Venezuela likely to offer free fuel to Alaskans again

[Judi Lynn]

Source: The Arctic Sounder

Venezuela likely to offer free fuel to Alaskans again
Alex DeMarban/The Arctic Sounder
Published Friday, November 28, 2008

A Venezuelan oil company has once again said it will provide 100 gallons of free heating fuel for thousands of Alaskans, according to an official with the Alaska Inter-Tribal Council.

~snip~
The assistance in Alaska began two years ago and is part of the oil company’s larger and controversial effort to provide subsidized heating fuel to poor communities in much of the country. Last year, the national program cost Citgo more than $147 million, according to news accounts.

Critics have blasted the donations as a political ploy by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez — his government owns Citgo. They charge that he’s trying to embarrass the Bush administration for ignoring struggling Americans.

Many recipients in rural Alaska, where heating fuel prices double and triple the national average, have said they aren’t concerned about the gift’s political implications. They’re just happy for the help.






Read more: http://newsminer.com/news/2008/nov/28/venezuela-likely-offer-free-fuel-alaskans-again/

[sasquatch]

1. If those idiots don't take it I will

[glowing]

2. There's the thing, Bush should be humiliated for NOT taking care of people in this country.

Basic needs for people who are not wealthy should be a right in this country. AND now that the idiot has ruined the country and people are losing their jobs and lives, the help is needed more now than ever.

[BunkerHill24]

3. Maybe Mr. Chavez should offer his hand-out to Palestinians who lack fuel

...oops!...my mistake! that kind of aid would be seen as helping the terrorists in our media.

[ohio2007]

5. How about Somalia , Chad, Zimbabwe,Sudan

oh

what was I thinking :crazy:

[BunkerHill24]

6. do you suppose people in Chad, Sudan and Zimbabwe are still on occupation?

[judasdisney]

44. Chavez DOES aid to Africa AND Palestinians -- whoops. Heard of "Google"?

http://www.boston.com/news/world/europe/articles/2006/10/14/chavez_spreads_wealth_to_aid_un_cause_1160881080/?page=2

http://www.greenleft.org.au/2006/678/7698

http://www.countercurrents.org/shah190908.htm

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3471161,00.html

[ohio2007]

4. Alaskans likely to give the same response

Why doesn't Hugo offer it to Chicago government subsidized high rises.

His priorities are misguided imo ;

A Venezuelan oil company has once again said it will provide 100 gallons of free heating fuel for tens of thousands of Chicago residents, according to an official with the Illinois Inter-Tribal Council.

Wouldn't that be getting more bang for the fuel buck ?

well, oil is selling for well under the Venezuela breaking point now. The cost of shipping alone will make the offer to Chicago, let alone Alaska ,offensive to Venezuelans if they get word of it.

[ronnie624]

56. Always scratching and clawing for 'reasons' to hate Chavez.

Sometimes the 'logic' is really bizarre.

[DiverDave]

7. Didnt they just get 3K??

from the OIL PROFITS??

sarah better get on this one pronto!

[Sex Pistol]

8. What about the Venezuelans?

Chavez is an egomaniac who is so hung up on embarrassing the US that he comes off looking like a clown.

No matter, judging from the latest elections, it appears that Venezuelans are beginning to wise up.

[jwirr]

9. He does not look like a clown to the poor in this country who get his

help every winter. I think that the program started in the east coast run by one of the Kennedy children. His own people seem to want him as their president since they continue to reelect him in internationally certified elections.

[Sex Pistol]

10. I have no quarrel with helping the poor, but Chavez's help is disingenuous.

"I don't actually agree with Chavez's policies and how he's dealing with his people. I think he has consolidated power. I think he has strong despotic tendencies. I think that he has been using oil revenue to stir up trouble against the United States. So, he is not a leader that I admire." ~ Barack Obama

[Arctic Dave]

11. Disingenuous. Yes. Like when we "give" aid to other countries.

We would never do it to undermine the government of other countries. Its all out of the kindness of our corporate heart.

[Sex Pistol]

47. You are correct...

The US's offer of aid is not always devoid of ulterior motives.

Nevertheless, what is good for the US is usually good for the rest of the world.

[Judi Lynn]

49. Tell that to the people of Central and South America and Mexico.

Take some time to start doing your homework on U.S. policy toward Latin America. You're desperately out of touch. Get up to speed FIRST, then give everyone the benefit of your esteemed opinion.

[Sex Pistol]

52. The primary cause of the problems facing Central and South America and Mexico

are corrupt leaders like Hugo Chavez.

You would know that if you took the time to educate yourself.

[Judi Lynn]

53. Corrupt like Hugo Chavez?

How do you account for all the torture, the genocide, the death flights taking "leftists" over the ocean or the lakes or the rivers and dropping them out, over Chile, and Argentina, the theft of infants born to "leftist" prisoners thrown into jails for their political affiliation, of genocide, torture used freely as a technique in country after country after country throughout Central and South America, of the devastation of entire villages, sending any survivors fleeing to hide in the forests, entire populations displaced, thrown out of their homes, left to wander aimlessly, hoping to survive any way possible, in Colombia's case, the current SECOND LARGEST HUMANITARIAN CRISIS IN THE WORLD OUTSIDE SUDAN, of death squads, death squads' use of chainsaws to slaughter entire villages, use of chainsaws as a terror instrument, murder of journalists, use of terror to suppress the newsmedia, and human rights workers, assassination of clergy attempting to bring help to the suffering, of torture assassination of union workers on behalf of U.S.- based multi-nationals, of the rape and exploitation of the natural resources of Latin American countries, sweetheart deals made with filthy oligarchs to strip the oil away at astonishing profit, with very little tax paid back to the countries, of cases, like "El Caracazo," in Venezuela, of scum puppets ordering their troops to open fire on unarmed protesters, an entire world of filth, degredation, destruction heaped onto Latin America for all of our lifetimes, and before that?

You go get your evidence of Hugo Chavez' corruption, and be sure to post it right here. I'll bet you'll take us all to school. Just get busy and post those links.

[Judi Lynn]

54. By the way, why on earth do you imagine Latin America is voting for leftist leaders?

If Chavez is corrupt as you say, how is it possible the people of Venezuela support him by 63%, a damned decent evaluation for any leader.

You're seduced by the right-wing enemies of the people of Venezuela, the oligarchs who have nearly destroyed the country through THEIR corruption.

[bitchkitty]

55. Oh, please. YOU calling Judi Lynn uneducated?

Before you come on here with your one and two-liners and recycled right-wing propaganda, YOU ought to educate yourself by searching out some of Judi Lynn's posts.

We've heard all the idiocy, over and over and over. Can't you guys come up with new lies? We've given up asking you for explanation or proof of your allegations against democratically elected leaders.

[EFerrari]

63. This is why radio died.

:rofl:

[bitchkitty]

67. LOL

Sometimes I cannot believe it. Ronnie is kind is calling it sheer lunacy, I call it deliberate stupidity.

[ronnie624]

65. Sheer lunacy. n/t

[EFerrari]

62. LOL!

:rofl:

[Selatius]

14. Help is help. The point is people could be freezing to death without help.

Given the stark reality of living in Alaska in winter, it's pretty clear people could give two shits if the oil came from Venezuela. Otherwise, Alaska would never allow this to happen at all.

[Sex Pistol]

45. I agree, help is a good thing.

However, there is an ulterior motive.

And it is clear to the mindful observer that Chavez's ultimate goal is to harm the US, not help it.

[Judi Lynn]

48. Tell that to the Democratic Congressmen who went to the U.S. major oil companies,

hats in hand, to beg for reduced rates for winter fuel for their poor constituents, and were blown off unceremoniously FIRST before going to Venezuela to ask for discounted oil for them.

Tell that also to the representatives of a huge number of Native American tribes who made their own pilgrimages to the oil companies and were given the same treatment before going, as well, to the Venezuelan representatives for assistance.

Tell that to the people after Hurricane Katrina who were offered fuel and other supplies after they were pounded and inundated, only to have your President tell Venezuela to buzz off.

It's a stupid idea for anyone to stagger to this message board and attempt to spread that spew to a bunch of people who were discussing these events together at each juncture long ago, and know far, far better than that.

[Sex Pistol]

51. If you think Chavez's intentions are good, then I would suggest

that is you that possesses some very stupid ideas.

Moreover, while I'm merely coming to conclusions based on information available to the general public, Barack Obama and his team have an abundance of intelligence that leads them to the same conclusion.

Hugo Chavez is a bad egg.

[EFerrari]

60. Thank you for another factless post. We need many more of them around here.

[EFerrari]

21. No, it's very consistent. And he has used oil revenue to unite Latin America.

His party is in power via transparent elections. That's not despotism, that's democracy.

And what trouble has he stirred up, exactly? :shrug:

Chavez is demonized in the American press because he's returned Venezuela's resources to Venezuela and the corporate vampires are furious. Obama should know better than this.

/oops

[Sex Pistol]

46. Well, I suppose you are the all-knowing expert.

And I'm sure you have access to better information on Chavez than Obama does.

[EFerrari]

61. And I suppose you couldn't construct a fact based argument to save your life.

[WriteDown]

12. He does....

When there is only chicken feet in the markets. To his creditm he's somewhat backed off of his price control measures though.

[ronnie624]

66. Are there really only chicken feet in Venezuela's food markets

or are you just a liar?

[EFerrari]

15. His party won 17 of 22 contests. If Obama had done that, we'd be calling it a landslide.

lol

[Pavulon]

16. Did obama kick them dollars to his brother

and mom.. See npr for the links for our favorite coup leader.

[EFerrari]

18. Which brother would that be? You mean his brothers on Wall Street

that contributed more to his campaign than anyone else? They made out pretty well, didn't they? :)

[Pavulon]

19. making that choice I mentioned a few months

back. leftist petro state leader or democratic president. This issue will make you folks pick a corner.

NPR has those links to back me up. You are good enough not to need me to hit the google for you.

[EFerrari]

20. You see a dilemna where I don't.

Obama's policy toward Latin America at the moment is essentially Bush's with the possible exception of the Colombia Free Trade agreement. And even that is not clear. His probable AG worked on the wrong side of that one, and Bill Clinton took big money to sell it.

My own positions aren't at issue. Where will Obama land -- that's the real question.

And for the record, Venezuela has something much closer to direct democracy than we do.

[Pavulon]

22. obama ran a coup?

Lets wait and see.

[EFerrari]

24. You better ask the Clinton about that.

lol

[WriteDown]

23. And he lost the most populace influential areas....

Its like a rethuglican victory when they lose CA and NY and then claim that they have the majority.

[EFerrari]

25. No, a majority of Venezuelans still have a PSUV leader.

Residents of the biggest district in Caracas voted PSUV as did those in other key districts nationally, and where the opposition won, they won by very small margins.

I'm so sorry.

[WriteDown]

26. Are you dizzy from all that spinning?

You should be a Repuke pundit with that skill.

[EFerrari]

27. Um, those are the election results.

lol

[WriteDown]

28. You should read up....

http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1861855,00.html?xid=rss-topstories

[EFerrari]

29. Did you read that link?

Chávez's United Socialist Party (PSUV) did pick up 17 of 22 state governorships, including Chávez's home state of Barinas, on Venezuela's poor llanos, or plains, where the president's brother Adan held off a strong challenge from a breakaway Chávista candidate. The PSUV also took about two-thirds of the total national vote and kept the opposition from winning the seven or eight states it needed to stun Chávez. If the radical, anti-U.S. firebrand showed anything, it's that his red-beret power and popularity are relatively intact.

Pretty good for a "radical, anti-U.S. firebrand". God, these people could be more transparent.

lol

[WriteDown]

30. Yes....

you may want to read the ENTIRE article though. Pretty balanced look at things.

[EFerrari]

31. You think that's balanced?

Read it again and calculate the fact/smear ratio.

There is nothing balanced about that article. They suffer from a paucity of facts to nail Chavez with, that's all, so they resort to to name calling and innuendo.

[WriteDown]

32. Ha...

A true Chavista. I forgot that any negative reporting is not allowed. Please try to point out the smears and lies.

[EFerrari]

33. It's just too easy. You really can't do this on your own?

The regional voting in Venezuela on Sunday was ostensibly about gubernatorial and mayoral contests. But for the past decade, every election held in the Western hemisphere's richest oil nation has boiled down to one thing — a referendum on left-wing President Hugo Chávez. The balloting this time was no different. The bottom line: Did Chávez's party win big enough for him to rebound from a stunning defeatin last year's constitutional plebiscite? That vote reaffirmed the presidential term limits that Chávez had hoped to eliminate — and he needed a huge win this time around if he wanted to convince Venezuelans to give him another shot at it.

Chávez's United Socialist Party (PSUV) did pick up 17 of 22 state governorships, including Chávez's home state of Barinas, on Venezuela's poor llanos, or plains, where the president's brother Adan held off a strong challenge from a breakaway Chávista candidate. The PSUV also took about two-thirds of the total national vote and kept the opposition from winning the seven or eight states it needed to stun Chávez. If the radical, anti-U.S. firebrandshowed anything, it's that his red-beret power and popularity are relatively intact.

Still, though Chávez crowed that his country was back on "the road to socialism," Venezuela isn't quite "dressed all in red" this week. Until the vote, the opposition had held only two governor seats. Of the five it won Sunday, three control some of the nation's largest population centers, including western Zulia state, the heart of Venezuelan oil production and home to the country's second largest city, Maracaibo. Perhaps worse for Chávez, the socialists lost the mayor's seat in the largest city, Caracas, the nation's capital — even after Chávez's government had successfully engineered the disqualification of the most popular opposition candidate in that race, Leopoldo López, on murky corruption charges.

So it seems doubtful that Chávez, whose second and final six-year term ends in 2012, emerged with sufficient palanca, or leverage, to again seek a constitutional amendment that would allow him to be re-elected indefinitely, without risking a dangerous national uproar. Critics see his effort to nix term limits as a veiled bid for a Castro-style dictatorship — and even supporters suggest that with oil prices plummeting, battering an economy already hit hard by inflation, Chávez should set other priorities. What's more, now that the U.S. is about to replace Chávez's archenemy, George W. Bush, with Barack Obama, it will be harder for Chávez to whip up the kind of anti-yanqui bile that has so often paid him political dividends at home.

snip

And while Chávez isn't set to loosen his heavy-handed control of Venezuela's legislature and judiciary — as witnessed by the scores of opposition candidates who, like López, were peremptorily disqualified from running — his acceptance of Sunday's results preserved his democratic bona fides. "Aside from his party winning big," says Jones, "he showed that the evil-dictator image is still overblown." After Sunday, it seems, Chávez can best keep things that way by turning ahead to problems that need to be tackled next year, instead of back to matters that voters already decided last year.

There was no stunning defeat in the referendum. It was nearly too close to call.

Radical, anti-US, red beret, cold war crap.

Cocks crow, heads of state speak.

Disqualified candidates are in the hands of the judiciary, not Chavez.

There is no chance of a national up roar unless it is funded by you and me through USAID.

"Castro style dictatorship" is just laughable as is the comic book language "archenemy".

lol

"Anti-yanqui bile"? Chavez has spoken out against BushCo, not against us.

And "heavy handed control" is simply spin on the party being in power.

DU rules prohibit me from posting the whole article. It's just more of the same old bs.

[Judi Lynn]

34. Damned sad, isn't it? Apparently some don't even realize what they're reading. n/t

[EFerrari]

38. As my mom would say, this is why 9/11 happened.

:crazy:

[WriteDown]

35. You are a true fanatic...one-by-one

1. Is he not anti-US, does he not wear a red beret?

2. Crow is a type of speech and an apt description.

3. And Chavez of course has no control over the judiciary. :sarcasm:

4. How exactly did Chavez come to power?

5. You mean the late Fidel that ruled his country for decades?

6. Considering Obama's comments on Chavez, I expect that he will take a similar tone with him.

7. So they've taken an easy, hands-off approach?

You need to seriously go down there and see things with your own eyes.

[EFerrari]

36. When all else fails, try name calling.

:)

[WriteDown]

37. Fanatic is an apt description....

I'll change it to "true believer" for you though.

[EFerrari]

39. Name calling is not an argument.

:)

[Judi Lynn]

42. Here's a great new article on the election you may want to scan:

The Media Response to Venezuelan Elections
by Stephen Lendman

On November 23, Venezuela held regional and local elections for governors, mayors and other municipal offices. Over 5000 candidates contested in 603 races for 22 state governors, 328 mayors, 233 state legislative council members, 13 Caracas Metropolitan area council members, and seven others for the Alto Apure District Council.

As mandated under Article 56 of the Bolivarian Constitution: "All persons have the right to be registered (to vote) free of charge with the Civil Registry Office after birth, and to obtain public documents constituting evidence of the biological identity, in accordance with the law."

It's a constitutional mandate to let all Venezuelans vote. Once registered, none are purged from the rolls, obstructed, or prevented from having their vote count like so often happens in America. In Venezuela, democracy works.

In 2003, Hugo Chavez undertook a major successful initiative called Mision Itentidad (Mission Identity) to implement the law. Prior to it in 2000, 11 million Venezuelans were registered to vote. By September 2006, it was 16 million, and now it's 16.8 million in a country of 27 million people.

How the Process Works

The electoral process is administered by the National Electoral Council (CNE). Unlike America's privatized system, it's an independent body, separate from the Executive, Legislative and Judicial branches of government or any private corporate interests. It's comprised of 11 members of the National Assembly and 10 representatives of civil society, none of whom are appointed by the President.

Elections are conducted using Smartmatic touchscreen electronic voting machines with verifiable paper ballot receipts. Voters can thus check to confirm their votes and their accuracy. The CNE then saves them as a permanent record to be used in case a recount is needed. It also requires voters to leave an electronic thumbprint to assure no one votes more than once.

The machines work as intended, and, after the 2006 election, the Carter Center said: based on its observations, Venezuela's "automated machines worked well and the voting results do reflect the will of the people." Further earlier independent studies verified the same thing, including ones carried out by vote-process experts at the University of California Berkeley, Johns Hopkins, Stanford and elsewhere.

In design, great care was taken to eliminate the possibility of tampering. It required a special technology that split the security codes into four parts. As a result, numerous voting security reports endorse the process they say makes Venezuelan machines the most advanced and accurate in the world.

On November 23, CNE president Tibisay Lucena said voters turned out in unprecedented numbers at 65.45%, the largest ever total for a regional election. The people spoke and registered a resounding, but not one-sided, victory for Hugo Chavez's United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) candidates - and sent a message. They affirmed the success of Bolivarianism and want it continued.

As the Venezuela Information Office reported, PSUV candidates won 77% of governorships (17 of 22), 81% of mayoral offices, 77% of all contests, and 58% of the popular vote - an impressive result by any standard anywhere in an election that 134 independent observers from 54 countries (from America, Europe, Asia, Africa and the 34-member country Organization of American States - OAS) judged open, free, fair, and efficient like all others under Chavez. OAS secretary general Jose Miguel Insulza called this one "peaceful and exemplary" and described it as a powerful expression of democratic maturity and the trust Venezuelans have in it under Chavez.

Other observer comments were as follows:

• Colombia's CNE representative, Joaquin Vives, called Venezuela's electoral process "a pioneer in the world (and added) Many things dazzled us" about it, such as voters "great desire to construct democracy in Venezuela;"
  
• Greek legislator Sofia Sakorafa called the process "one that expresses the will of the people and is characterized by a commitment to social and political inclusion;"
  
• Costa Rica's Maria Elena Salazar said the election was "beautiful, participative, of which all Latin Americans should be proud;" and
  
• Anthony Gonzales from America admired well-equipped and secured voting centers and that the election was held on a weekend to make it easier for working people.

Long-time Latin American expert James Petras commented on the significance of the victory:

• few European, North or South American parties have as high a level of support as the PSUV; certainly none in the United States in particular where growing numbers of voters have little faith in a deeply corrupted process;
  
• the PSUV is popular "in the context of several radical economic measures, including the nationalization of major cement, steel, financial and other private capitalist monopolies;" even so, business in Venezuela remains strong (though slowing) at a time of a global economic crisis;
  
• the PSUV won in spite of declining oil prices; fluctuating around $50 a barrel, they're down about two-thirds from their peak price; even so, "the government maintained most of its funding for its social programs" and intends to continue doing it - in contrast to America where social programs have eroded for years and show no signs of revitalization under either party;
  
• the electorate was selective in its voting choices - "rewarding candidates who performed adequately in providing government services and punishing those who ignored or were unresponsive to popular demands;"
  
• most important: "the decisive (PSUV) victory provides the basis for confronting the deepening collapse of world capitalism with (impressive and workable) socialist measures;" compare them to the looting of the US Treasury to reward criminal bankers for their malfeasance and failures; the differences between both countries are dramatic and breathtaking - democratically impressive (though not perfect) in Venezuela compared to criminally corrupted under either party in America; no one dares mention this in the corporate media.

More:
http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/node/37978

[Pavulon]

13. Hey Mr. Dopeman, you think you're slick..

well we know how this ends. Same jerk pushing for 100 a bbl oil. Lets se how he does with his only product at 50.

25 would ba bad for the man in red.

giving out product, pretty sad.

[Judi Lynn]

43. Are you calling ME "Mr. Dopeman," by any chance? That would be "Mrs. Dopeman," if you don't mind.

Thanks.

I assume you're talking to me, as my post is the only one your post seems to connect to.

http://ticklebooth.com.nyud.net:8090/wp-content/uploads/2006/09/you-talking-to-me.jpg

Are you posting to ME?

[Pavulon]

59. No not directed at you, I really enjoy our posts

no sarcasm.. You know the topic and I enjoy the discussions, even when we do not agree.

"Dopeman" is a rap song from the 80's. Hugo, tho oil man, is the dopeman. I heard that song (and album) 3000 times during my vacation to Yugoslavia, during the unpleasantness there in the 90s.

My assertion is that his life depends on his product, literally.

Regards.

[heliarc]

17. But But But...

I thought the US Oil companies were helping poor Alaskans with tax rebates! Palin... You got a lotta 'splainin to do.

[gratuitous]

40. Love him or hate him

Chavez certainly pushes the right buttons: If he's so hell-bent on "embarrassing" the unembarrassable Bush administration, Bush could simply release a little of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. There's a simple solution to this problem, but it would require the Bush administration to extend assistance to po' folks, and that's anathema to Bush and his cheerleaders.

[Blue_In_AK]

41. Would you rather freeze to death or be a socialist?

http://mudflats.wordpress.com/2008/11/28/would-you-rather-freeze-to-death-or-be-a-socialist/

[EFerrari]

58. I've never actually wondered if my heater could change my political opinions.

:)

Happy TG, Blue!

[Judi Lynn]

50. Venezuela's Chavez offers heat to villages

Venezuela's Chavez offers heat to villages
VENEZUELAN OIL: Controversial but free program in 3rd year.

By KYLE HOPKINS
[e-mail]

Published: November 28th, 2008 04:48 AM
Last Modified: November 28th, 2008 02:38 PM

With heating oil prices approaching $10 a gallon in rural Alaska and reports of neighbors stealing fuel from neighbors to warm their homes, a Venezuela-owned oil company plans to supply free fuel to villages again this winter.

That's what a Citgo executive who oversees the company's free heating oil program told the Alaska Inter-Tribal Council earlier this month, said council director Steve Osborne.

Citgo has provided roughly 15,000 Alaska village households 100 gallons of heating oil each for the past two winters. If the company donates the same amount this year, some families will save as much as $1,000 on their fuel bills. It's part of a program providing assistance to low-income communities in 23 states.

In the Inupiat village of Noatak, north of Kotzebue, heating oil sells for $9.79 a gallon. Villagers are crossing their fingers for the Citgo assistance while locking their fuel tanks under plywood and padlocks to protect them from thieves, said Eugene Monroe Sr., a local councilman.

"You got to be watching your tank all the time," he said.

~snip~
Villagers are turning to hauling driftwood that washes ashore about 10 or 15 miles out of town and burning it for heat, he said.

~snip~
So is there a chance Citgo wouldn't provide the aid?

"Boy, I don't think there is a way. They're good at their word," Osborne said.

The gift is available to anyone who lives in an Alaska community that is more than 70 percent Alaska Native, said Osborne, who hopes to see the program expand to other rural towns and even cities such as Anchorage and Fairbanks in the future.

Citgo doesn't actually send oil to Alaska.

Last year, the company gave oil to a nonprofit, Citizens Energy Corp. -- founded by former U.S. Rep. Joe Kennedy -- which in turn sold the oil and delivered the money to the Alaska Inter-Tribal Council, which manages the program in Alaska.

~snip~
President-elect Barack Obama's transition team has invited the Alaska Inter-Tribal Council and other tribal leaders from around the country to meet in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 8, Osborne said.

Obama's team wants to hear two or three priorities that the tribes think the new president should focus on, he said.

"One of them will be, I think, that energy crisis.

http://www.adn.com/rural/story/604423.html

[KamaAina]

57. It'll never work. Sarah can't see Venezuela from her house.

Therefore, it does not exist. :yes:

[LynnTheDem]

64. "They charge that he’s trying to embarrass the Bush administration for ignoring struggling Americans

Do ya think his ignoring struggling Americans embarrasses George W. bUsh?