Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Joe Kennedy’s oil ties provide mud for his GOP foes
Boston Herald ^ | 09/03/09 | Jay Fitzgerald

Posted on 09/03/2009 12:37:17 AM PDT by raccoonradio

Joe Kennedy’s business ties to Venezuelan strongman Hugo Chavez, through Citizens Energy Corp., will likely become a major issue if the former congressman decides to run for the Senate seat held until last week by his late uncle.

Joe Kennedy yesterday hadn’t even made a decision on a run when he came under blistering attack by Republican gubernatorial candidate Christy Mihos and a Mihos spokesman.

“It should be an issue,” said Mihos of the nonprofit Citizens Energy’s acceptance of oil from Venezuela to help needy residents heat their homes.

Mihos described Chavez as a “communist dictator and avowed enemy of the United States.”

Kevin Sowyrda, a Mihos spokesman, went further, saying Kennedy’s ties with Chavez were an embarrassment to his family.

“Jack Kennedy is probably rolling over in his grave every time (Joe Kennedy) takes a drop of oil from Hugo Chavez,” said Sowyrda, referring to Joe Kennedy’s assassinated uncle, the late president John F. Kennedy.

Joe Kennedy’s uncle, Edward M. Kennedy, died last week after a long bout with brain cancer.

A spokesman for Citizens Energy declined comment yesterday.

Mihos, a former Massachusetts Turnpike Authority board member and 2006 gubernatorial candidate, once had his own ties to Venezuela’s state-owned Citgo oil company, through his small empire of mini-markets and gas stations. Mihos cut his firm’s ties to Citgo a few years ago, after the leftist Chavez went on a tirade against former President George W. Bush.

Kennedy, who is paid more than $400,000 a year for overseeing Citizen Energy’s nonprofit and for-profit units, has consistently defended his firm’s dealings with Citgo as a necessary move to help the needy.


TOPICS: Miscellaneous
KEYWORDS: chavez; citgo; energy; hugochavez; joeforoil; joekennedy; kennedy; venezuela
1-800-JOE-FOR-HUGO


1 posted on 09/03/2009 12:37:17 AM PDT by raccoonradio
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: All
SNIPPET from post no. 1:

"Mihos, a former Massachusetts Turnpike Authority board member and 2006 gubernatorial candidate, once had his own ties to Venezuela’s state-owned Citgo oil company, through his small empire of mini-markets and gas stations. Mihos cut his firm’s ties to Citgo a few years ago, after the leftist Chavez went on a tirade against former President George W. Bush."

2 posted on 09/03/2009 12:41:08 AM PDT by Cindy
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: raccoonradio
“Jack Kennedy is probably rolling over in his grave every time (Joe Kennedy) takes a drop of oil from Hugo Chavez,”

Probably. Though Joe Kennedy Sr., who admired dictators, would have congratulated him.

3 posted on 09/03/2009 12:45:59 AM PDT by denydenydeny ("I'm sure this goes against everything you've been taught, but right and wrong do exist"-Dr House)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: raccoonradio
"Kennedy, who is paid more than $400,000 a year for overseeing Citizen Energy’s nonprofit and for-profit units, has consistently defended his firm’s dealings with Citgo as a necessary move to help the needy."

The most "needy" of all being Joe Kennedy it appears. You'd think if he was so concerned about "helping the needy", he'd offer his services for free. That 400G would do a lot more towards "helping the needy" than anything Joe does.

This is typical of all democrats and their "charities". They are nothing more than tax write offs and little empires for giving fat salaries to their relatives and friends, money that should be paid to taxes or given to real charities.

4 posted on 09/03/2009 12:47:53 AM PDT by Nathan Zachary
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: raccoonradio

“Mihos described Chavez as a “communist dictator and avowed enemy of the United States.”

True enough, but he’s an enemy the U.S. has been all too willing to do business with. I’m no fan of Joe Kennedy, but let’s look at the whole picture. The U.S. is Venezuela’s #1 trading partner, accounting for almost two-thirds of her export market. Plenty of American companies also do business in Hugo’s little fiefdom, too. - Intel, GM, Coca-Cola, Proctor and Gamble, etc. I don’t like Kennedy taking Venezuelan oil, but he’s done nothing illegal here and he is way down the list of offenders when it comes to the issue of playing footsie with Chavez.


5 posted on 09/03/2009 1:10:55 AM PDT by DemforBush (Somebody wake me when sanity has returned to the nation.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: raccoonradio
Say it ain't so Joe.
JOE: It is So.
The family got rich bootlegging
Joe is just following in their footsteps. . . .
6 posted on 09/03/2009 2:00:46 AM PDT by DeaconRed (You may be right I may be crazy. But I just might be the lunatic you're looking for.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: raccoonradio

If Joe runs, he wins ... simple as that.

No one will can beat him in Mass ... he’s a Kennedy!

The mindless drones in Mass will pull a lever for anyone named Kennedy ... anti-American dictator lover or not.


7 posted on 09/03/2009 3:13:26 AM PDT by CapnJack
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: raccoonradio

Wasn’t Joe also hooking up with African thugs for lovey dovey oil deals in Africa too? Angola, and some other Atlantic/west Africa country.

It will come back to me, the countries.


8 posted on 09/03/2009 4:08:30 AM PDT by Leisler
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson