Democrats in Congress promised to make energy policy a high priority when they returned from break, instead, they have quietly scrubbed the schedule of any votes on their energy bill
“Right now, our strategy on gas prices is ‘Drive small cars and wait for the wind,’ ” said a Democratic aide.
Ed reminds us that “Before the break, Democrats heralded two bills that supposedly showed their leadership on energy: an anti-speculator measure and a “use it or lose it” bill that forced oil companies to drill on federal leases ” whether or not they had found oil yet ” or lose the leases immediately. They attacked Republicans who opposed both bills as oil-company lackeys, but the truth is that neither bill produces a single drop of oil to solve the supply crisis.
Now, both bills have disappeared off of the legislative calendar, and the Republicans have ideas of their own.”
From Politico :
GOP senators believe that a number of moderate Democrats would be open to legislation that balances increased energy exploration with conservation. If they’re right, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) could lose their grip on energy policy, and the Republicans could score a major coup on the No. 1 issue on the minds of voters.
At least five Senate Democrats support more domestic oil and gas exploration, and McConnell is sweetening the deal to make the sale to other moderates: The Kentucky Republican is pushing a package of incentives to boost conservation as well as a measure creating stricter enforcement of commodities markets in exchange for more offshore oil and gas drilling.
July 8, 2008 - 12:23 PM on July 8th, 2008
This is the #1 issue in the minds of Americans at the present. Bigger than the Iraq war, imo. This is a golden opportunity for the Republicans to not only do some good for America, but to show the Democrites as the enemies of America that they are.
If the Republicans don’t push hard and relentlessly, they are fools.
July 12, 2008 - 07:53 AM on July 12th, 2008
And they keep fiddling while America burns. Detestable, degenerate vermin imo. They are giving the American people, whom they supposedly represent, the finger.
These arrogant aholes that refuse to represent need to be swept from power. Let’s see in the next election how many voters remember this.
July 12, 2008 - 09:01 AM on July 12th, 2008
I agree with you Robert. I have not even begun to understand why the Republicans are silent on this. They have a real chance to take ownership of a real problem and maybe make a difference in the election.
Right now I am so disheartened and yes I can see an Obama presidency and that not only creeps me out but scares the hell out of me.
July 12, 2008 - 08:49 PM on July 12th, 2008
There are some good Congressmembers, mostly Republican but a few Democrats, who are trying to do the right thing. Here are the numbers I have:
Congressman Roy Blunt put together these data to highlight the differences between House Republicans and House Democrats on energy policy:
ANWR Exploration
House Republicans: 91% Supported
House Democrats: 86% Opposed
Coal-to-Liquid
House Republicans: 97% Supported
House Democrats: 78% Opposed
Oil Shale Exploration
House Republicans: 90% Supported
House Democrats: 86% Opposed
Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Exploration
House Republicans: 81% Supported
House Democrats: 83% Opposed
Refinery Increased Capacity
House Republicans: 97% Supported
House Democrats: 96% Opposed
SUMMARY
91% of House Republicans have historically voted to increase the production of American-made oil and gas.
86% of House Democrats have historically voted against increasing the production of American-made oil and gas.
There you go. The Democrite VERMIN in Congress are giving Americans the finger! These Democrites apparently hate the people, despise Americans.
WHY are they in power? WHY does anyone vote for them?
July 12, 2008 - 09:57 PM on July 12th, 2008
I’d like to see leadership from anyone on this issue. All I see, including the Blunt representations above as just more retoric. Perhaps you can explain why he voted against the bill supporting renewable energy earlier this year?
The Republicans had control of both sides of Congress and the Presidency and no energy work to show for it. Offshore drilling ban stayed in place because many coastal states still didn’t feel there were enough safeguards in place to protect their shores. I appreciate the fact that no oil was spilled during Katrina, which was a remarkable statement to our oil production technology. However, one drunk captian and you wipe out beaches and coastal states lose income, a lot of income. You also give the environmental movement cannon fodder for the next five decades.
NYD
July 13, 2008 - 06:42 AM on July 13th, 2008
NYD,
Maybe if you stopped listening to the Watermelons and kicked them out of your party, you might have some believability on the subject, but your party kowtows to the most extremist moonbats.
You Democrats like to point to other countries actions and demand we duplicate them as we are too stupid to run our own affairs. Well Russia and China are drilling anywhere they can set up a rig.
Maybe watch “Black Gold” on the Tru (Formerly Court TV) Network. Get some idea how the world works.
July 13, 2008 - 10:37 AM on July 13th, 2008
David #5 there is plenty of blame to go around but the Democrats by far take the greatest share of the blame. Both parties have not done enough for the last 30 years, but in the face of this current crisis, who is doing the obstructing? Who is failing to even acknowledge real solutions?
I am hoping this Congressional failure to represent is finally what it takes to wake up enough people, jar them out of their apathy enough to start voting out obstructionists. I hope it doesn’t require taking away beer and sports to do the job.
But on the bottom line, once again the Democrats collectively take the cake for failure imo.
July 13, 2008 - 11:07 AM on July 13th, 2008
There is one reason, and one reason only, for anyone to support the Democrite party: They hate Bush, hate Republicans, hate Conservatives.
The Democrite party is doing more right now to damage America than anything I have ever seen. They’ve done more than any foreign enemy we have ever had. They are doing what Fascism and Communism couldn’t do. The Democrite party is the very embodiment of the statement in the oath that says “enemies foreign and domestic” with the Democrap Party being the domestic enemy.
I am not trolling when I say imo the Democrapic Party, as it is today, is the enemy of America and everything that has made America great. imo the Democrite Party is the enemy of Liberty. It should be exposed for what it is, then taken out with the rest of the trash.
July 13, 2008 - 12:10 PM on July 13th, 2008
You know Robert I have to agree. The democraps take everything out of context (for instance some of the writings of the founding fathers) that have to do with religion, liberties and free speech. They would much rather give a junkie on the street $100 than a faith based organization that would use that $100 for their homeless shelter. They never, ever, take responsiblity for their mistakes; but rather blame it on republicans.
They are a sleezy, cheap, band of thugs and I hope and pray with all my heart people vote them OUT this year.
July 13, 2008 - 11:43 PM on July 13th, 2008
Out of 4 entries of a lot of useless stuff, I can only pick out a few items that makes any sense.
BonBon’s view, I’d want to give a bum $100 instead of giving it to a faith-based organization that might use tactics that I don’t believe in or are against my religion. Maybe the faith-based organization is Voodoo-based and will spend my $100 on performing a pin-doll ritual to rid the bum of evil spirits. It’s also quite logical that many of these organizations herded their “flocks” to vote for Republicans in the first place. To the victor, goes the spoils, so to speak.
Robert, I’d like to see a Republican take control of this situation and make it right. I’d cheer where I stand and may be one of the many that would vote for the better man, regardless of party affiliation. As for your reasons why to vote Democrat, you are correct, at least for me. I don’t like Bush. He is the poster child for giving the Republican backers the best return on their investment. He came in touting that he wanted a war and what do you know, he got one. He came in promising there would be No Child Left Behnid and a whole lot got funded under the guise that there school couldn’t perform well. The child got left behind with his/her parents getting enought money for subway fare to send them to another school. Fema got worse instead of better and a war that is finally turned around because he finally got rid of Rumsfeld and decided to listen to his generals for a change.
With due respect to your equal passion on the Right and certainly your obvious pride in our great nation, my feeling about the current President is something you won’t be able to change. I feverently pray that the next will be better, be it Democrat or Republican.
NY-D
July 14, 2008 - 04:59 AM on July 14th, 2008
Did you know David that money that goes directly into the hands of the homeless is spent on alcohol and drugs. It’s better to give to an organization as hard as it is to pass a homeless person by, it’s still the better choice. And it doesn’t have to be faith based if you don’t agree with that.
As for hating Bush, that’s just a bit over the top for me. He did not go into office ‘wanting’ war but he did inherit a messy problem called Saddam Hussein from BOTH Clinton and his father. I believe he was perfectly willing to do nothing about it until 9/11 and then he rose to the occasion. A great leader and a good man.
July 14, 2008 - 06:19 AM on July 14th, 2008
Bonbon,
The first part was me playing the devil’s advocate. I would rather give the the charity of my choice then money directly to the individual as it can get better used. What sticks in me is the general idea of faith-based (or any other for that matter) making decisions on using my and your money rather then myself.
The second, I will have to respectfully continue to disagree. Many of my Democratic friends didn’t understand my appreciation for Reagan and never will.
NYD
July 14, 2008 - 07:27 AM on July 14th, 2008
You sound republican
That’s a sound conservative value, giving to the charity of your choice. It’s the reason we oppose the welfare state so much. Speaking of which it is also a conservative stand to see to it that the private sector is enabled to offer Opportunity for jobs and winnow down the welfare recipients. There are far too many of them willing to sit around and take the governments money.
Bush doesn’t have and never did have my total support but after 9/11 it took a man with guts to take real action against a threat that had escalated for years. That alone is enough for me. Do I see someone like Obama who wants to withdraw and surrender, laws to alert terrorists to what we are doing, etc., etc., be a good president for our country? Absolutely not!
July 14, 2008 - 06:50 PM on July 14th, 2008
NY-David,
You know, we’d have a marvelous discussion if you could get your facts straight.
FEMA was a disaster under Clinton.
No Child was majorly written and pushed by Teddy Kennedy.
And Oh, yes, I guess you like Hillary’s solution to a beggar putting the bite on you: Give them A Voter Registration card filled in to make them DEMOCRAT voters.
July 14, 2008 - 07:41 PM on July 14th, 2008
Let’s see, where to start on this one.
Fema worked under both GHWB and Clinton. They got cobbled when it was added to DHS and didn’t have the same access to resources. To be fair, DHS was largly devised by Lieberman when he was a Democrat. Not sure how GWB got the idea.
Never said I was a fan of Kennedy…
Have no clue what you meant by that last one.
NYD
July 14, 2008 - 08:02 PM on July 14th, 2008
1999 Hurricane Swamped Clinton’s FEMA
FEMA – Disaster of an Agency
The FEMA Case Study