This warms the heart in a cold region of our country...

4 villages shun gift of free oil

"Leaders from four Western Alaska villages have rejected an offer of free heating oil from a Venezuelan- owned company because that nation's president this month called President Bush "a devil" and made other inflammatory comments about the United States.

"Despite the critical need for fuel in our region, the Unangan (Aleut) people are Americans first, and we cannot support the political agenda attached to this donation," read a statement from Aleutian Pribilof Islands Association released late Thursday."

America first. How about that?

Awesome.

h/t Dave

Update: These fine Alaskan people aren't the only ones having 2nd thoughts about Chavez's "gift" of heating oil:

"Last winter, Crosson enrolled in a heating oil program backed by CITGO Petroleum, controlled by the Venezuelan government, to fill her 250-gallon heating oil tank. She saved $200 on the purchase.

Despite the savings, Crosson is having second thoughts about re-enrolling this year after reading about Chavez's speech last week at the U.N. General Assembly. Chavez called President Bush "the devil" and U.S. policies "genocidal."

"I'm not a Bush person, believe me," said the trim, 75-year-old widow, "but I really resented that."

That's fine sweetie, don't be a "Bush person," Be an "American person." You get it.

Heck, even some Democrats get it:

"Still, the U.N. speech has cost Chavez support. Rep. Bill Delahunt, the Democrat who represents Quincy and a backer of the heating oil program, co-wrote a letter with Rep. Gregory Meeks, D-N.Y., condemning the "gratuitous personal attack" on Bush as "a direct insult to the people of the United States."

John Baldacci, the Democratic governor of Maine, which received 8 million gallons of discounted heating oil last winter, said that "based on current events," he won't renew his agreement with CITGO."