As oil prices slowly erode the economy (along with ethanol affecting food prices) let's see what the Democratic leadership is saying:
REID- IT'S THE SPECULATORS FAULT! (Supply & Demand is a new concept to him)
PELOSI- NO DRILLING!
OBAMA- $4 A GALLON ISN'T A BAD THING BUT IT HAPPENED TO QUICKLY (no exaggeration)
AL GORE- WDFGHJKLEWOJDCHNIUFCBREOIVNRTOWPOI!!!!
Why do these people want leadership positions when the last thing they want to do is lead? I wasn't aware that controlling 2/3 of the Federal Gov. makes you impotent. I remember the Republican takeover in 94 when Gingrich shoved his agenda down Clinton's throat. He promised leadership and we got it. I don't know why this Democrat controlled Congress continues to do nothing but it's not helping anyone and I would assume this wasn't the reason they were voted into leadership positions.
Oil is high and it will stay high due to increased consumption with new industrialized nations and this oil-rich country refusing to drill anywhere that may piss off a caribou or ruin a Malibu beach house's view. Those EVIL speculators that Reid spoke of lowered the price of oil by $2 today because Bush lifted the ban on off shore drilling. Apparently doing SOMETHING can help.
Ely, Nevada. A couple of large utilities would like to build a couple of 1700 mega-watt coal-firing power plants but the environmentalists and Harry Reid are opposed. These power plants would extract the coal from the Wyoming Powder River Basin to ELY Nevada. Jobs wouild be produced from the construction of these 3.2 billion dollar power plants, a railroad and power transmission lines to Las Vegas.
Coal and oil-shale are abundant resources we have but the Democratic controlled Congress is blocking every avenue for us to achieve energy independence. Wnat the American public does not understand is that oil only produces 2 percent of our electricity. We need coal, oil shale, nuclear power to produce the electricity for our plug-in hybrids.
There is a lot that has me furious with congress (democrats). I say I elect Glenn Beck for president. At least he knows the problems we are facing better than 2/3's of congress at this moment.
It's rather ironic how media, and politics have ruined our economy. When it come down to polar bears, and tourism, and Al Crazy Gore doom's day prediction of global warming. When they start to change their tune, it will probably be too late. The more oil rises the dollar shrinks more. We have the OIL in our backyard! Its crazy to think about it.
I don't want to get on the border issues, and the other topics. I could write for days.
I mean, the rational and realistic majority does not hold politicians responsible for getting anything done. Instead, we keep on electing them on the basis non-performance and sound bites. Who is insane now?
What is required is a comprehensive energy policy that addresses todays needs with tomorrows problems. All renewable energy is viable, except corn based ethanol. We need a thriving economy to be able to invest in renewable energy sources and I don't think sending $700 billion to nut cases in the middle east is the answer.
I say use our sources wisely, increase gas mileage requirements of vehicles, do away with tax loop holes that allows insurance agency owners to drive Subarban as farm vehicle allowing them to write it off as business expense. Increase taxes gas guzzling vehicles. Take the money and invest renewable and non-polluting technologies. Won't be able to do any of these while $700 billion to Middle East (actually most of it goes to Canada) and borrowing $700 billion from China to pay for it. Ain't going to work in the long term.
Nuclear Power
Thorium reactors
Wind
Solar
Gas Hydrates
High mileage cars
Conservation/Taxation
New energy technology
Alternative for internal combustion engine
all these needs to be in the mix. There is no single solution to the problem.
Vote all politicians out and let the new ones know they will have the same fate, if they don't perform. Pelosi and Reid is a waste that is why Congress has a 9% approval rating!
I would have absolutely no problem whatsover if there was a heavy tax placed on gas guzzlers. This is a tax that would affect me personally, none of my cars gets particularly good gas mileage, but I would not object a bit if there was a 20-30% or even higher tax on vehicles that don't meet certain standards.
It is a no brainer that simply producing more oil is not "the" solution, we also have to reduce our consumption and look for alternate sources of energy. Taking any of these measures off the table is simply the sign of a closed mind or blind partisanship.
as long as the do nothing Pelosi and Reid gets of their asses and does something.
Stop, we are in serious trouble. Stop criticizing everyone.
Pelosi calling Bush a total failure is fucking joke all while, she hasn't done fucking thing.
Under whose leadership did Congress have 9% approval rating?
Time vote everyone of this do nothingers out a there!
The major airlines signed an open letter saying exactly that. Like them, Reid knows about supply and demand, he just thinks speculators have exasperated the problem.
Congress is biding its time till Democrats have the White House, since Bush is likely to veto anything. Whatever you hear now doesn't mean much till they actually sit down for the serious work of cranking out legislation.
-- Modified on 7/18/2008 6:08:12 AM
...why Congress haven't done anything after Bush lifted the executive ban on drilling in the OCS??? Do nothing? I'm sure the DIMS are just waiting 'til they get the White House...they're waiting so they can take more taxes from their citizens! That's what those DIMrods are waiting for.
HR 6515 (Drill Responsibly in Leased Lands Act of 2008): "To amend the Naval Petroleum Reserves Production Act of 1976 to require the Secretary of the Interior to conduct an expeditious environmentally responsible program of competitive leasing of oil and gas in the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska, and for other purposes."
The house also passed HR 6052-- "Saving Energy Through Public Transportation Act of 2008" an it has been referred to the Senate and has been referred to the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
There's more, but I've run out of time and energy.
And if you look at the record on Thomas, I can't see that Republicans in Congress have been doing a lot. I mean Senator Imhofe introduced a bill about expanding drilling off shore-- just yesterday.
-- Modified on 7/18/2008 11:51:01 AM
...the current "less than 14% approval rating" for Congress, and like I said in my previous post (link below) ...this Democratic Congress was elected late 2006, and it just went downhill from there.
Unless people are ready to march on the Capitol Building with torches and pitchforks, approval rating for Congress means absolutely zero. It's an easy stat, but it has no real world interpretation.
It's approval ratings for an individual Congressman that count, and as a whole, people seem content to keep their own Congressman-- except for some Republicans who look to be in trouble.
It's not a national issue, it's a world wide one. The worldwide commodities market is a multi-trillion dollar market. If congress puts overly restrictive regulations on commodity trading in it will only be one more industry leaving our shores. I am sure London, or Tokyo, or Hong Kong or any one of a dozen major cities would love to supplant New York and Chicago.
And see if it's really that bad. The link to the bill is below, for your own consumption.
-- Modified on 7/18/2008 11:47:15 AM
What is wrong with you Zin?? Why do you continue to make excuses for your party? How can you possibly blame Bush for them sitting on their hands? The excuse used to be they were in the minority. Now the excuse is the veto.
I guess this is why people vote Democrat: LOW EXPECTATIONS
Yes, I blame Bush-- not six years later, but while he's still in office. Bad things happen when the leader is discredited. That's different from being merely in the other party. People don't want to be seen as following his policies. They are otherwise too confused to settle on their own, and knowing very well that any real work they do can end with a veto they can't override. Nobody likes to do that much work-- for nothing.
How about they create their OWN policies as opposed to following his? Perhaps they would be so brilliant and compelling that the American people would demand them. You need to go back to 9th grade Social Studies to learn about the three-part-federal-government. Did the Republicans worry about the veto with Clinton?
Why do you have the need to return to a discussion board under an alias to participate when you don't have a single idea in that head of your's? Are things really that boring in Canada?
The problem you have is they just aren't the policies you like. Reid has passed a bill to keep speculating from getting out of hand (no, he wasn't just talking). But what you really want to see is more domestic exploration and drilling, more use of coal, more use of natural gas, more refining. Anything to enhance domestic production and drive prices down.
Admit it: you want their policies to be your policies.
Well at least the one that isn't hurting financially is. When Southwest air bought contracts to purchase future oil at a set price, what do you think that was called? The other airlines are just pissed because they mananged their fuel purchases worse that Southwest.
Of how corporations are pro-free market only when it benefits them.
If they smell someone handing out freebies, they are going to put their hand out.
You might want to try counting to three again as in the three branches of government: executive, judicial and legislative. Currently, the Democrats control exactly 1/3, not 2/3. You could also make a case that the Senate is not controlled by the Democrats as they hold only 49 seats, same as the Republicans.
to "do something" about oil prices....
His whining that dems have two branches of government just isn't true. They actually have one-half of one branch: the Senate is tied and Cheney is the president of it.
Word has it he's probably going to speak at the Republican convention, which will finally burn his bridges with the Democrats.
If he caucuses with Democrats now, it's because he could expect some handsome rewards to stay on their side. In his election, as many or more Republicans voted for him as Democrats.
Democrats think of him as being just to the right of Dick Cheney, which is as bad as saying Obama is to the left of Pol Pot-- and just as ridiculous.
Also, even without that considered, the Democrats hold on the Senate is very weak. They might have the Committees, but a Committee doesn't mean much if the Bills can't pass.
-- Modified on 7/19/2008 6:24:26 PM
You left out Bernie Sanders. The Dems hold on Committees is 51-49.
Posted by 9-man, 7/19/2008 6:19:59 PM
If he caucuses with Democrats?
He DOES caucus with the Dems. The only thing Leiberman is "right" on is "The War".
Oh yea, he's so far right that he'd NEVER be considered for anything important, like say running on a PRESIDENTIAL ticket, LOL.
The assertion by your buddies was that the Senate was TIED. The Dems are in COMPLETE control of committees and the legislative agenda. The Republicans may have the fillibuster, but it's ALL they have.
Zinaval only acknowledges "facts" that further his arguments. Anything else he either ignores or claims to be in the process of researching further.
BULLSEYE!!!! Give that man a cupie doll!!
declare high oil prices unconstitutional. Oh wait, they'd first have to know what a constitution is.
The two independants are liberal and always caucus with the Dems. How do you think that good ole Harry Reid got to be MAJORITY leader? The Dems control ALL the committees, except ethics (I think).
But you accidently bumped into the truth. The Dems don't WANT to control anything. They just want to prevent the Republicans from doing anything, and with the exception of needing more oil, is actually a good thing.
We must have entered a time machine and it's 2001 again. You guys should check the dates on the websites you google before coming up with your next compelling argument. Is there any more definitive proof as to the intellectual capacity of the libs on this board?
that's the reason we are in free fall here.
Everything is controlled by Right Wing and Evangelicals on one side and Lefties and Liberals on the other.
All these fuck-ups call themselves leaders.
We should put a simple question and have every on of them answer it.
Ask not what the country has done for you, ask yourself what you have done for the country? (Kennedy)
How many do you think will pass? or come close?
You have some good points, but reasonable, logical debate must stem from facts, not falsehoods or even misconceptions.
The equally important corollary to Kennedy's quote is:
"Ask not what the country has done for you, ask what you have done for yourself."
Unfortunately, the product of liberalism results (all too often) in:
"Ask not what the you have done for yourself, ask what the country has done for you."
BTW, You never explained to us how we could have made 25,000% profit by investing in Halliburton.
-- Modified on 7/19/2008 10:06:05 AM