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Bob Schaffer Helped Out With Kurdish Oil Deal Opposed By US State Department
Bob Schaffer voted for the war in Iraq in 2002, then left Congress and went to work for the oil men hoping to profit from it.
We recently learned that the energy company that the Colorado Republican went to work for in 2003, Aspect Energy, is among the handful of companies who signed deals with Iraq's Kurdish Regional Government last year.
Those oil deals were officially opposed by the Bush administration, but maybe tacilty endorsed behind closed doors.
Schaffer visited Iraq's Kurdish region in November 2006 along with other officials from Aspect Energy.
State Department officials say those oil deals have threatened security in Iraq by undermining the federal government in Baghdad, which about 150,000 U.S. troops are now helping to prop up.
Schaffer said he had no idea that U.S. officials formally opposed to such deals.
Schaffer said he was unaware the State Department had warned energy firms not to strike oil deals with the Kurdistan Regional Government at the time of his visit. "We didn't experience any discouragement," Schaffer said.
Reader EL points out that Schaffer's ties to big oil have been a big campaign issue for him in his race for the Senate this year.
Late Update The Daily Sentinel in Colorado has a taped interview of Schaffer talking about his trip to Iraq and the oil contract.
Josh
Zachary
He is toast
July 10, 2008 6:42 PM | Reply | Permalink
Is this the same guy who was involved in making claims about how wonderful work in the Marianas Islands is? He sure looks like the same guy.
OK, maybe that's a generality - you know how scumbag Republicans also start looking the same.
July 10, 2008 7:16 PM | Reply | Permalink
Same guy. Also the same guy who served on the board of the Alternative Fuels Foundation, a scheme run to fraudulently exploit a $3.5 million congressional earmark on a sham alternative fuel.
July 10, 2008 8:10 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yes, if you live in Colorado you have a choice between Schaffer, Mr. Marianas Island and Aspect Energy, and Mark Udall, Mr. FISA supporter.
July 10, 2008 10:47 PM | Reply | Permalink
Udall any day of the week. We've given Udall a lot of grief over his FISA vote, which was a definite cave-in, but in the end there's really no comparison between the odious Schaffer and the milquetoast Udall. I'll be voting for Udall, much as it pains me to have to support someone who voted for the FISA Amendments Act.
July 11, 2008 3:28 PM | Reply | Permalink
he was also front row center yesterday when the Vietnam Vet called McSame out -
July 11, 2008 12:05 AM | Reply | Permalink
What a creep. And again, he's using the tenuous excuse that he "wasn't informed/aware".In my opinion,given his history,not only is he a creep, but apparently by his very own admission,is invariably never informed.
July 11, 2008 7:57 AM | Reply | Permalink
He's only really "informed" when he decides to be an "expert" on things he's never really had much of a history in supporting - like alternative energy.
July 11, 2008 3:30 PM | Reply | Permalink
Should we be surprised that this is going on? This is the norm in Washington, and not the exception.
The Republican Scumbag Squad is always on the march. OIL OIL OIL... Then again, I am sure there are Democrats doing the same.
Pathetic!
July 12, 2008 6:19 PM | Reply | Permalink