If MSNBC is the "place for liberal politics," CNN is the place for latent America bashing, especially its corporations.
On his Oct. 22 CNN program, Rick Sanchez wore his American guilt like a badge of honor and said he wasn't going to stand for America to look bad because of what a corporation had been accused of doing, in this case Chevron (NYSE:CVX), whether they did it or not.
"We do a lot of this, and I'm glad you like it," Sanchez said. "What we do is we try and connect with what's going on in our hemisphere, this is important. In this case, how it is that often time our image as Americans - this is never a good thing - can be sullied by the behavior of an - of an American corporation abroad. And then they end up not representing us well."
In the segment, named "Conexion," Sanchez demanded someone take "responsibility" for the environmental disaster in Ecuador and said the pollution had caused "more than 1,000" deaths from cancer.
"This case, big oil on one side, people who say their land is being savaged or has been savaged for profit on the other. This is what we call this segment, ‘Conexion,'" Sanchez said. "All right. Let me set this one up for you. It goes back a couple of years. Texaco, the mighty oil giant, drilled for oil in Ecuador for years and years, partners with a state oil company there. Fast forward to today. The people who live in those oil field areas say that their environment is trashed and more than 1,000 people are dead from cancer. They say it's Texaco's fault and they want it cleaned up. They want damages. They want somebody held accountable. They want somebody to take responsibility for this."
However, as Michel Kelsh, a health researcher and professor at UCLA's School of Public Health and Chevron consultant discovered, there's no evidence this had created a spike in cancer.
But to bolster the case against Chevron, Sanchez featured Kerry Kennedy, liberal activist and daughter of Robert F. Kennedy, Sr. Kennedy who went directly after Chevron on "CNN Newsroom."
"You know, this is Chevron's Chernobyl," Kennedy said. "It is the biggest corporate environmental disaster on the face of the earth, in the history of the world. It's the size of Rhode Island, the area that they polluted, and you go into that rain forest, and the eeriest thing is you don't hear a sound. There are no birds, there are no monkeys. There are no animals, ‘cause they're all dead."
And Kennedy made other unsubstantiated allegations against Texaco, now part of Chevron, which not only made the company look bad on an international cable network, but reflected poorly on the entire country - which went unchallenged by Sanchez.
"We heard terrible stories about women being raped by Texaco uh, employees, about Texaco employees taking a shaman two mountain ranges away and dropping him off and seeing if he could walk home," Kennedy added. "Telling people that, indigenous people that if they rub oil on their hair, that their hair will grow longer and thicker. I mean that, it's disgusting what happened to these people."
Sanchez did provide a voice from the other side with interviewee Silvia Garrigo. But Garrigo, manager of Global Issues and Policy of Chevron, did not get to immediately follow-up on Kennedy's claims or interject at all while she was speaking.
In 1998, the government of Ecuador certified that Texpet, a minority partner in an exploration and production venture with PetroEcuador, Ecuador's state-owned oil company, had met Ecuadorian and international remediation standards and had released Texpet from future claims and obligations. Texpet had cleaned up more than 100 sites in the area as part of that effort, leaving the remainder to PetroEcuador for cleanup.
Nonetheless, a suit led by Steven Donzinger, a New York lawyer, Democrat contributor and former Harvard Law School classmate of President Barack Obama, against Texaco (now part of Chevron) has been championed by several left-wing environmental groups and activists, including Kennedy.




















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Hey CNN, want to get
October 23, 2009 - 16:24 ET by bse5150Hey CNN, want to get ratings like FoxNews?
Start by getting rid of silly jackass libtards like Sanchez.
Check back here often for more helpful advice on how to run your miserable news service.
"Sanchez"
October 23, 2009 - 16:30 ET by mad53PAYawn!
It's Sanchez!!
Mr DUI!
October 23, 2009 - 16:41 ET by blazermaniacHey Sanchez, if you don't love it, leave it!
Sanchez
October 23, 2009 - 16:34 ET by CO2MakerIsn't he a Latent American and a Cubist?
Atención Señor Sanchez...
October 23, 2009 - 16:37 ET by SickofLibsAn American corporation doing business abroad is still an America corporation.
Faux News, single payer, and competition
October 23, 2009 - 16:44 ET by CO2MakerThis just occurred to me. Proponents of the "public option" claim it will add "competition" to the noncompetitive insurance marketplace. What model are they using to substantiate this belief?
Why, cable news, obviously. Look at what was around for a long while: The Three Bigs, CNN, MSNBC, and not much more (HLN is CNN-lite). There were many "information deliverers" but very little differentiation. Along came Fox News, and overnight Fox became a rousing success.
Well, Fox must be the model for "public option," right? Just add a new and different payer and they'll succeed like gangbusters. [Don't take that last term as a veiled ethnic or racial slur.]
Problem is, the presence of Fox hasn't changed the others. They're all still the same screed, different channel. So now, they want to kill off Fox, who, they claim, isn't really a "information deliverer" as much as it's an "opinion deliverer."
Hmmm. I guess my analogy doesn't really fit.
Oh, I know why: Fox is *different* from the others. The public option will be the same, except cheaper and yet more costly.
No CO2
October 23, 2009 - 17:50 ET by general companyFox is different because they are NOT run by the Government
My Gov. thinks I am dangerous, so be careful
"Television is a freak show" Bernie Goldberg
Acceptable UN behavior?
October 23, 2009 - 17:21 ET by ThisnThat"We heard terrible stories about women being raped by Texaco uh, employees, about Texaco employees taking a shaman two mountain ranges away and dropping him off and seeing if he could walk home," Kennedy added. "Telling people that, indigenous people that if they rub oil on their hair, that their hair will grow longer and thicker. I mean that, it's disgusting what happened to these people."
Such indigation about stories she heard. But no indignation expressed over actual, documented United Nations behavior. And I guess I missed it -- what did Kennedy say about Clinton's behavior with WH interns? No double-standard here, is there?
__________
"mmm, mmm, mm. Barrack-Hussain-Øbama↓." - The liberals coolaid drinking song
Why compare to Chernobyl
October 23, 2009 - 17:24 ET by snaggletoothieWhy compare to Chernobyl when everyone is thinking Chappaquiddick every time they see a Kennedy?
Ricky reminds her of Uncle
October 23, 2009 - 20:09 ET by Dan DiegoRicky reminds her of Uncle Teddy, drinking, driving and other people dying.
Let's cut to the chase, Sanchez, you little ..
October 23, 2009 - 17:30 ET by Gary HallLet's cut to the chase, Sanchez, you little .. (OK, I'm leaving out the 6 descriptive terms).
If this is what you are interested in, then why not really go out and do it.
Here are some suggestions:
Of course then, you'd actually be a reporter.
(;~/ gary
Gary... One of Hillary's
October 24, 2009 - 14:49 ET by bigtimerGary...
One of Hillary's brothers was involved in something in Russia or some country nearby as well if memory serves me correct....Hazelnuts or somesuch.
Just thought I'd throw that in for the heck of it.
'Doubling down on stupid is not a particularly good idea'~Breitbart
"... our image as
October 23, 2009 - 19:42 ET by MikeB"... our image as Americans - this is never a good thing - can be sullied by the behavior of an - of an American corporation abroad. And then they end up not representing us well." Sorta like CNN, CBS, NBC, MSNBC ...
"A communist is someone who reads Marx. An anti-communist is someone who understands Marx." Ronald Reagan
""We heard terrible stories
October 23, 2009 - 19:57 ET by ckc1227""We heard terrible stories about women being raped by Texaco uh, employees"
And? Wonder if those Texaco employees were locals who just happened to work for Texaco? I've also heard terrible stories about women being raped by non-Texaco employees. I've even heard terrible stories about women being raped by an Arkansas governor who went on to become president of the U.S.
There would be next to
October 24, 2009 - 06:25 ET by RR GOPThere would be next to nothing in Latin America if it weren't for America. Their various shortcomings down there is their own doing, not that of the United States no matter how they try to spin it. Blame Spain and Portugal maybe, but not the U.S.
It is the Leftists who treat Latin Americans like a bunch of ignorant Indians as if they aren't capable of doing anything on their own, nor making their own mistakes.
Also, we are in no position to criticize Latin America for their corruption given ours up here...I guess we've just been able to afford it better. In fact, we are becoming more like them.
One of the 34% who thinks George W. Bush was a great President. One of the 86% who wants to bring back the stock and pillory.
Bhopal would disagree
October 24, 2009 - 08:41 ET by CobraMan"It is the biggest corporate environmental disaster on the face of the earth, in the history of the world."
I think the citizens of Bhopal, India would disagree with that.
Or how about Chernobyl? I know that was a state-sponsored and controlled entity, but that is a thousand times worse than anything you'll find in South America. Over 100 million people directly exposed to nuclear radiation over two continents (I know as I was stationed in Germany when that happened). Over 336,000 people forced to relocate within a week. What's an oil spill compared to that? Nothing, nothing at all.
The Citizens of each State shall be entitled to all Privileges and Immunities of Citizens in the several States.
The US Constitution
Unless you're a fetus.
The US Supreme Court
Typica
October 24, 2009 - 09:31 ET by jessieHTypical for CNN. Blame this country for the problems of another. It's the beurocrats in Ecuador that are at fault.
See http://www.chevron.c...
October 24, 2009 - 14:34 ET by NHChemistSee http://www.chevron.c... for information on the "fair" trial held in Ecuador. The trial is a joke, typical kangaroo court with the decision already made and Ecuadorians lining up at the trough for a share of the loot.
Why was this not mentioned by CNN since it is material to the issue?
The humanitarian crisis
October 25, 2009 - 18:26 ET by AnnaKayThe humanitarian crisis worsens as the case drags in courts. No relief has been offered to the people suffering from the contamination. Chevron wanted the case moved to Ecuador and now it complains.
http://www.thechevronpit.blogspot.com