Venezuelan Publicity Stunt

It's Je$$e to the rescue!

CARACAS, Venezuela — The Rev. Jesse Jackson met with President Hugo Chavez in hopes of reducing tensions between the United States and Venezuela after a religious broadcaster called for the leftist president's assassination.

The U.S. civil rights leader on Monday urged both sides to tone down their "hostile rhetoric," and said President Bush should strongly condemn recent remarks by conservative religious broadcaster Pat Robertson calling for Chavez's assassination.

Jackson said good relations are in both countries' interests since Venezuela is a top supplier of U.S. oil.

"I hope that we've done something to facilitate a detente on threatening rhetoric," Jackson said. "We're not going to have an oil war."

This reminds me of the time Je$$e claimed to have been "invited" to Afghanistan by the Taleban. Or the time Je$$e negotiated for the release of three American POWs during Operation Allied Force.

Je$$e Jack$on: he's there whenever there's publicity to be had.