Shameless

Who is willing to step up and say that Bernie Sanders' role in brokering the sale of politically-discounted Venezuelan oil in Vermont amounts to shameful pandering to foreign interests and shameless political posturing?

For those who have missed the story, the rogue populist government of Venezuela aims to score political points by making available some of its oil at discounted prices to its poverty-stricken neighbor to the north, the USA. The government of Hugo Chavez, who has built his international reputation on insulting the United States (sometimes for good reason), has taken gleeful note of the fact that Americans are now paying a high price for oil. While continuing to thunder insults at the US government, Chavez has offered, from Venezuela's huge reserves, discounted oil to our poor suffering people, as long as it goes through the right (meaning left) political channels.

This offer of oil is a transparent, cynical political ploy to buy sympathy from the international community and from the U. S. populace. Any self-respecting people would reject the offer out of hand. Imagine, the government of a third world country offering to subsidize United States citizens instead of directing the resource to its own poverty-stricken people!

Imagine, that this offer could be put forward with a straight face as a humanitarian gesture rather than a political stiletto in the ribs! But that's what the Venezuelan ambassador said yesterday in handing over the bribe at a Washington ceremony.

"This is not about politics, this is not about oil," said Ambassador Bernardo Alvarez-Herrera. "This is about our government in Venezuela acting as a good neighbor, and stepping in to do the right thing."

Sure, and President Bush's spying program is not about spying, either.

Of all the people who should turn a cold shoulder to this cynical offer, Bernie Sanders tops the list. Sanders doesn't need to prove his credentials as a critic of the Bush administration. He doesn't need to prove once again that he's stands up for the "little people" who need help with their bills. He's in the perfect position to speak the truth.

The man's running for U. S. Senate. What he needs to prove is that he has the stature to serve in the most important deliberative body in the world, and to represent his country in the minefield of international relations.

But there was Bernie this week, bowing and scraping before the Venezuelan ambassador in a ceremony in Vergennes., fervently thanking the Venezuelan government for its kindness to America's downtroddena014when he should have been bristling at the foreign interference in American affairs.

By cutting side deals with foreign powers, Bernie flunked the stature test. This Venezuelan oil is a currency every bit as tainted as the millions of dollars spread around Washington by Jack Abramoff, but that fact is entirely lost on Sanders.

Either Sanders doesn't understand the political bribery that is at work, or he doesn't care. One wonders which is worse.

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In truth, there has been little outrage in any Vermont circles, although New Hampshire may do the honorable thing and turn down the oil. Here, Gov. Douglas has made pleasant sounds and has let the state apparatus cooperate with the distribution. Even Richard Tarrant, Bernie's likely opponent for election in November, could not bring himself to criticize the gift horse.  His press release Tuesday correctly implied that the whole transaction is a publicity stunt, but he also thanked those responsible for it.

Meanwhile back in Vergennes, Sanders got the spotlight he was looking for. U. S. Rep. Joseph P. Kennedy II told the TV cameras that Sanders "has devoted his whole career to helping those in need." Kennedy also thanked the Venezuelans for their  "extraordinary concern for ordinary people who are struggling to stay warm."

"Together," he said, still with that straight face, "we're working to make sure that no one is left out in the cold."

Well, oil has been known to explode if it gets hot enough. This is an issue which may, and should, explode on Bernie Sanders.