The United States Tuesday welcomed Venezuela’s “civic” referendum lifting term limits for the president and all politicians, but urged support for democracy and tolerance in the country.

“We congratulate the civic and participatory spirit of the millions of Venezuelans who exercized their democratic right to vote,” State Department spokesman Noel Clay told AFP.

Venezuelans on Sunday voted 54 percent in favor of constitutional reform sought by President Hugo Chavez to run for unlimited reelection, in his bid to consolidate his brand of socialism critics compare to Cuba’s communism.

Clay said that after the vote, “it is important that elected officials now focus on governing democratically and addressing the issues of concern to the Venezuelan people.”

“We encourage all sectors of Venezuelan society to respect the diversity of use (of the vote) that is the strength of a pluralistic democracy,” he added.

The US reaction to Venezuela’s vote comes uncharacteristically before the complete tally has been announced. The country’s electoral board has issued its first, 54-46 percent vote result with only 94 percent of precincts reporting.

US-Venezuelan relations have been steadily deteriorating since Chavez first took office in 1999. In September, they took a turn for the worse after Venezuela expelled the US ambassador and the United States responded in kind.

The Obama/Clinton State Department is congratulating a former Democracy taken over by a dictator who supports Communism and Cuba style rule.

Hugo Chavez has taken over private property and fully nationalized oil as well as other former private industries. If the Obama administration thinks no term limits is a good thing when voted in for a dictator under the guise of Democracy then what is next for America?

But wait! That bill has already been written:

H.J. Res 5 Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States to repeal the twenty-second article of amendment, thereby removing the limitation on the number of terms an individual may serve as President.

Oh Boy! Socialism on fast-forward. Indeed!

UPDATED:

 See Also: State Department Lowers Bar on Hugo Chavez