Venezuela expands controversial US fuel sales

[Judi Lynn]

Venezuela expands controversial US fuel sales
Mon Feb 27, 2006 4:52 PM ET

BOSTON (Reuters) - Venezuela's controversial fuel subsidies for the U.S. poor expanded into Connecticut on Monday, two weeks after U.S. Republican lawmakers questioned whether the cheap oil masked a broader anti-American agenda.

The assistance, described as "humanitarian aid" by Venezuela's embassy in Washington, deepens an ongoing spat between leftist President Hugo Chavez and President George W. Bush, who calls Chavez a threat to democracy in Latin America.
(snip)

"This heating oil assistance fills an unfortunate, profoundly important need for our citizens -- and is consistent with our laws," said Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal in a statement released on one of the coldest days of the winter in the Northeast United States.

Connecticut is the seventh state to receive cheap oil from Venezuela, which also sent shipments to Massachusetts, Maine, Rhode Island, Delaware, Pennsylvania and Vermont. The Bronx in New York City also joined the program.
(snip/...)

http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=politicsNews&storyID=2006-02-27T215158Z_01_N27393662_RTRUKOC_0_US-ENERGY-USA-VENEZUELA.xml

[goforit]

1. Now this is a wise move by Conn. It's time to break the ice!!!

Literally!!

No more politics should be allowed when lives are at stake!

[Flabbergasted]

2. No matter what they Say about Hugo the guy is really bold.

Its admirable

[IndianaGreen]

3. That commie enchilada is cutting our oil profits!

Oh, the horror!

:sarcasm:

[yellowcanine]

4. Shit why is it "controversial"???? A couple of upset right wingers

makes it controversial?

[Judi Lynn]

6. "Controversial" because Chavez won't let Bush control Venezuela.a

_Bush's kind of Repbublicans don't respect the right of non-Republicans to have their own countries, elect their own Presidents.

[Wilms]

7. That's quite the telling image, Judi. Wow. n/t

[Judi Lynn]

8. It looks like a man with a guilty conscience trying to sneak past a man

he has tried to destroy. I could swear _Bush looks as if he's scared to death Hugo Chavez is going to confront him!

That was taken around January 12, 2004, in Monterrey, Mexico, at the "Summit of the Americas," attended by OAS states, and may have frightened him as he was facing some new left Latin American leaders. There are even more now, with more probably on the way, if _Bush can't find some way to sabotage the elections of the next Peruvian President, and the Mexican President this year.

Probably scared to death to EVEN risk looking him in the eye!



Chavez has the upper hand, psychologically, as his conscience is clean. He hasn't tried to destroy _Bush.

[ronnie624]

16. That image is one of my favorites.

"It looks like a man with a guilty conscience trying to sneak past a man he has tried to destroy. I could swear Bush looks as if he's scared to death Hugo Chavez is going to confront him!"

That was my impression when I first saw this photo, and Chavez's bearing is indeed that of someone with a clear conscience. He is confident he works in the cause of justice and it shows. The difference in moral character between the two individuals in that image is striking.

[ronnie624]

18. Oops.

That was supposed to be in reply to post #6. :blush:

[Karmakaze]

22. It's controversial because...

a "tinpot dictator" has done more to ease the suffering of poor Americans than "the leader of the free world". It's controversial because it makes the US capitalist system look like the cold inhuman killing machine it really is.

It's controversial because whipping up support for the murder of Chavez will be harder than ever before!

[Wilms]

5. Ya think Lieberman will thank him? n/t

:shrug:

[Judi Lynn]

12. That's a good one.

In all the other states, it has been the Democratic congressmen who first contacted American oil companies, begging for discounted heating oil prices for their poorest customers, only to be completely blown off, who went ahead after that and set up the deals with Venezuela.

Joe Lieberman, the friend of the poor. Yeah, sure!

[Rose Siding]

9. God bless them.

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

10. Viva Chavez!

I wish he could run for president here

[eridani]

11. Chavez is acting in American interests

The recipients of the discounted oil are Americans, ain't they? QED.

[cliss]

13. Actually, it's more than just a "good deed".

About the oil giveaway: Chavez did it to humiliate Bush. The idea of an emerging country donating to an Empire has got to sting. Also, I've read that the oil companies are outraged, furious about it. Notice? Chavez didn't give to remote outlying communities. The oil went to larger communities where the word would spread.

Added Bonus: The happy recipients will speak highly of Chavez. They'll look at their own oil companies with disgust.

I think the oil executives are literally burning up about this.

[Judi Lynn]

15. It's being distributed by Venzuela's Citgo Oil.

Could be they don't have the ability to move large quantities into the remote areas, where they would travel farther and reach fewer people.

[cliss]

17. Aha, thanks for the update.

Too bad we don't have Citgo here in Oregon. I wish Hugo Chavez only the best. He's a remarkable man. He towers above that worm Bush.

[TankLV]

14. Sounds like it's "pro-American agenda" to me.

Of course, I'm happy, thrilled actually, that its also "anti-bush*", too.

Memo to repukes:

bush* is not "american".

Anything that is "anti-bush*" is GOOD for America!

[Texacrat]

20. How is THIS program Anti-Bush?

It's an apolitical charity IMHO

[Texacrat]

19. If the Bush admin can make a deal with the UAE

Why can't they accept cheap oil from the Venezuelans?

[Voltaire99]

21. Reuters: reliable propagandists

Couldn't report a word of this without the official spin, could they?

[entanglement]

23. Reuters is shameless

Never seen such biased crap before :mad:

[area51]

24. "cheap oil {to the poor} ... a broader anti-American agenda."

Now nazi can you get? Giving assistance to the poor is "anti-American" now. :eyes: :mad: :nuke: