Wednesday, November 30, 2005
A: When you accept it on behalf of someone else.
Far be it for me to begrudge someone else cheaper home heating oil, I could use some myself (though none of this batch is going to me), but this strikes me as fraught with ethical issues. Will William Delahunt be able to express a trustworthy opinion on South American strongman Hugo Chavez while Chavez is helping Delahunt bring home the bacon?
OpinionJournal: Oil for Friends - Hugo Chávez repays his Congressional amigo
Last week Venezuela announced that its U.S.-based Citgo Petroleum would sell 12 million gallons of home heating oil at a 40% discount to help the poor in Massachusetts. The deal was announced by Mr. Delahunt on the lawn of a beneficiary before Thanksgiving, with Congressman Ed Markey at his side. "This today is about people, it's not about politics," Mr. Delahunt said with a straight face. Massachusetts-based Citizens Energy, run by the Kennedy clan, will be one of the distributors.
"To Citgo, to the people of Venezuela, our debt," the Congressman pledged...
Nothing like being beholden to an anti-American demagogue. At least we pay Saudi Arabia full price to spread hatred of us. No one owes anyone anything.
For less pliable Americans, el jefe del Caracas has a different policy. On Monday, a U.S. Congressional delegation led by House International Relations Chairman Henry Hyde and ranking Democrat Tom Lantos was barred from entering the country and held aboard their aircraft for two hours. The delegation's itinerary had been known to Venezuelan officials for weeks. For a little more discount oil, perhaps Mr. Delahunt will explain to his colleagues how this was all just one big misunderstanding.
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