Venezuela Oil Offer Puts Heat On Rell (Cheap heating oil from Chavez)

[Pale Blue Dot]

Should Gov. M. Jodi Rell accept deeply discounted heating oil for Connecticut's poor if it comes - via a gubernatorial rival - from the government of Venezuela's socialist president, Hugo Chavez?

It is a delicate question that Rell soon must answer thanks to a deal arranged by one of her Democratic opponents, New Haven Mayor John DeStefano Jr.

DeStefano, whose administration has worked on the deal since December, said Wednesday that Rell shouldn't hesitate, even if Chavez is a harsh critic of the Bush administration.

"She's clearly more concerned about George Bush's politics than about the needs of families in Connecticut," DeStefano said.

http://www.courant.com/news/local/hc-venezuela0223.artfeb23,0,5101624.story?coll=hc-headlines-home

[liberalmike27]

1. Hugo

Hugo seems like a pretty nice guy to me. He offered help for NO, and has offered help in the form of heating oil to the poor in the North.

It is sad that we live in a time where decent guys like this are demonized, and greedy f*ckers like Bush and Cheney seem to be worshipped.

The rich and their media apparatus has to demonize anyone who actually shows concern for humans. You wouldn't want anyone to get a bit of time to think about whether the actions of Hugo Chavez are good or bad. They jump right in and fill a bunch of reality television rattled minds what to think.

[wordpix]

4. I agree---why is Chavez so demonized by the right? THEY certainly aren't

doing anything for the poor.

[movonne]

2. Don't take oil for the poor from Chavez, but sell our ports to a

terrorist sympathizer ...well that makes sense...

[Judi Lynn]

3. Poor thing is next to an idiot. She'll NEVER be seen as a leader.

From Finnfan's article:

By consulting the Democratic attorney general, the Republican governor will have some political cover for her eventual decision, which is sure to become a gubernatorial issue no matter what she decides.

If she endorses the oil deal, Rell is setting up DeStefano to claim credit for securing 4.8 million gallons of oil that would help 24,000 families each save a couple hundred dollars this heating season.

A negative response would leave Rell open to criticism that she kept aid from the poor, perhaps for fear of insulting Bush.

DeStefano, who is competing with Stamford Mayor Dannel P. Malloy for the Democratic nomination, already is critical.

"Instead of putting pressure on Big Oil, which is enjoying record profits, she is standing in the way, parroting Bush," DeStefano said. "To me that is inexplicable."

Rell, who called the popularly elected Chavez a "dictator," raised national and international political concerns in her letter requesting a legal opinion from Blumenthal.
(snip/...)

She's actually happy to turn and point at Hugo Chavez, repeating the right-wing "dictator" crap some right-wingers have been dragging around. Yeah, everyone who has learned _Bush means to destroy him by pumping funding to the "opposition," and underwriting destabilization in Venezuela, including national lock-out strikes, a kidnapping, and a coup, followed by a recount, and continuous propaganda is a real tyrant, eh? :eyes: :eyes: :eyes:

[wordpix]

5. Rell's dissing Chavez as a dictator---what about UAE and SaudiA ?

We deal with them, don't we?

[Judi Lynn]

7. It's too much to ask a Republican to be logical. Or truthful. n/t

[Bandit]

6. Why don't they ever refer to Chavez as Venezuela's

Democratically Elected President. He is not a Socialist although he is very much a Populist.

[wordpix]

8. hahahaha, love it, DeStefano will be looked at in a brand new way now