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Republican Energy Fumble

Capt. Karl — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 19:34:36 +0000

POTOMAC WATCH

By KIMBERLEY A. STRASSEL

Republican Energy Fumble
August 8, 2008; Page A13

Politics has its puzzling moments. John McCain and most of the GOP experienced one late last week. That was when five of their own set about dismantling the best issue Republicans have in the upcoming election.

It’s taken time, but Sen. McCain and his party have finally found — in energy — an issue that’s working for them. Riding voter discontent over high gas prices, the GOP has made antidrilling Democrats this summer’s headlines.

Members of the “Gang of 10″ discuss their energy plan, Aug. 1.

Their enthusiasm has given conservative candidates a boost in tough races. And Mr. McCain has pressured Barack Obama into an energy debate, where the Democrat has struggled to explain shifting and confused policy proposals.

Still, it was probably too much to assume every Republican would work out that their side was winning this issue. And so, last Friday, in stumbled Sens. Lindsey Graham, John Thune, Saxby Chambliss, Bob Corker and Johnny Isakson — alongside five Senate Democrats. This “Gang of 10″ announced a “sweeping” and “bipartisan” energy plan to break Washington’s energy “stalemate.” What they did was throw every vulnerable Democrat, and Mr. Obama, a life preserver.

That’s because the plan is a Democratic giveaway. New production on offshore federal lands is left to state legislatures, and then in only four coastal states. The regulatory hurdles are huge. And the bill bars drilling within 50 miles of the coast — putting off limits some of the most productive areas. Alaska’s oil-rich Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is still a no-go.

The highlight is instead $84 billion in tax credits, subsidies and federal handouts for alternative fuels and renewables. The Gang of 10 intends to pay for all this in part by raising taxes on . . . oil companies! The Sierra Club couldn’t have penned it better. And so the Republican Five has potentially given antidrilling Democrats the political cover they need to neutralize energy through November.

Sen. Obama was thrilled. He quickly praised the Gang’s bipartisan spirit, and warmed up to a possible compromise. Of course, he means removing even the token drilling provisions now in the bill. But he’s only too happy for the focus to remain on the Gang’s efforts, and in particular on the five Republicans providing his party its fig leaf.

Equally gleeful was Louisiana’s Mary Landrieu, the Senate’s most vulnerable Democrat. She had been sweating the energy debate, especially after her vote against more oil-shale production — a position her Republican opponent, John Kennedy, had used against her to great effect. Yet there she was, chummily standing with the Gang of 10 and boasting that she is working with “five Republicans” to “lower prices at the pump by increasing offshore drilling here at home.”

Mr. McCain, who had been commanding the energy debate, was left to explain why he, of all people, wasn’t more enthusiastic about a “bipartisan” effort on energy, especially one that includes “drilling.” His camp was forced to take refuge in taxes, explaining that their boss couldn’t sign up for a bill that included more. If this is what Mr. McCain’s good friend Lindsey Graham considers “helping,” somebody might want to ask him to stop.

And pity poor Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, who has been working overtime to stanch GOP losses this fall and head off a filibuster-proof Democratic Senate. His dogged efforts to highlight Democratic opposition to drilling has kept energy in the news and laid the groundwork for GOP candidates to use the issue to their advantage.

In the Colorado Senate race, Democrats had christened former GOP Rep. Bob Schaffer “Big Oil Bob” — hoping to smear his oil industry career. “Big Oil Bob” has instead embraced his pro-drilling positions and is pummeling opponent Mark Udall for his antidrilling stance. In recent weeks, Mr. Schaffer has erased Mr. Udall’s lead. Polls show Republican Sens. Norm Coleman (Minnesota) and John Sununu (New Hampshire) both climbing in the polls on the back of strong energy arguments. As two of the GOP’s most vulnerable senators, both might well have run for cover with the Gang of 10. Instead they’re fighting on the merits.

The “bipartisan” Republican senators have undercut these efforts, and boosted Ms. Landrieu. They’ve even put a smile on Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s face. He’d been struggling to tamp down the energy debate through November, where he hopes to increase his majority and permanently shelve drilling. He’s now counting on the Gang to fruitlessly continue “negotiations” straight through the Senate’s short September session and solve his problem for him.

Not one of the five Republicans in the Gang is facing a tough election this year. That’s the sort of security that leads to bad decisions. And theirs is the sort of thinking that could leave Republicans in a permanent minority.

Write to kim@wsj.com

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The Thoughts and Philosophy of A Socialist, Direct From The Horse

Capt. Karl — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 22:39:21 +0000

CptCannibus (I have reason to suspect he was smoking something) made the following comment elsewhere on this blog:

CptCannabis stated:

And you right wing neocons have the grapes to call me a kool-aid drinker? WHEN you destroy this country I’ll be laughing it up in a land far, far away. Yes, I’ll be laughing. Because you’ll finally…FIANLLY get what you deserve oh so much. Your all of the above energy plan is a “me too” ploy at confusing the already simple minded people of this country into voting for a man who means to provoke another middle eastern country into conflict. Your precious oil will run out…soon. Then you’ll be left with nothing but your dick in your hand and a sour look on your face. I don’t care if this comment doesn’t make it past moderation…if one of you complete and utter fools reads it then I’ll feel completely justified. I know that logic and sensible minded arguments have no place in your scare tactics, so i’ll sum this up rather easily for you. I hate you all, every last one of you neocon, chest thumping retards. I will not go down with you bunch of psychotic apes. I will not go down with you. Yes I meant to put that twice, here it is again. I WILL NOT GO DOWN WITH YOU. George Bush is not my president….and John McCain never will be regardless of what comes November. When you fill up your precious F150 remember that it was your martyr George Bush who raised the prices this high to begin with. I have no pity for you, and neither will God. Ignorance is forgiveable…stupidity is not.

August 6th, 2008 at 2:54 am e

CptCannabis:

I leave your comment for all Americans to see and understand the thinking and philosophy of the people who are behind Socialism and the sacrilegious religion of Environmentalism and “Global Warming”.

Folks, I ask you; are these types of people who you wish to support and associate with? Do you see how these people are against our American culture, our way of life and even our prosperity and are, above all, direct enemies of everything we believe in and the very essence of our prosperity and even freedom itself?

These people want to not only prevent your ownership of a nice car or pickup truck, SUV or recreational vehicle or boat, they not only want you to have to walk to where you work or to where you need or want to go, they not only want to make sure you do not have the means to enjoy the countryside and nature for fear that you, as a human, will harm it, they not only want us all to live in caves or if not those, at least round us up, as cattle, to place us in enormous one and two bedroom welfare apartments where we can be better controlled and manipulated so that our “carbon footprint” is lessened, they not only want you to go completely broke and in poverty so you can’t purchase anything including heat, light and food, they not only believe that the U.S. Government should have total and absolute control of every single step and breath you take in life, they want Billions of us DEAD. That is a fact and I believe that CptCannabis actually has the audacity to tell you that specifically. And, additionally, what all Environmentalists always state at the end of many a discussion, “Just think how wonderful this world would be if there weren’t any humans on it!” Can’t you hear it, as I, in his writing? I can’t tell you how many CptCannabis types disgustingly replied to me repeating that statement; “Well it’s true, isn’t it?”

They want us dead, folks. They honestly believe that we, especially the “evil Americans”, are the scourge of the Earth.

They do not believe in any other God then the God of “Global Warming” as they deficiently think is created by mankind and carbon dioxide despite the fact that over 31,000 American Scientists (< Click link for info) in the specific field or associated field of weather and environment have formally signed and delivered a petition to the U.S. Government stating that Global Warming, if it actually exists, is not caused by mankind.

They do not believe that God created the entire Universe and Earth and all its resources specifically for man’s use and not for any other animal or plant on this planet. This is not to say that we must be reasonable stewards of our blessings, but that these things have been specifically provided for us by our creator. That with care and due but not expensive unreasonable diligence these are not only ours to use but the Earth has been specifically designed for us to do so. On a distant but related matter to this commentary with regards to biblical facts; This is not to say that there can not be extra-terrestrial life on other planets nor whether such life existed before or after us.

I can not help but wonder if such people who do not believe in God, have the right to proclaim the unalienable rights of liberty bestowed on the rest of us by divine blessing as written in The Declaration of Independence? Of what morality can such men possess?

Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports. In vain would that man claim the tribute of patriotism, who should labor to subvert these great pillars of human happiness, these firmest props of the duties of man and citizens… Let it simply be asked, where is this sense of religious obligation desert the oaths which are the instruments of investigations in the courts of justice? And let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without true and devoted religion to God. Whatever may be conceded to the influence of refined education… reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in the exclusion of religious principle.

We must realize the immoral philosophy and diminutive mindedness from which they derive their thoughts. And we must forgive and take pity on them, but in like proportion we must realize the danger that such people pose on our prosperity, our liberty and our posterity should these immoral philosophies, devoid of soundness, take root amongst our population or God forbid, our young..

In the meantime we must for the sake of morality and mankind harvest what our divine creator blessed us with. We must Drill here, Drill now, and pay less.

Thank you, greatly CptCannabis, for the practical application of educational process you have provided for the readership of The Liberty Tree Lantern. This “cowboy” as I know your type prefers to call real Americans who live with in our own unique culture, who is a direct product of such unique AMERICAN Culture and great heritage of INDIVIDUAL power and freedom to not only do what we wish when we wish, but whom control our SERVANT government, forgives you, pities you and has prayed for you.

I wonder if your sort even understands what freedom means. Do you even realize that freedom, according to our founding fathers and those who fought and bled for it, means freedom from and, in fact, over Government? Or is it, perhaps, that you “hate” freedom?

I submit, sir, that your type is an enigma to our society and to our divinely blessed American culture.

The Liberty Tree Lantern » pickup

Republican Energy Fumble

Republican Energy Fumble August 8, 2008; Page A13

The Thoughts and Philosophy of A Socialist, Direct From The Horse

Republican Energy Fumble
August 8, 2008; Page A13