Maine GOP wants to REWARD Chavez speech

Hum, curious. We are a nation which prides itself on “freedom of speech”. Granted, Olympia Snowe and her GOP colleagues wanted to change the constitution to abridge that freedom, but that failed.

Now these same people, at the behest of George W, are debating the unconstitutional suppression of habeas corpus rights to those under our jurisdiction – a 14th Amendment violation. A GOP touch of evil.

Subsequent to Bush’s address to the United Nations, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez spoke and exercise freedom of speech with a rhetorical flair regarding certain facts about our president:

1. Saying, from podium, the residual sulphur smell was indicative of Bush the devil, by humorous inference, Chavez denounced Bush’s advocacy of torture in violation of Geneva Convention rules.

2. Chavez called Bush “an alcoholic and a sick man.” Bush was convicted of OUI in Maine. It is no secret, Bush is alcoholic. Given recent intelligence agency terrorist threat assessments, is there any question Bush has problem with reality?

All those present saw the humor, laughed and applauded the Chavez speech. In Maine, Woodcock’s group, the Augusta GOP, reacted in a manner typical of their spendthrift ways and disdain for the basic truthfulness and the inalienable right of free speech for all.

Analogies and religious reference apparently are the sole property of the GOP – reference Jerry Falwell citing Lucifer as a more acceptable president than Hilary Clinton. Jerry’s rhetoric ignores, or recognizes, what Chavez said, Lucifer is already Falwell’s president.

This “freedom of speech” thing really exposes GOP irrationality. It seems our GOP leadership asked Governor Baldacci to avoid doing business with Chavez. Basically that means reject a fuel oil discount which the Houston oil company, Citgo, gave us last year.

It seems the statement of known truths by Chavez is sufficient for our GOP to insist Citgo be afforded the opportunity to make a windfall profit on fuel oil. Bushite fiscal logic – punish Hugo Chavez for his political rhetoric by forcing us to pay full price for Venezuelan oil.

Is there any rational person who believes Venezuelan oil will not, and cannot, be sold at market prices? More important, that it will not come to Maine at those prices?

Many years ago I had a tenant, an oil trading agency, they taught me what it means to say oil is a fungible commodity. When you buy oil, the crude is already on a tanker. You do not order Middle Eastern, Venezuelan, or Russian , the oil you actually receive comes from the nearest supplier, the nearest full tanker – port of origin is irrelevant.

The brokers direct the tankers to the appropriate processing port and reconcile the bookkeeping with the producers. Just to teach Chavez a lesson, the Maine GOP is going force him to accept a windfall profit on oil we buy.

The Maine GOP is fiscally stupid, they want to turn down a rebate of a product they are going to but anyway. Woodcock and his cronies have shown they will “cut off your nose to spit your face.” Before we even get past the election, Woodcock has begun to waste tax dollars used to heat state buildings and provide LIHEAP.

In response to the GOP, Baldacci indicated he had not yet made plans for a discount arrangement – no matter, given the attitude of Maine’s GOP, we really don’t even know if Citgo would renew the discount.

What do we know? Vote the Woodcock ticket, and taxes will soar.

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