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.