, calling Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez a "thug" for his remark that Bush is like the devil.

"Hugo Chavez fancies himself a modern day Simon Bolivar but all he is an everyday thug," House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi said at a news conference, referring to Chavez’ comments in a U.N. General Assembly speech on Wednesday.

"Hugo Chavez abused the privilege that he had, speaking at the United Nations," said Pelosi, a frequent Bush critic. "He demeaned himself and he demeaned Venezuela." 

Harkin defends Venezuelan President’s U-N speech against Bush

Iowa Senator Tom Harkin, a democrat, today defended Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez’s United Nations speech in which Chavez called President George Bush the devil. Harkin said the comments were "incendiary", then went on to say, "Let me put it this way, I can understand the frustration, ah, and the anger of certain people around the world because of George Bush’s policies." Harkin continued what has been frequent criticism of the president’s foreign policy.

Harkin says Bush came to office saying he wanted a new humility in foreign policy in reaching out to other countries, but Harkin says Bush’s actual policy has been heavy handed. Harkin says the anger against Bush is generated from the Iraq war, which Harkin says was "unnecessary."

Harkin says, "We tend to forget that a few days after 9-1-1 thousands, thousands of Iranians marched in a candlelight procession in Teheran in support of the United States. Every Muslim country was basically on our side. Just think, in five years, President Bush has squandered all that." Harkin says the U.S. has put billions of dollars into the Iraq war, when it could be helping poor countries with things like clean water, medical aid and education.