Venezuela will keep you warm this winter
Hugo Chavez's government is helping out poor Americans this winter by donating heating oil from Citgo. It's no secret that Chavez loathes Dubya (and vice versa), nor is it a secret that he and his country benefit quite a bit from America's gas-guzzling ways.
While I agree that Dubya's foreign policy is retarded and his administration has egregiously ignored the poverty-stricken in this country for the past 6 years (gee, let them faith-based charities help the poor...), I don't exactly gush with love for Chavez either. Yes, he's done some tangible things to provide the destitute education and healthcare in the shanty towns around Venezuela's cities and he's reformed the judicial & media sectors of society; however, his style can be pretty inflammatory. Is that really the best way to get one's message across?
Now, I'm no expert in Venezuelan politics or history, but it is refreshing to see someone in a position of power helping people instead of merely yapping about it. Perhaps some American politicians could take notes? The new session of Congress in January holds some promise, let's just hope the don't cock it up like usual. Although if the new kids are new only in name and not in philosophy, we're screwed.
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Two senators opposed the confirmation of Robert Gates as the new Secy DoD; they were both Republicans. That's a bracing start to a new era.
You may have noticed that the conventional wisdom has suddenly spun from hey, maybe James Baker and his posse are onto something to screw those guys, what we need in Iraq are more targets, er, troops -- the meme started with McCain but there isn't a Democrat that's stood up with their newfound "power" to say just how crazy that is. Indeed, the credibility of HRC, Obama, and the other "serious" Dem candidates for POTUS will be measured in how many additional troops they propose to commit and for how long. This is all happening, right now.
Unfortunately, Feingold has declined to run. He would not have won a damn thing, but at least part of the electoral conversation about what's happening in Iraq and in these United States of wartime would have a counterpoint to the dick-swinging we're going to get. Kucinich will run again but only until his debt becomes so huge (again) that the front-runner will pay it off in return for his silence (again).
Worse, folks are likely to roll over for all this because, you know, hey, the Democrats control Congress now. We did our part, man. It's the Clinton excuse all over again.
Yes, Virginia, it can be worse. It can always be worse.
There are a lot of goofballs, Dems and GOP, that have announced their candidacy for POTUS and other stuff in '08. Wonkette is keeping a running tab on them, but today's post on Vilsack is not to be missed, really.
At least, Virginia, it's funny all over again.
oh, and re: "we did our part, man," that's why people need to understand that being civically engaged means WAY more than just voting.
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