Posted on 11/22/2005 8:31:03 PM PST by conservativecorner
A prominent member of the Kennedy family is joining forces with one of President George Bushs most ardent foes Venezuelan strongman Hugo Chavez.
A subsidiary of Venezuelas national oil company will ship 12 million gallons of discounted home-heating oil to Massachusetts in a deal that former U.S. representative Joseph P. Kennedy II helped to arrange.
The $9 million worth of oil will go to 45,000 low-income families and institutions that serve the poor, such as homeless shelters, said officials from Citizens Energy, an organization founded by Kennedy in 1979.
When the oil arrives next month, Citizens Energy will help screen recipients, according to the Boston Globe.
Home-heating oil prices are expected to rise significantly this winter because of higher crude oil prices. But "some foreign-policy analysts said Chavez helped broker the deal in part as a jab at President Bush, according to the Globe.
Chavez has frequently criticized the Bush administration, saying it is not doing enough to help the poor. He has called Bush an "assassin, "Mr. Danger," and a "crazy man.
"It is a slap in the face, to the Bush administration, said Larry Birns, executive director of the Council on Hemispheric Affairs.
"Chavez is involved in petro-diplomacy.
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Human rights groups have accused Chavez of curtailing press freedoms and criticized his treatment of political foes. But Kennedy told the Globe he was not concerned about Chavezs politics: "You start parsing which countries politics were going to feel comfortable with, and only buying oil from them, then there are going to be a lot of people not driving their cars and not staying warm this winter.
Citizens Energy Corp. is a nonprofit organization. But the Kennedy family has extensive oil interests, author Peter Schweizer reveals in his best-selling new book "Do As I Say (Not As I Do): Profiles in Liberal Hypocrisy."
According to Schweizer, "oil deposits have generated tens of millions in profits for the Kennedy clan
In total, family revenue from crude oil and natural gas is more than $1 million a year.
FR is a great place to let of steam. It saves from yelling at the wife for boucning a check, and grounding kids for watching MTV. But, that being said...we buy oil from vensezula....so what the heck is the fuss about. People here just go ape when the Kennedy's are involved in anything. Leave 'em be! And they will just vanish. The next gen of the Kennedy's are pretty dang stupid so they'll join the rest of us in our everyday struggle to make a career and find a job.
Man they pulled my comment....that sucks big time. Oh oh..I used the "s" word....
I guess you are just as worked up about us buying oil from Saudi Arabia. You know the Saudi's don't you...the place from where the 9/11 terrorists came from. Where islamic jihad was born.
As a matter of fact, Saudi oil doesn't thrill me either. I don't drive anymore. I walk. And no, I don't live in a big city where everything is readily available.
well buddy we live in the 21 centuary. Our airlines, trains and 18-wheelers need Saudi and Venenzula oil to keep this economy going. Open up Alaska and near-shore drilling, and I'd go ape over buying oil from the Saudi's...but until we value the prestine wilderness of Alaska more than funding a nation filled with jihadies...Venezula is a drop in the bucket.
GOOD! Less demand for the remaining supply. Maybe middle-income families will get the oil they need. You can bet for damn sure that none of the Kennedy Klux Klan will get a chill this winter.
Did you make a mistake in the above statement?
Let's see...this is what I ment to say...we as a nation don't care about the fact that our $$$'s in Saudi go toward Jihad. But, we do care that the Alaska wilderness is spoilt by drilling for oil. Our priorities are skewed.
Will Michael Moore attack the Kennedys for its oil interests, as he does the Bushes?
My word you dream big!
Let's see if the bribed remain bribed. I have seen a lot of ingratitude toward the US and our generosity over the years.
I doubt the recipients are going to bless Chavez. More than likely, they will continue to expect this sort of discount and complain mightily if it isn't continued in perpetuity.
Can someone from the NE explain why there is still so much usage of fuel oil for heating, there? Here in the Midwest, I recall when the oil companies were coming around to remove our old oil tanks. Most of us had switched to propane. In the country, I see a lot of those outdoor wood boilers for hot water heat. Even in the towns, where natural gas is used, the cost has caused folks to switch to pellet stoves.
Posters commenting on the fungible nature of oil have it right, IMO.
wanna buy sum oil?
bttt
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