"Say it ain't so!"
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| Home Front: Politix | ||||
| Is Citgo, Chavez discounted oil offer propaganda? | ||||
| 2007-03-20 | ||||
James L. Martin WASHINGTON -- Former Massachusetts Rep. Joseph Kennedy II has been playing a strange game of political footsie with the virulently anti-American Venezuelan caudillo Hugo Chavez, who is in the final stages of turning a once-flourishing democracy into a South American replica of Fidel Castro's Cuba. He is willing to turn a blind eye to the repression of 26 million Venezuelans because Chavez ordered state-owned Citgo to donate millions of gallons of discounted heating oil to Kennedy's non-profit Citizen Energy Corp. for distribution to low-income households. Kennedy has been featured in Citgo TV ads running in 16 major markets touting the heating oil program as an example of a socially conscious corporation helping the downtrodden. The ads show grateful elderly Americans bemoaning their inability to buy heating oil at "affordable" prices. Kennedy then steps forward as a shining knight of altruism saying: "I'm Joe Kennedy. Help is on the way ...heating oil at 40 percent off from our friends in Venezuela and Citgo."
Kennedy's timing is less than impeccable. He ought to know that Chavez already has moved to nationalize most of Venezuela's industries and is brow-beating their owners to accept pennies-on-the-dollar compensation. He might also be aware that Chavez routinely claps his political enemies in jail and confiscates privately owned newspapers and TV stations that criticize him. Just this month, he persuaded his stooge-packed parliament to give him what amounts to dictatorial powers for the next 18 months. How's that for "power to the people," Mr. Kennedy?
Far from being an act of altruism, it is merely a cynical propaganda ploy -- although one that doesn't register on a former five-term congressman whose uncle had the courage to face down two of the 20th century's most despicable dictators -- Nikita Khrushchev and Fidel Castro. Kennedy seems oblivious to the rapid decline of freedom in Venezuela -- a nation created in 1830 by the great South American liberator Simon Bolivar, using the United States as his model. In addition to shilling for Citgo and Chavez on TV, Kennedy has accompanied the Venezuelan ambassador and Citgo's CEO to poor urban neighborhoods on the East Coast -- touting his buddy Hugo as a true friend of America and social justice. Social justice apparently doesn't begin at home. Kennedy's cozying up to an oppressive dictator who provides him with discounted oil and strokes his personal vanity demonstrates both a lack of courage and judgment.
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| Posted by:Steve White |
| #4 Anyone with the last name of Kennedy should be barred from politics. Genetically, they are incapbale of understanding the difference between "good" and "evil". John was the misfit. |
| Posted by: Old Patriot 2007-03-20 16:14 |
| #3 Good ole Joe singing the praises of a thug who is ruining his country. Just like Grandpa Joe. Must be congenital. |
| Posted by: Nimble Spemble 2007-03-20 08:57 |
| #2 Where's the "No" column? I'd bet that'd be pretty funny. |
| Posted by: tu3031 2007-03-20 08:50 |
| #1 "Say it ain't so!" |
| Posted by: gorb 2007-03-20 05:54 |