53% of Venezuelans live in poverty. If Chavez were truly concerned about
the poor and destitute, he'd have turned his sites on lowering the poverty
rate in his country...instead of making a token gesture in the backyard of
Bush's 2004 political opponent just to take a jab at Bush.

It's ironic, though, that he singled out the folks in Massachusetts (a very
"Blue" state) as those most in need of help.

We red-staters would have told him to stuff it.




"Harry Krause" wrote in message
...
Harry Krause wrote:
Massachusetts in energy deal with Venezuela
Deal provides discounted oil to needy in state
The Associated Press
Updated: 3:25 p.m. ET Nov. 22, 2005

QUINCY, Mass. - Venezuelan officials signed a deal Tuesday to ship 12
million gallons (45 million liters) of discounted home heating oil to
poor Americans in Massachusetts as part of plan by Venezuelan leader Hugo
Chavez to help needy U.S. communities.

The fuel is being offered by Citgo Petroleum Corp., a subsidiary of
Venezuela's state-owned oil company which runs roughly 16,000 gas
stations in the U.S.

U.S. Rep. William Delahunt, who helped broker the deal, called the
agreement "an expression of humanitarianism at its very best," and
rejected criticism that the move was motivated by politics. Chavez often
blames the plight of the poor on unbridled capitalism and had criticized
U.S. President George W. Bush's government for failing to reduce poverty.

"This is a gesture about people," said Delahunt, a Democrat.

Delahunt said the agreement could set an example for U.S. oil companies.
Congressional leaders have asked the companies to use some of their
profits to fund heating fuel assistance programs for low-income
residents.

"I just hope that this sends a message, and that other oil companies will
step and help also," Delahunt said.

Reducing costs?
Chavez announced the idea of offering fuel directly to poor U.S.
communities during a visit to Cuba in August. He has said the aim is to
bypass middlemen to reduce costs for the American poor.



Good for Chavez. He's doing more than Bush, Inc., is doing.


Poisitively? I've got to stop hanging out here with the right-wing grammar
school dropouts.

--
Bush deserves a fair trial!