Chavez bails out Kennedy, continues free oil program
posted at 9:25 am on January 9, 2009 by Ed Morrissey
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After Joe Kennedy publicly pleaded with Hugo Chavez to rescue his political career, Chavez reversed himself and pledged to continue his deliveries of heating oil to poor Americans while middle-class Venezuelans go without electricity. Kennedy had been one of the primary cheerleaders for the socialist-dictator-wannabe, and the abrupt end of the program had left him politically twisting in the wind. Kennedy made sure he was on hand for the announcement as well:
CITGO Petroleum Corporation confirmed the continuation of its social programs in alignment with the solidarity principles endorsed by the government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela through its national oil company, Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A., said CITGO Chairman, President and CEO Alejandro Granado during a press conference here today with Citizens Energy Chairman Joseph P. Kennedy II.
“Therefore, our flagship social program, the CITGO-Venezuela Heating Oil Program will continue. This decision is the result of a strong commitment and a big effort on the part of CITGO and our shareholder in light of the current global financial crisis and its impact on the oil industry in general,” said Granado.
Meanwhile, Kennedy pointed out that he is “personally aware of President Chavez’s genuine concern for the most vulnerable, regardless of where they may live.”
“Evidence of this is that President Chávez wanted all necessary efforts made to ensure the continuation of the program, so that its recipients will not be disappointed,” Kennedy added.
Kennedy got the spigots open again, but Chavez doesn’t have the money for it any longer, if he ever did. He is wasting Venezuelan resources on his own pet political projects while shortchanging Venezuelans. Chavez can’t even produce reliable electricity any longer, a major embarrassment for a modern nation as well as a net energy exporter. The service has become so unreliable that it damages and destroys the appliances of those least able to replace them, leaving poor families without refrigeration for their food and milk.
But Kennedy wants Chavez to support the poor in America while exploiting the poor in Venezuela for his own political ends. Why? Kennedy wants to put a big smily face on socialism here in the US. Ironically, he’s more likely to ensure Chavez’ end by forcing him into spending even more money that he doesn’t have and using energy resources he doesn’t provide his people back home. Chavez won’t get his constitutional amendment under those circumstances, and Venezuela will head into a crisis when Chavez refuses to relinquish power.
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Viva la (Venezuelan) revolucion!
Dr.Cwac.Cwac on January 9, 2009 at 9:30 AM
Hmm, is Kennedy secretly a patriotic, capitalist American, who wants Chavez to fail?
Nope, sorry, I can’t buy that.
rbj on January 9, 2009 at 9:32 AM
So, so glad that despite my surname, I am not related to these clowns.
BKennedy on January 9, 2009 at 9:32 AM
Them Kennedys is a piece o’ work, y’know?
whitetop on January 9, 2009 at 9:36 AM
It’s sad to consider the depth of self-loathing and guilt this Joe Kennedy has. To do the things he does in order to feel better about himself and garner attention is truly sad, and I mean that. Like a lot of liberals, they seem so truly miserable all the time. Because they worship self, the smartest among them are consumed with guilt for not being good enough, and selfless enough, and virtuous enough. They’ll do anything to prove themselves worthy, including ally with evil if necessary. It seems like a clear enough intellectual trap, but apparently not.
JiangxiDad on January 9, 2009 at 9:38 AM
As far as I’m concerned, we just can’t have enough of these effin Kennedy retards in office.
Seat Caroline NOW!
Get more dumbkopfs up on the hill so we can get the revolution over with that much sooner.
GodD@MNit I hate these people.
Bishop on January 9, 2009 at 9:38 AM
The poor in the US would be middle class or better in Venezuela. So it appears that socialists are the ones who rob from the poor in order to give to the rich.
MarkTheGreat on January 9, 2009 at 9:39 AM
It’s more likely that Mr. Kennedy, like most liberals, is unable to comprehend that his actions could have negative consequences. He truely believes that as long as he wants everything to work out, they will.
MarkTheGreat on January 9, 2009 at 9:40 AM
JiangxiDad on January 9, 2009 at 9:38 AM
One of these days I’ll meet a liberal who believes in being “selfless” with his own money.
But I won’t hold my breath.
MarkTheGreat on January 9, 2009 at 9:41 AM
I don’t really mind this. It sucks for the people of Venezuela, but I say keep the free resources coming. Anything that makes Chavez a little less popular with his own people is an added bonus.
BadgerHawk on January 9, 2009 at 9:42 AM
Glad to see the Kennedy’s are branching out to f-ing up other countries as well.
Sugar Land on January 9, 2009 at 9:42 AM
Hugo knows useful idiots.
JammieWearingFool on January 9, 2009 at 9:47 AM
Sooner or later, Chavez will have to stop it anyway. As for bringing down Joe Kennedy, this gives him a little wiggle room to come up with an out.
jeanie on January 9, 2009 at 9:47 AM
Absolutely. Meanwhile, this country could supply affordable heating oil too if environmentalists like the Kennedys didn’t prevent oil and gas companies from exploring and refining their products. I am left to conclude that its okay for Chavez to be a ‘polluter’ and for Venezuela to ‘destroy the environment’. NIBMY to the nth degree.
Buy Danish on January 9, 2009 at 9:48 AM
People like Kennedy never look at the long term or even the immediate reactions to their actions. All they can envision is what is directly in front of them. Typical of all politicians really, the law of unintended consequences is all too common.
Tim Zank on January 9, 2009 at 9:48 AM
Yeah they are call democrats
grapeknutz on January 9, 2009 at 9:48 AM
Fool me once, shame on me.
Fool me twice, I MUST BE A LIBERAL.
kingsjester on January 9, 2009 at 9:49 AM
I would love to see someone question the ‘princess’ re: her cuzs’ actions here. “Well, you know, it has always been, you know, our familys’ you know, way to , you know, help the poor, and , you know down-trodden in this, you know, great country, and you know, my wonnerful, you know cousin is just a you know, great example…blah, blah, you know, blah, blah. Can we please not even think about electing any more of the liars and self-appointed gods to our government seats.
clinker46 on January 9, 2009 at 9:52 AM
It’s typical of politicians who never had a real job. Yeah, Joe Kennedy runs a “business” but it’s not based on free market economics – he’s relying on a Socialist tyrant and charitable donations from Greeniacs to bail him out.
Buy Danish on January 9, 2009 at 9:53 AM
Nothing new here, this is what Chavez has been doing from day one.
Kermit on January 9, 2009 at 9:55 AM
The Kennedy family is a blight on this country, could we just box them up and send them back to Ireland?
NoDonkey on January 9, 2009 at 9:55 AM
Joe probably promised Hugo he’d give him Teddy’s Senate seat once he passes (since the family is already working to acquire a new one down in New York), if things don’t work out in Venezuela after this latest fuel giveaway.
jon1979 on January 9, 2009 at 9:56 AM
With or without air holes?
MarkTheGreat on January 9, 2009 at 9:57 AM
Just put em on a dinghy
blatantblue on January 9, 2009 at 9:58 AM
Kennedy has to be making money off this.
Boycott CITGO!!!
CP on January 9, 2009 at 9:59 AM
The sad thing is, these morons haven’t got the ability to comprehend history. They are completely blinded in the faith and belief that if we just treat someone (Chavez, Amadinnerjacket, etc) fairly and compassionately they will reciprocate. One need look no further than the written history of mankind to see that it hasn’t worked since time began, so why is it going to suddenly work in 2009?
Tim Zank on January 9, 2009 at 10:04 AM
Kennedy heads an organization here in the US that distributes that oil. I’m pretty sure that the organization pays him a salary.
MarkTheGreat on January 9, 2009 at 10:05 AM
Liberals believe that the power of their moral authority will force it to work this time.
MarkTheGreat on January 9, 2009 at 10:06 AM
Why do America’s liberals endorse these enemies of freedom and human rights? They must admire the power and covet similar power for themselves in America. Most telling is the failure to condemn free press abuses — liberals prefer Pravda-like orthodoxy. Free speech for me, but not for thee.
Mark30339 on January 9, 2009 at 10:08 AM
You are right, being an eternal optimist is one thing, nothing wrong with that, but being absolutely blind to reality is ridiculous. It’s as though Kennedy and his ilk can’t fathom the reality that people like Chavez slit throats on a dime. How do they block that out???
Tim Zank on January 9, 2009 at 10:09 AM
You’re right. This is from a Human Events article one year ago:
So, Kennedy set up a “non-profit” umbrella organization to “help the children” of course. In turn, that “non-profit” just happens to own a for-profit company that handles the oil sales, from which he makes lots of money.
CP on January 9, 2009 at 10:17 AM
Does it disgust anyone else that Americans are begging for handouts from a socialist country or even any country?
As someone else pointed out our poor live like most country’s middle-class.
But hey, at least while our poor, fat-ass Americans are playing their XBox, smoking a cig, downing a brewski and admiring their fake nails they will be all toasty warm.
mrsmwp on January 9, 2009 at 10:18 AM
The real Joe Kennedy (the old man and the war hero son) are rolling in their graves. This is disgraceful.
Mr. Joe on January 9, 2009 at 10:18 AM
Isn’t it wonderful that one of our glorious national leaders is pandering to a sleazy, brutal, piece of rat crap communist pig? We should be so proud. On the other hand, that’s about par for a Kennedy.
rplat on January 9, 2009 at 10:30 AM
Maybe we can send Joe down to help Hugo straighten everything out. Of course Joe would only go if the pay were commensurate with his new responsibilities. Hey Joe, a lot of American CEO’s are now working for $1 a year. Care to join them and show your “solidarity” with the American working class?………………crickets chirping……………
GarandFan on January 9, 2009 at 10:31 AM
You can’t sip on expensive Chardonnay and bash your country on only $1 a year, damnit!
Tim Zank on January 9, 2009 at 10:35 AM
I believe Kennedys can breathe anywhere (including under water), just pack a case of scotch in the box and $1.00 postage and they’ll be fine.
NoDonkey on January 9, 2009 at 10:36 AM
I’d actually never heard of this Joe Kennedy II here.
The Kennedys are like the Baldwin brothers, every time you think that the you’ve got a bead on them, another one pops up.
Just makes me glad the Clintons kept the family small, it must have been quite the night Chelsea was conceived.
NoDonkey on January 9, 2009 at 10:38 AM
I would rather freeze.
conservnut on January 9, 2009 at 10:39 AM
This is the Kennedy that fights toothe and nail to constrict BP, Amoco and anyone else on domestic production here because it is “killing” our environment and endangering our populice, but he’ll beg for and accept oil from Venezuela because apparently it’s ok for them to pollute the planet and endanger their populice.
And to him, and millions of Dems, that makes perfect sense.
Tim Zank on January 9, 2009 at 10:42 AM
To bad Mary Jo didn’t have the same ability.
MarkTheGreat on January 9, 2009 at 10:56 AM
That wouldn’t work for them. The pleasure and satisfaction is derived from
forcinghelping others see the lightJiangxiDad on January 9, 2009 at 11:07 AM
So right Mark, but if you ask todays crop of stupid, self-serving liberals who Mary Jo is, hell they won’t know, true story, I asked my dumbed down daughter who worships at the shrine of these wonderful dems, and when I explained to her what had happened, her response was ” Well, it was an accident, you can’t blame Teddy, and besides, look at all the good he has done since then”. Guess I screwed up somewhere raising this punk-ass kid. *sigh*
clinker46 on January 9, 2009 at 11:09 AM
So who has the refinery capacity for Hugo’s oil, anyway?
Serious question here, just too lazy to dig for the answer.
irongrampa on January 9, 2009 at 11:10 AM
Buck up champ, how old is she?
I was an idiot Democrat until 30.
I read everything I could get my hands on as a kid and since that was the 70’s and early 80’s, most of it was liberal trash.
Once people have to live in the real world and not in the phony world in which reporters and trust fund millionaire politicians reside, a good many of them wise up.
NoDonkey on January 9, 2009 at 11:14 AM
It’s good to know the American poor (who, with the exception of a few pockets of actual poverty are wealthier than the middle class in most countries) are more important than Venezuela’s poor and middle class folks.
It’d be a shame if they had to cancel their ‘cabel’ in order to pay for their heating oil.
I’d really be interested in knowing how he’s selling this program in Venezuela…
JadeNYU on January 9, 2009 at 11:17 AM
My dad’s got the opposite problem. He can’t figure out how a good, union Democrat like himself has raised 3 heartless conservatives. :)
He says it must have been my mom indoctrinating us while he was at work…
JadeNYU on January 9, 2009 at 11:19 AM
NoDonkey on January 9, 2009 at 11:14 AM
She’s 41, so sad….They are in debt up totheir ears, have 2 suvs, mcmansion, tv in every room, xbox, upodated gameboys every year, karate, gymnastics, drama club, swim club, (2 beautiful kids) and they blame Bush and the R party for not having any money and making them go into debt!!!!. Sheesh!! I am trying to spend as much time with my grandkids to teach they the right way, not their parents. this is our society. My 11 yr old grandson does not know how to play outside, at all. *sigh*
clinker46 on January 9, 2009 at 11:28 AM
Does heating oil get refined?
MarkTheGreat on January 9, 2009 at 11:34 AM
What the heck is he holding? Might explain things, no?
bloggless on January 9, 2009 at 11:44 AM
You’d think being a mom would help.
What helped me was joining the Navy and working with and going to ports where so many liberal mascots resided.
Without the Navy, who knows? I may have become a (shudder) “journalist”.
There but for the grace of God, go I.
NoDonkey on January 9, 2009 at 11:47 AM
I worry that my children might become liberals, that would truly be a dagger.
Kids are contrary and I was one until 30. That’s a long time to suffer.
NoDonkey on January 9, 2009 at 11:48 AM
My second oldest moved to California last June. Having been taught the principles of conservatism by his dear old Dad, he says he now feels like he was thrown into a pit of venomous vipers.
I warned him about La-La-land.
fogw on January 9, 2009 at 11:57 AM
Wow.
That’s all I can say to a lot of this crud.
latinchic on January 9, 2009 at 12:05 PM
And pays Kennedy his half-million a year salary, which is probably about 5 times what this nitwit would be able to earn in a private-sector job.
AZCoyote on January 9, 2009 at 12:08 PM
How much $ is Joe kicking in?
marklmail on January 9, 2009 at 12:23 PM
perfect picture of a Kennedy hosing us..
Wade on January 9, 2009 at 12:52 PM
You can make $100K a year fellating Hugo Chavez?
Does Barney Frank know about this racket?
NoDonkey on January 9, 2009 at 1:14 PM
It’s good to know that this isn’t one of those jobs “Americans won’t do”.
NoDonkey on January 9, 2009 at 1:29 PM
Ya, they are a real piece of something…
Wade on January 9, 2009 at 3:33 PM
Joe Kennedy = Useful Idiot
StatenItaly08 on January 9, 2009 at 5:42 PM
Wow down with the blue collar crew ehh Joe? Ain’t he some kind of heroin junkie crack head alcoholic? I think he is for real.
sonnyspats1 on January 9, 2009 at 9:29 PM
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