Jihadi Du Jour: The Aleuts Make a Stand for Patriotism

From the National Association of Manufacturers:

It is by now well-known that in a deal brokered by former Rep. Joe Kennedy (D-MA) and current Rep. William Delahunt (D-MA), Venezuelan strongman, Castro ally and all-around thug Hugo Chavez agreed to sell 12 million gallons of discounted oil to low-income families in Massachusetts. This was great PR for Chavez as he tries to spread his "I'm not such a bad guy after all" income redistribution gospel around the world. Heck, even Charlie Rangel told him he wasn't welcome in his city any more after Chavez came to the UN and called the President "the devil." No matter.

Seeking to build on his successful Massachusetts model, Chavez apparently turned his gaze northward -- and westward -- and offered the same largess to the frigid Aleutian Pribilof Islands in Alaska. However, according to this AP story, he has been rebuffed by the Aleutian Pribilof Islands Association. Says their leader:

"As a citizen of this country, you can have your own opinion of our president and our country. But I don't want a foreigner coming in here and bashing us. Even though we're in economically dire straits, it was the right choice to make."

Their principled stand and their patriotism should be saluted. This is not a theoretical battle -- this is personal and this is real. Cheap heating oil would be a godsend to these people. But apparently, it wasn't worth the price they'd have to pay in principles lost.

And, by the way, this won't make nearly enough news as the Massachusetts deal when it got done last year, although by any measure, it's a far better story. Joe Kennedy and Hugo Chavez were newsworthy. A bunch of poor and near-poor standing up for their country is not. Go figure.

If you get a moment, click here to drop the Aleutian Pribilof Islands Association a note and say thanks.