Drill, Drill, Drill! And An Open Letter To Nancy Pelosi By House Republicans

This story has got big enough legs and more than enough endurance to go all the way up to the election. That's good for Conservatives like me, but bad for libs. Why? Because the high cost of gasoline is not an issue that the libs and Dems can just spin away. It's here and it's right out in the open for everyone to see. There is, quite simply, no way to hide it, not even behind those idiotic words: "I'm trying to save the planet."

To give you a good example of how out of touch the Dems are with the American people, check out this exceprt for Lawrence Kudlow's latest column:

While Republicans on the House floor shouted "vote, vote, vote" and "lower gas prices," the Democratic majority turned off the lights, cameras, and microphones. Determined Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell offered unanimous-consent requests to vote on lifting the ban on deep-water exploration, and the Democrats objected. When McConnell asked Democrats if they'd overturn the ban at $4.50 a gallon, they replied "no." When he raised the price to $5, $7, and $10, they cried "no," "no," and "no."

Even if the American people had to struggle with paying $10/gallon for gasoline, the Democrats made it clear they still would not take a common sense approach to lowering prices, i.e. increasing supply. Their excuse? "It would take seven years to see the effect." Apart from the fact that President Bush's announcement that he was removing the executive ban on domestic drilling resulted in an immediate psychological effect that brought down prices, we should also keep in mind that had we done this seven years ago, we would be seeing the effects today. The longest journey begins with the first small step.

Lawrence goes on:

Polls suggest that two-thirds to three-quarters of the nation wants to drill. To wit, while a just-released Obama campaign ad attacks McCain as a tool of big oil, McCain has taken his first-ever lead in a Rasmussen tracking poll. There is a voter revolt going on, and it reminds me of the anti-tax rebellion that lifted Ronald Reagan into office twenty-eight years ago. Is the conventional wisdom about to be swept away? As Republicans press home the drill, drill, drill message, might they pick up seats in Congress this year? And might the national clamor for a more realistic and balanced energy policy -- one that includes more oil, natural gas, clean coal, nuclear, and the alternatives of wind, solar, and cellulosic -- carry John McCain to a convincing victory over Obama? Without even realizing it, the GOP drilling offensive has become a new contract with America. And it appears to be working. The public is putting aside global warming and choosing instead new-energy production, a stronger economy, and more job creation. Voters want growth, not austerity. They want Ronald Reagan, not Thomas Malthus. And by resisting this grassroots call, the Democratic party is digging itself into one of the biggest political dry holes in history.

Sound like empty cheerleading rhetoric? Think again:

New economic statistics highlight the damage done by the unprecedented oil-price shock. Only a year ago real gross domestic product was growing at 4 to 5 percent. Then came the dramatic rise of energy prices and down came the economy. GDP contracted slightly late last year and rose a miniscule 0.9 percent in this year's first quarter. And although real growth picked up to nearly 2 percent in the second quarter, that number is suspect since the government does not count surging import prices from food and energy. Wall Street blames everything on the housing slump and the sub-prime credit crisis. Of course, these are significant. But the drop in housing starts, sales, and prices has been going on for nearly two years, without crunching down the economy. It's the oil shock that has brought us perilously close to recession. In fact, despite a slight rise in GDP, nonfarm corporate payrolls have declined for seven consecutive months while private payrolls have fallen for eight straight months. A year ago the unemployment rate was 4.5 percent. Today it's 5.7 percent. Topping it off, the inflation rate has climbed from 2 to 4 percent over the past year. Right now the recession call is still an open question. But the economic damage caused by skyrocketing energy prices is a no-brainer.

But the Dems in Congress appear to have no brains in this issue at all. High energy costs effect everything. Food, clothing, consumer goods, tourism, travel. As gasoline prices go up, so do these other prices.

We need to get the Dems out of Congress and make sure that Barack Obama doesn't gain the White House in November. If the latter happens and he gets a rubber-stamp Congress, we will be in for the worst economic disaster since the Great Depression.

You can access the complete article on-line here:

Drill, Drill, Drill Is Working
Lawrence Kudlow
RealClearPolitics.com
August 5, 2008

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And here we have an open letter to Nancy Pelosi from Republicans John Boehner, Roy Blunt, Adam Putnam, Eric Cantor, and other members of the House Republican Conference:

On Friday August 1, 2008, at 11:23 a.m., your Democrat majority in the House of Representatives adjourned the House for five full weeks.House Republicans believe that Congress should not go on vacation until we take action to lower gas and energy prices for struggling American families. For the last two months we and our House Republican colleagues have used every tool at our disposal to try and get you and your Democrat majority to vote on legislation to lower gas and energy prices by expanding environmentally sound domestic production of oil and natural gas, improving energy efficiency, and encouraging the development of alternative energy technologies. Many of the proposals we have asked you and your Democrat majority to allow us to vote on are bipartisan proposals that we believe would enjoy the support of a majority of the Members of the Congress. Yet because you and your Democrat Leadership personally oppose these proposals, you are not allowing them to come up for a vote. This past Sunday, you even told George Stephanopoulos that you will never allow this vote to occur (see transcript on the reverse). In protest of you and your Democrat majority not allowing an up or down vote on producing more American energy, we and our House Republican colleagues were prepared to take to the floor on Friday, August 1, 2008, and speak to the nation. Rather than allowing that to happen you and your Democrat majority adjourned the House, turned off the television cameras, shut off the microphones and turned out the lights. Nearly 50 House Republicans remained on the floor of the House in defiance speaking to those citizens gathered in the galleries and to the media. Today we have again returned to the Capitol to continue speaking to the thousands of Americans from all across our country who are visiting the Capitol. We would have preferred if instead we were joined by our colleagues to have a true debate on this issue that ended in an up or down vote. We think it is unconscionable that Congress has gone on vacation before we have addressed the high gas prices that are crippling our economy and hurting millions of families. We are asking that you reconvene the House from your five-week vacation and schedule a vote on legislation to increase American energy production. Let us be clear, we are not asking for a guaranteed outcome, just the chance to vote.

Anyone think that Nancy Pelosi is going to respond to this well-reasoned letter? Or is she going to continue screwing the American people at the behest of the Socialist left?

Stephanopoulos To Pelosi: Why No Up Or Down Vote On Drilling? The Pelosi Premium Goes Higher

Nice graphic, eh? Gasoline prices have increased 74% since Pelosi and kin took power in Congress, and now they want to push the price even higher. What happened to the party that claimed to have so much compassion for the working class and the poor? Do the Dems just not realize how badly high energy costs are hurting the lower classes? Where is the compassion and the desire to provide relief for these people? The Dems have done nothing but lie about how much they want to help.

And Nancy Pelosi really went off the deep end on the energy issue. She has created a huge problem for herself and for Senator Harry Reid as well. They both know that over 70% of the American people want the United States to begin producing oil domestically and are becoming very angry over the high gas prices as shown in the above graphic. But at the same time, both Pelosi and Reid are beholden to a minority in the far-left environmental movement. That is why they both decided to take five-week vacations rather than allow a debate and a vote on domestic drilling. Both Pelosi and Reid know that they will lose.

They're right. They will lose. But instead of being courageous leaders and facing reality, they have both chosen to tuck their tails between their legs and run like scared children.

Even George Staphanopoulos was taking Pelosi to task over this. He asked her no less than seven time whether she will allow a debate on the floor of the House. She ducked and dodged each time. Here is the exchange from ABC's This Week which broadcast August 2, 2008, as reported by NewsBusters:

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS, HOST: You've been getting a lot of heat for not allowing a straight up or down vote expanding drilling off the coasts of the United States. Why won't you permit a straight up or down vote? NANCY PELOSI, SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: What we have presented are options that will really make a difference at the pump. Free our oil, Mr. President. We're sitting on 700 million barrels of oil. That would have an immediate effect in ten days. What our colleagues are talking about is something that won't have an effect for ten years and it will be 2 cents at the time. If they want to present something that's part of an energy package, we're talking about something. But to single shoot on something that won't work and mislead the American people as to thinking it's going to reduce the price at the pump, I'm just not going to be a part of it. STEPHANOPOULOS: Except it’s not just Republicans that are calling for this. Members of your own caucus say we must have a vote. Congressman Jason Altmire, let me show our viewers right now, says, “There is going to be a vote. September 30 will not come and go without a vote on the opening the Outer Continental Shelf. The message has been delivered. The issue can't be ignored any longer.” He says he speaks for a lot of Democrats. He's talked to the leadership and a vote must happen. PELOSI: Maybe it will, as part of a larger energy package. Let's step back, call a halt and put this in perspective. What we have now is a failed energy policy by the Bush/Cheney, two oilmen in the White House. $4 a gallon gasoline at the pump. And what they're saying is let's have more of the same. Let's have more of big oil making, record profits, historic profits. You see the quarterly reports that just came out, who want to be subsidized who don't really want to compete. Let them use the subsidies to drill oil in protected areas. Instead we're saying, free the oil. Use it, don't lose it. There's 68 million acres in lower 48 and 20 million more acres in Alaska where they're permitted where they could drill anytime. This is a diversionary tactic from failed energy policies. STEPHANOPOULOS: But if you feel you have the better arguments, why not give a straight up or down vote for drilling? PELOSI: Because the misrepresentation is being made that this is going to reduce the price at the pump. This is again a decoy, it’s not a solution. STEPHANOPOULOS: Well, if you’re right, why not let it be debated out and have the vote? PELOSI: We have a debate every single day on this subject. What you saw in the Congress this week was the war dance of the hand maidens of the oil companies. That's what you saw on the Republican side of the aisle. Democrats and Republicans are not right there on party lines on this issue. There are regional concerns, as well as some people concerned about what this means back home for them. But we have a planet to save. We have an economy to grow. And we can do that if we keep our balance in all of this and not just say but for drilling in unprotected and these protected areas offshore, we would have lower gas prices. STEPHANOPOULOS: So what exactly are you trying to say? You say you might allow a vote as part of a comprehensive package, but you won’t allow a vote on -- PELOSI: We have put on the floor. Free our oil. Strong bipartisan support for that. Use it, don't lose it. Strong bipartisan support for that. End undue speculation, strong bipartisan support for that. We've talked about these things. Invest in renewable energy resources so that we can increase the supply of energy for our country. Strong bipartisan support for that. STEPHANOPOULOS: Yet you brought those measures to the floor in a way under the suspension of the rules so that it couldn't be amended with a drilling proposal. PELOSI: Well, we built consensus and have a strong bipartisan. This is what’s going to make a difference to reduce the dependence on foreign oil, to stop our dependence on fossil fuels in our own country. To increase the supply of energy immediately to reduce the price at the pump to protect the consumer. So this is a policy matter. This is very serious policy matter. It's not to use a tactic of one -- one tactic in order to undermine a comprehensive energy package to reduce our dependence on foreign oil which is a national security issue. To reduce our dependence on fossil fuels in our own country. Now, will we be talking about natural gas that's cheaper, better for the environment -- STEPHANOPOULOS: But why not allow votes on all that? When you came in as Speaker you promised in your commitment book "A New Direction for America," let me show our viewers, you said that “Bills should generally come to the floor under a procedure that allows open, full, fair debate consisting of full amendment process that grants the Minority the right to offer its alternatives.” If they want to offer a drilling proposal, why can't they have a vote? PELOSI: They'll have to use their imagination as to how they can get a vote and then they may get a vote. What I am trying to, we have serious policy issues in our country. The President of the United States has presented this but for this our economy would be booming. But for this, gas would be cheaper at the pump. It's simply not true. Even the President himself in his statement yesterday and before then has said, there is no quick fix for this by drilling. STEPHANOPOULOS: And Senator Obama has agreed with you. He says, listen. This is not the answer. Drilling is not the answer. But he said over the weekend that he might be willing to sign onto drilling as part of a comprehensive proposal. PELOSI: What Senator Obama said is what we want a President to say. Let's look at all of the options. Let's compare them. And let's see what really does increase our supply. Protect our environment, save our economy, protect the consumer, instead of a single shot thing that does none of the above. Why we give subsidies to big oil to drill instead of letting them -- STEPHANOPOULOS: I want to move on to other issues. Just to be clear, you are saying you will not allow a single up or down vote on drilling. But you will allow a vote on a package that includes drilling? PELOSI: No, what I'm saying to you is, as far as I'm concerned, unless there is something that -- you never say never to anything. You know, people have their parliamentary options available to them. But from my standpoint, my flagship issue as Speaker of the House and 110th Congress has been to reduce our dependence on foreign oil and reverse global warming. I'm not giving the gavel -- I'm not giving a gavel away to a tactic that will do neither of those things. That supports big oil at the cost and expense of the consumer. STEPHANOPOULOS: So you’re not going to permit a vote, you may get beat, but you're not going to permit a vote on your own? PELOSI: Again, we take this one step at a time. But while we're spending all of this time on a parliamentary tactic when nothing less is at stake than the planet, the air we breathe, our children breathe. STEPHANOPOULOS: But that’s what I don’t understand. If you could get votes on everything else that you care about which you say there is strong bipartisan support, why not allow a vote on the drilling as well? PELOSI: Because the President will not allow any of these other things to go forth. Why are we not saying to the President, why don't you release oil from the SPR in ten days to have the price at the pump go down? Why are you opposed to any undue speculation in the oil markets? Why do you not insist that people who have leases on our land with permits ready to go use those? The oil companies don't want competition. And what we would do by saying, go ahead, give them the subsidies. Allow them to drill in areas that are protected now, instead of where they're allowed to drill, is to diminish all of the opportunity that we have for an electricity standard for our country. Where we set out standards that makes the competition for renewable energy resources better. Which says to the private sector, invest here because there is a standard that they have to honor. If you just say it's drill, drill, drill, drill and we're going to subsidize it, what is the motivation for the private sector to come in and say we're going to support these renewable energies, wind, solar, biofuels. Plug-in cars. Natural gas and other alternatives.

And yet 700 billion dollars a year goes to purchasing foreign oil. While Pelosi and company continue to parrot the line about an "oilman" being in the White House, the Dems are content to let themselves be the party of OPEC in that they would rather we continue sending money to Venezuela and Saudi Arabia instead of starting the process of gaining energy independence.

The Republicans are still in Congress trying to put together a bill that will allow us to produce energy domestically while the Dems are off on vacation after having succeeded in doing nothing. We need to get the libs out of Congress so that we can get America moving forward again.

You can access the complete article on-line here:

Stephanopoulos To Pelosi: Why No Up Or Down Vote On Drilling?
Noel Sheppard
NewsBusters.org
August 3, 2008

Nancy Pelosi's Delusional Comments, Breaks Yet Another Promise From 2006

9%. That's all. 9%. That's how many people think the Democrat controlled Congress has been doing a good job. But if you look at their record, the only thing they've done is said, "No."

"No" to lower gas prices. "No" to new refineries. "No" to new nuclear power plants. "No" to keeping taxes low. In fact, they haven't been able to keep a single promise they made back in 2006 in order to get themselves elected to power.

Nancy Peolsi recently gave and interview to CNN and clearly, she has deluded herself into believing that she and the other libs who now control Congress are doing something good. She is doing this in the context of the criticisms that President Bush rightly leveled at Congress, but mostly she is doing it to try and deflect the fact that the President's criticisms are right on the mark.

From CNN:

"God bless him, bless his heart, president of the United States -- a total failure, losing all credibility with the American people on the economy, on the war, on energy, you name the subject," Pelosi told CNN's Wolf Blitzer in an exclusive interview. The comments came two days after the president sharply criticized Congress over what he described as relative inaction over the course of the legislative term. At the White House on Wednesday, Bush noted that there were only 26 legislative days left in the fiscal year and said Congress would need to pass a spending bill every other day to "get their fundamental job done."

And what President Bush said was absolutely correct. Despite promises of bi-partisanship (a promise that was broken in less than a week after assuming power), the libs and Dems have absolutely nothing to show for their time in office while the American people languish under high energy costs and a looming economic disaster when the 2001 tax cuts expire and billions of dollars get sucked out of the economy.

More:

"For him to be challenging Congress when we are trying to sweep up after his mess over and over and over again -- at the end of the day, Congress will have passed its responsibility to pass legislation," she said. But Pelosi's comments come as a new Gallup poll registers the lowest level of congressional approval among Americans in the polling organization's 30-year history of conducting that survey. That poll showed that its approval rating had reached an anemic 14 percent, while more than 70 percent of those polled said they disapproved of the job Congress is doing. The House speaker said she doesn't consider those numbers a negative referendum on the Democrats in charge, saying she thinks they stem largely from Congress' failure to end the war in Iraq.

But, what Pelosi fails to see here is that we are winning the war in Iraq and it is no longer a major concern to us mainstream Americans. The big concern to us is energy costs and gasoline prices which have skyrocketed under the Democrat-controlled Congress. This is what makes her comments delusional. She cannot accept reality and must instead fabricate her own rationalizations.

Check this out:

In the wide-ranging interview, the entirety of which will air Sunday on CNN's "Late Edition with Wolf Blitzer," Pelosi also reiterated her longtime opposition to lifting a congressional ban on offshore drilling as well as opening up areas such as the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska for oil exploration. Bush and congressional Republicans have pushed for those two policy changes. Pelosi has long opposed drilling offshore, a popular policy position among Californians, many of whom fear its environmental consequences along the state's coastline. But a recent CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll showed that more than 73 percent of Americans polled approved of lifting the 1981 ban, and the move holds support among many in Pelosi's own party, whose constituents are growing increasingly angry over rising gas prices.

Yet again, a reality that Nancy Pelosi cannot see since she and the libs have completely fallen out of touch with the American people. Like other Dems, she has been parroting the line that oil companies should be drilling on lands that are already leased out. The disconnect with reality here is that the reason the oil companies are not drilling on those lands is because there is no oil underneath them. I wonder if Wolf Blitzer pointed that out to her during the interview? Probably not.

We need to get her and her delusional friends out of office. Her detachment from reality is causing nothing but harm to the American people. But all she can say is: "Bush is a total failure."

She truly is the worst Speaker of the House in history.

You can access the complete article on-line here:

Pelosi: Bush 'A Total Failure'
Alexander Mooney
CNN.com
July 17, 2008

Will To Drill Is Strong And A New Political Cliche

Two items today that go right to the heart of our energy crisis. The first is from Investor's Business Daily. Just the first paragraph alone sets a very telling tone:

Contrary to claims by Al Gore and others that global warming is the greatest challenge of our time, Americans by better than 3-to-1 say the price of gasoline is a bigger problem now, according to the latest IBD/TIPP Poll. Moreover, they stand willing to do something about it, including and especially drilling for oil in the Outer Continental Shelf and in federal shale reserves in Colorado, Wyoming and Utah. Even drilling in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is backed by a plurality of Americans. ... Only 23% say climate change is more important. The sentiment prevails across the board — among men and women, old and young, rich and poor, and Republicans, independents and Democrats, two-thirds of whom say gas prices are more important.

That really says it all. So, when is Congress going to do something about it? More importantly, when are we Americans going to get rid of the do-nothing members and vote in people who will get things done?

You can access the complete column on-line here:

Will To Drill Is Strong, Poll Finds; Climate Change Pales As Concern
Investor's Business Daily
July, 14, 2008

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And why should we boot out the Congress we elected in 2006? Hugh Hewitt gives us the answer, once again right from the very first paragraph:

The economic mess the country confronts can be laid at the feet of Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid. The Don’t Drill Democrats are forcing deindustrialization through depression brought about by soaring energy costs. This is a man-made meltdown, and make no mistake: The Democrats could halt and reverse the skyrocketing cost of oil, but they are choosing not to.

The results of their inaction/choice not to act have been staggering and will only get worse:

The impact of the massive oil shock brought about by the rise of oil to more than $140 a barrel has just begun to be felt. The airline industry has gotten organized to alert everyone it can that it cannot continue to stagger along at this price. Eight airlines are completely gone that flew a year ago, and many others are on the brink. Layoffs and new charges to battle soaring costs are hardly worth noting they arrive so frequently. Tremors continue to course through Wall Street as investors shunned mortgage giants Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae and yesterday worried Congressmen throw questions at the Fed Chairman and the secretary of the Treasury: How bad can it get?

Very bad. As I noted in another blog posting, oil is not our lifeblood; it is our energy. We need it like the human body needs food. To repeat the idiotic mantra that we need to "wean ourselves off of oil" is like saying that we humans need to "wean ourselves off of food." Only an idiot would believe such a claim.

More:

The environmental lobby owns Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid, and Barack Obama –the brave new leader—doesn’t dare take it or them on. That lobby is applauding the deindustrialization underway, and their attitude is that a depression wouldn’t be such a bad thing as a lesson in learning how to live within our environmental means. Their jobs aren’t on the line, after all, and their disdain for the impacted industries is complete. What they and the Triple D Democrats hasn’t counted on, though, was America making the connection between the deteriorating economy and their anti-energy agenda. Energy is freedom. Energy is prosperity. Every Democrat on the fall ballot is part of the anti-energy party which is wrecking havoc on the economy and every family’s budget. A vote for any Democrat is a vote for shortages, rising gas prices, rising unemployment, and falling production.

I don't like political cliches, but the one for 2008 is "It's the oil, stupid!"

You can access the complete column on-line here:

It's The Oil, Stupid
Hugh Hewitt
TownHall.com
July 11, 2008

Holding Democrats Accountable For Our Energy Crisis

This is one column that holds back nothing. It is clear, concise and unambiguous about what is happening with regards to energy production, the world market and how the Democrat controlled Congress is actively working to make the problem worse thereby "sticking it" to the American middle class.

It is no secret that the Dems have been laboring feverishly to ensure that we Americans cannot produce lower-cost energy here at home. They have blocked drilling in ANWR, off-shore and they've blocked the construction of new nuclear power plants. Additionally, they have blocked the construction or upgrade of oil refineries.

Chris Adamo, writing for GOPUSA, notes that the American public is getting wise to the Democrats and also explains what the public is becoming aware of. From his latest column:

Simple economics, the principles of which are becoming painfully apparent to every American who stops to fill up the family sedan, dictate that when disproportionate multitudes of customers have to compete for a limited supply of fossil fuels, prices will rise. Thus all of the liberal/environmentalist efforts to curtail the availability of the world's oil, specifically by hamstringing America's ability to exploit its own natural resources, have only succeeded in driving up the cost of those resources for all who want or need them.

Yes. And I feel the need to once again bring up the promise that Nancy Pelosi made back in 2006 about the Dems having a "commonsense" plan for bringing gas and energy prices down. They have done nothing but drive prices up since they took over Congress. But it isn't just their policy of constantly saying "no" to domestic energy production. There is much more to it than that:

From a worldwide perspective, the "free market" would currently yield a much lower price for a barrel of oil than recent numbers which exceed one hundred forty dollars. This fact being well understood among oil producing nations, particularly in the Middle East, where major oil producers banded together to form the infamous "Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries" or OPEC. ... In essence, an artificial "monopoly" has been created among the member nations, whereby they can unilaterally determine what the rest of the world will pay for its energy needs. But for this monopoly to survive and thrive, it requires the defacto cooperation of all other parties involved. Perhaps the most infuriating aspect of this situation is that such "cooperation" is effectively coming from the Democrat controlled Congress of the United States. By stubbornly refusing any consideration of exploring, drilling, and thus expanding American oil production, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D.-CA) and Senate Majority Harry Reid (D.-NV) along with their Democrat political machine in Washington, are effectively forcing the entire American oil industry into the role of collaborating OPEC members. In a sinister sense, America is officially refusing to increase the world production of oil, thus strengthening the OPEC monopoly and its ability to deliberately inflate the price of crude oil.

So, the Dems are not just screwing us here at home. They are actively allowing oil producing nations to screw us from abroad as well. Why isn't Old Media or even the rank-and-file Democrats holding Nancy Pelosi's feet to the fire for breaking her 2006 promise?

More:

It makes no difference when paying the bill at the gas pump that Pelosi, Reid, and their liberal political cohorts are claiming to do their deed for the sake of the planet, as opposed to the Arab nations who simply want to maximize profits. The end product is the same. Americans are senselessly forced to crunch their personal budgets in order to keep the family car rolling. Elsewhere around the world, the predictable fallout from liberal policy making hits much harder. Food prices are soaring, both as a result of higher costs to grow and transport edible crops, along with the insane practice of sapping food supplies in order to use basic grains for the production of ethanol in a dubious scheme to supplement gas supplies. Meanwhile, those most responsible for the current energy calamity offer only environmental sanctimony, entwined in the hoax of "global warming," as their justification.

And let's not forget that Congressional approval ratings have fallen to single digits for the first time in history. Also keep in mind that this happened less than two years after the Dems took control and began their assault on our economy. But the Dems are hoping to deflect from these issues by bringing out smoke-and-mirror tactics such as fabricating an impeachment of the President. This will only hurt them.

America's families suffer a loss of buying power, and American workers are barred from gainful employment among the abundant natural resources that exist across this land and just off its shores. In response, Representative Maxine Waters (D.-CA) expresses her desire for the government to nationalize the oil industry, and Democrat presidential hopeful Barack Obama reveals his contempt for middle America, which he believes is excessively lavish in its lifestyles and use of energy resources.

Those are the real issues. Socialists don't want to confront the disaster they would inflict on everyone else. They simply try to dodge the issue by falsely claiming that the blame lies elsewhere. The American voting public isn't buying it.

You can access the complete column on-line here:

Holding Liberals Accountable For Energy Woes
Christopher G. Adamo
GOPUSA.com
July 10, 2008

Gasoline Price War Hits The Senate And Nancy Pelosi's Promise Of Lower Energy Prices Keeps Getting Emptier

Harry Reid is a prime example of how out-of-touch the Democrats are with reality. Here is what he said in front of a Fox News camera:

“The one thing we fail to talk about is those costs that you don't see on the bottom line. Coal makes us sick. Oil makes us sick. It's global warming. It's ruining our country. It's ruining our world. We've got to stop using fossil fuels."

Well, as I noted in a recent posting, that is like asking humans to stop eating. It just won't happen, at least not without seriously fatal side-effects.

Jed Babbin notes something similar in his most recent column:

America’s, like it or not, is an oil-based economy. People who drive, fly and ship by truck are the basis for our commerce. Without the ability to drive, fly and ship we cannot buy and sell goods and services.

Apparently, the Democrats are still addicted to the fantasy that we can make cars, planes, trains and ships go on pixie dust and unicorn whiskers. They have this fantasy that some super-scientific technology is going to come and rescue us. Not so.

Read on:

Airlines are -- once again -- facing bankruptcy and the cost of fuel is driving up the price of every kind of goods and services. Neither the President nor the Democratic Congressional leadership is doing anything to bring the price of gasoline down now, before the election. Politicians seem to be immune to reason. They’re talking about things that may -- not will -- happen decades from now. If we began today, and bent all our attention, spent every dime we have on it to the exclusion of all else, we’d not be able to “stop using fossil fuels” for fifty years or more. The Democrats seem impervious to the facts. There is no cost-effective way to “stop using fossil fuels” in an economy that is completely dependent upon that use. Even if there were, the burden of gasoline costs on our economy demands that effective action be taken now to drive that price down. Reid and others chant the mantra that “you can’t drill your way out of this problem.” We -- and the OPEC cartel -- have drilled our way into it. Why can’t we drill our way out, at least to buy enough time to figure out a long-term solution?

So why do the Dems act the way they do, to the complete detriment of the American people? For the same reason they refuse to acknowledge reality and vote to do the right thing:

Because the environmentalists would be unhappy. Their contentment is more important to Reid and the other Dems than the economic survival of the American voter.

Yes, keeping the radical left happy is more important to the Democrats than keeping their promise to the American people. Remember that promise, made back in 2006? Here is a reminder of what Nancy Pelosi said on April 24, 2006:

"Democrats have a common-sense plan to help bring down skyrocketing gas prices by cracking down on price gouging, rolling back the billions of dollars in taxpayer subsidies, tax breaks and royalty relief given to big oil and gas companies, and increasing production of alternative fuels."

We need to get the Dems out of Congress and replace them with people who really know what the needs of the United States are.

You can access the complete column on-line here:

Gasoline Price War Hits The Senate
Jed Babbin
Human Events Online
July 7, 2008

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And here is a little something from the Journal Sentinel of Milwaukee:

Natural gas futures have jumped 82% since the start of the year. Heating oil and propane prices are also soaring. The increased natural gas prices already have resulted in electricity bills jumping twice since March for customers of Milwaukee-based We Energies and Green Bay-based Wisconsin Public Service Corp. Including increases authorized for three other state utilities, customers of the state’s five investor-owned utilities have seen rates rise by $210 million since the start of the year. Spokesmen for the state’s large natural gas utilities said it’s too early to predict what customers may pay this winter. The futures price of natural gas, which finished last week at its highest point in more than 2 1/2 years, could still fall below its current, abnormal high, they said. “Prices right now are in the scary range,” said Kerry Spees, spokesman for Wisconsin Public Service, an electric and natural gas utility. “It makes you look toward the winter with a little trepidation.”

Anyone still gullible enough to believe that Nancy Pelosi and the Dems have us on the right track?

You can access the complete column on-line here:

High Natural Gas Costs Expected To Boost Heating Bills This Winter
Thomas Content
Journal Sentinel of Milwaukee
July 6, 2008

Companies Begin Quest For Oil Offshore: Oil And Gas Prices Emerging As #1 Issue

So, how much have you been paying to fill your gas tank? Quite a bit more than you were when the Democrats took control of Congress back in 2007. Gas prices have gone up over 38% since then. The American people want change. Not the change Barack Obama is proposing (i.e. more disastrous Socialism), but a change in domestic energy production policy.

That change would be to lift the stifling rules and regulations that prevent us from producing our own energy right here at home. Conceivably, our domestic oil companies could produce oil at $60/bbl instead of having to pay $145/bbl or even $200/bbl when the price gets that high.

According to the Associated Press:

Oil companies once viewed drilling in the deep waters off Florida as cost prohibitive. Politicians feared even the slightest sign of support would be career suicide. No more. Record crude oil prices are fueling support for oil and natural gas exploration off the nation's shores. In Florida, movement was under way even before President Bush called on Congress last month to lift a federal moratorium that's barred new offshore drilling since 1981. The early activity here stems from a 2006 Congressional compromise that allows drilling on 8.3 million acres more than 125 miles off the Panhandle — an area that had been covered by the moratorium, which was enacted out of environmental concerns. In exchange, the state got a no-drilling buffer along the rest of its beaches.

2006. That's when the Republicans controlled Congress. They had more than enough votes to force the issue, but certain Republicans decided to become obstructionists, including the GOP Presidential candidate John McCain.

McCain better be singing a different tune today, because Barack Obama is the one constantly saying "no" to viable solutions to our energy crisis. Here's what the American voter is thinking:

With gas topping $4 a gallon, recent polls show Americans, Floridians included, more supportive of drilling in protected areas. Some politicians — including Gov. Charlie Crist — have switched sides. "We think the public is way out ahead of the politicians on these issues. People are more open to (offshore drilling) now," said Tom Moskitis, spokesman for the American Gas Association, a trade group. At the same time, oil companies, driven by the record energy price, are more willing to risk $100 million or more to begin exploring new regions. The Interior Department estimates there could be 18 billion barrels of oil and 77 trillion cubic feet of natural gas beneath the 574 million acres of federal coastal waters that are now off-limits.

And when people realize that the energy crisis is going to threaten the family vacation to Disney World, they will end up voting for the candidate who will work the hardest to remove the threat. That is why John McCain had better be listening to the people on this one.

More:

But politicians who once supported the ban are changing their minds. Sen. John McCain supports lifting the ban and allowing states to decide whether to approve drilling of their shores. Crist, Florida's Republican governor and a possible vice presidential candidate, reversed his long-standing opposition to lifting the ban last month. The ban won't be lifted without a fight. Sen. Bill Nelson, who has led opposition to offshore drilling among the state's congressional delegation, criticized the governor for reversing his position, accusing Crist and McCain of putting oil company profits before protecting the state's $65 billion annual tourism industry.

But Nelson seems to be completely ignorant of the fact that if people can't put gas in their cars, or airlines can't put fuel into airplanes, then the tourist industry in Florida is going to take a huge hit. People aren't going to walk hundreds of miles to get to Florida, especially if they have children.

You can access the complete article on-line here:

Companies Begin Quest For Oil, Gas Off Florida
Associated Press via MSNBC.com
July 4, 2008

CNN's Glenn Beck: Your Gas Money For A Flat Screen?

I was watching Glenn last night when he had Rudy Giuliani on talking about the current oil crisis. Yes, I said "crisis" because that is what we are in. When the price of a barrel of oil has gone up so dramatically in the space of a year and a half, I'd say we are in a crisis.

Mayor Giuliani has the right ideas about what to do. Drill, drill, drill. There is no other solution. Right now, the Democrat controlled Congress seems to want to do nothing but wait and watch gas prices go higher, our economy sink lower and then sit back, enjoy their perks and privilidges while pointing the finger of blame in the wrong direction.

Glenn Beck has a few words to say about that. In fact, it is clear that drilling at home and producing domestically is the only rational solution. The alternative is to wreck our economy and turn the U.S. to chaos. But what about the standard stock arguments from the greens? What do those arguments really mean and are they even valid? From CNN:

"It's not going to help for another 10 years!" Here's the thing. America is a long-term plan for me. I don't know where these people plan to be in 10 years, but I plan to be here. This is, of course, the same argument heard around President Clinton's veto of ANWR drilling in 1995. Among other things, if we had started drilling ANWR then, oil would be already flowing. At its peak, ANWR could supply 1.45 million barrels per day, enough to tell Hugo Chavez and all his Venezuelan oil to shove it (with a little change left over). Of course, Clinton didn't have Chavez to deal with back then. If only he were thinking 10 years into the future.

And this:

"We can't drill ourselves out of this problem!" Maybe not solely, or forever, but it sure can help. With new technology, who knows what we can do over time? The government estimates that the outer continental shelf alone has 76 billion barrels of oil that are recoverable, and that's just with today's technology. To put that number into perspective, it's equal to every barrel of oil that we'd import from everywhere outside of North America for 31 years at our current pace. But instead of developing these resources, we throw up endless roadblocks. If you don't think that pumping more of our own oil would affect prices, ask yourself what would happen if we did the opposite. What if we announced today that we were turning all of our existing pumps off?

More:

"What about the environment?" This may surprise those who think I'm the pre-eminent murderer of the Earth, but the only real argument against owning our own oil destiny is an environmental one. Under this theory: High gas prices equal less gas usage, which equals a saved planet. Thomas Friedman, in a recent column, laid it out in an honest fashion: "Now that [gas] is $4 a gallon, the government should at least keep it there, since it is really having the right effect." He went on to describe Chrysler's promotion that guarantees cheaper gas as "the moral equivalent of tobacco companies offering discounted cigarettes to teenagers." Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, apparently agrees, saying that coal and oil are making us sick along with "ruining our country" and "ruining our world." If you believe such nonsense, then it's perfectly rational to ignore our ample energy resources. (It's not rational to combine that with complaints about high gas prices, sorry Harry Reid.) For the rest of us, while visions of the Exxon Valdez may dance through your head, the National Academy of Sciences found that the offshore industry is among the safest industrial activities in the United States. And please, next time you hear someone complaining about environmental risks of drilling at home, remember this from a 2003 speech from the director of the US Minerals Management Services: "Imports present an environmental risk of spills about 13 times greater than domestic production" and "natural seeps account for 150-175 times more oil in the ocean than outer continental shelf oil and gas operations." NATURAL SEEPS? Now we know who the real polluter is -- that evil wench -- Mother Nature.

Some very profound words of wisdon in their. Domestic production is the way to go until the day comes when we do build cars, freight trains and ships that run on pixie dust and unicorn whiskers. But those technologies are years into the future, if they are even possible at all. Solar power, wind power and ethanol could only supply us a fraction of what we need. Right now, domestic production would supply us all that we need.

You can access the complete column on-line here:

Commentary: Your Gas Money For A Flat Screen?
Glenn Beck
CNN.com
July 3, 2008

An America First Energy Plan

One of the things that irritates me the most is when people repeat, like trained parrots, the idiotic line: "We are addicted to oil!" I know, even President Bush has repeated it, but it is still an idiotic thing to say.

How about this: "The human body is addicted to food!" It's the same thing, but on a much, much smaller scale. You see, saying that our economy and culture is addicted to oil is like saying that oil is some form of opiate that we get high off of. But, from my human body/food analogy you can clearly see that this is not the case.

We use the energy we get from oil to provide power for our industries and to power our everyday lives, just as our bodies use energy from the foods we eat to power our bodily functions (like heartbeat, breathing, locomotion, etc.). We are no more addicted to oil than we are to eating food.

Now do you see how idiotic that parroted line is?

So, why bring this up? There was a good column yesterday over at CNBC by Larry Kudlow. Here is an excerpt:

America First should be the rallying cry. We have the natural resources to become the Saudi Arabia of coal and the Saudi Arabia of oil. Lift the moratoriums. Stop attacking our own businesses. Put technology to work. Put venture capital to work, with rock-bottom capital-gains and corporate tax rates. Stop being mau-maued by the extremist greenies who have prevented energy production for over three decades. America First. Unleash our free-enterprise energy sector: 2 trillion barrels worth of shale; 90 billion barrels of offshore oil; at least 10 billion barrels up in ANWR and more throughout Alaska, both onshore and off. Politically, Sen. McCain must also understand how Hillary Clinton clobbered Barack Obama in the big state primaries: Blue-collar workers. They can be the key to victory for McCain. Guess who works in the energy business? Blue collar Reagan Democrats. They work on the rigs. They work in the fields. They drive the trucks. And they’re paid high wages -- substantially above the average hourly wage. Or McCain can sell it this way: American workers are worried about jobs going offshore to India, China, Vietnam, and Bangladesh. Well, a drill, drill, drill, America First energy plan would create millions of new domestic American jobs. Of course, there’s also a national security aspect to this. Worried about funding terrorist rogue states? Drill, drill, drill. A complete portfolio of oil energy sources in America -- that’s the answer.

These paragraphs give a very clear picture as to exactly how issues are all intertwined. Here we have energy prices, taxes, employment and national security. I really wish our Congressionaol Reps had this much sense and foresight.

More:

Sen. Obama is opposed to drilling. Opposed to nuclear. Opposed to coal. He and Harry Reid believe wind, solar, and ethanol are the answers. They’re not. It’s doubtful even at full development and commercialization that these alternative technologies will ever power more than 10 percent of our energy needs. We should go down this road as part of a full energy portfolio. But let’s not kid ourselves: These sources alone will never be sufficient. Sen. McCain has to make this case daily. He must contrast his America First energy plan with Obama’s declinist American vision. He must argue America First for fuel, power, jobs, wages, and national security. He must enlist the Reagan Democrats who may be out of work and are surely angry at $4 gas at the pump and $140 a barrel oil in the world market. Take a page from Ronald Reagan, Mr. McCain. Be optimistic about our future. Be clear, straightforward, and consistent. We can grow this economy and remain number one. This is how to do it.

I know Barack Obama will never listen to such common sense advice. But Senator McCain has the potential. Will he listen? Let's hope so.

You can access the complete column on-line here:

An America First Energy Plan
Larry Kudlow
CNBC.com
July 2, 2008

John McCain’s Energy IndependencePolicies And How They Compare With Democrat Claims

Here's a good little article from Front Page Magazine. It puts energy policy into context, not just Democrat vs. Republican but also McCain vs. Obama. If the Republicans and McCain come out swinging on this issue, it will be the knockout punch that will put the Dems back into the minority where they belong.

Last week, McCain pledged to end the 1982 moratorium on offshore gas and oil drilling in the continental United States. This week, he proposed offering $300 million to any automaker or individual that can develop a better car battery, as well as $5,000 in tax credits to consumers who buy zero-emission vehicles. Speaking directly to Americans’ concerns about an energy crisis, McCain's two-pronged offensive also has put Democrats on the defensive. Despite their advantage in the polls, Democrats are especially vulnerable on energy issues. In 2006, they promised a "common sense" solution to oil prices. All they have done, however, is blame oil companies and threaten new taxes.

Yep. That is all the Dems have done. They have not proposed one single new initiative that will help ease our pain at the gas pumps. They have only proposed that which will make our pain worse.

The article continues:

The United States has the largest oil shale deposits in the world in the Green River basin, from which it is (conservatively) estimated that 800 billion barrels of oil can be recovered. Meanwhile, according to a 1998 U.S. Geological Survey, ANWR probably could produce another 10 billion barrels. With resources like these, America would no longer need oil from adversarial oil-rich nations. And this is just scratching the surface. Technologies that convert coal into synthetic fuel are already economical and feasible, and America has 25 percent of all the coal reserves in the world. No wonder many conservatives want these regions included in future exploration. And not just conservatives. As quoted in news reports, even some Democratic insiders and strategists "admit privately" that that "they are impressed with the new Republican campaign” because "gives the GOP an opportunity to talk about taking action on a matter of huge importance to the voters.”

And therein lies the opportunity that I mentioned above. We are very angry at the Dems. We are angry that gas, energy and food prices have gone up beyond the national inflation rate ever since they took control of Congress and passed that idiotic ethanol law.

More:

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi recently captured her party’s deafness to national concerns on energy. “We cannot drill our way out of this,” she insisted. Instead, the California Democrat fell back on conspiracy theory, blaming the president and vice-president for high gas prices. "A barrel of oil now costs four times more than it did when President Bush took office," she argued. "Two oil men in the White House, cost of oil four times higher. Price at the pump: $4 a gallon." The claim will not withstand scrutiny. Experts have argued for some time now that the growing economies of China and India and their demand for oil are the main reason for higher energy prices worldwide. But it's hard for liberals to abandon their old, anti-capitalist orthodoxies. Listen to Maurice Hinchey, a left wing New York Democrat, who contends that oil companies are not drilling on the lands they already lease because they are waiting for the price of oil to go up to "$200 or $300 a barrel so they can make even greater profits." Acting on that assumption, Democratic congressmen are introducing legislation that will force oil companies to explore the properties they already lease or pay fees (an indirect tax) that will increase over time. This idea is almost as bad as Hinchey's proposal last week (from which he later retreated) that the federal government should own oil refineries to gain some control of the supply. Lost on these politicians is that any new fees oil companies pay will be passed on to consumers at the pump. Barack Obama's plan for a tax on oil profits would have exactly this effect. Drivers would simply pay more.

The Dems are so far out of touch on this one, most important issue that we really need to get them out of office before they send us flying head first into a new Great Depression. Nancy Pelosi's embrace of hair-brained conspiracy theories is proof positive of that.

You can access the complete column on-line here:

McCain’s Energy Independence
Stephen Brown and Sean Daniels
FrontPageMag.com
June 24, 2008

Congress Aims At Oil Trading: Democrats Offer Another Bill To Curb Oil Speculation

Reality Check: Americans are suffering from high prices at the gas pump, the price of oil is being pushed higher by higher world demand and a clear majority of Americans want something done to ease the pain and a viable solution for long-term relief. So, what do the Dems do? They hold hearings in an attempt to shift the blame away from where it properly belongs: with Congress.

First, they tried, unsuccessfully, many times, to blame the oil companies for price gouging. But the truth prevailed and it became clear the Dems were leveling false charges. So now, the Dems are going after investors or "speculators" as the culprits for the high price of oil. Does anyone else see where this is going and why it is such a sham?

From CNN:

Congress will focus on energy speculation on Monday, as some lawmakers blamed Wall Street traders for record oil and gasoline prices. Rep. Bart Stupak, D-Mich., the chair of a House Energy and Commerce subcommittee, will investigate whether further regulation of trading is warranted. ... Congress is awash in nine different bills that attempt to limit the role of speculators.

First let's look at the economics here. Oil prices are not high because the speculators came running over to trade futures, speculators came running over to trade futures because oil prices are high. You see, people don't start their car engines because they drove somewhere, they drove somewhere because they started their car engines. Get it?

This is simply another lame attempt at deflecting blame and a clear example of economic ignorance. They tried to blame the oil companies and then they tried to blame OPEC. They failed on all accounts.

Now they are trying to blame investors who are simply responding to the high prices that Congress is responsible for.

Congress has limited our supply by forbiding new drilling. Congress has bowed to environmental extremists and refused to allow new refineries to be built. Congress mandated the use of ethanol which required the use of even more oil and drove the price of gasoline even higher and drove up food prices as well.

Overall, this new attempt by the Dems to shift blame will have the same effect as all the proposed and enacted policies that came from the Dem leadership: not one drop of oil will be produced, not one drop of gasoline will be refined and the cost of energy won't be reduced by a single cent.

You can access the complete article on-line here:

Congress Aims At Oil Trading
Dave Goldman
CNN.com
June 23, 2008

President Bush Asks Congress To Lift Ban On Offshore Drilling, Dems Are Opposed To Lower Oil Prices

If only President Bush had been more forceful on this issue two or more years ago before the Dems took control of both houses of Congress. It would have been much less of a fight and oil and gasoline prices wouldn't be where they are today, at least not for American citizens.

But the Dems are opposed to giving any kind of relief to Americans who are hurting because of high energy prices. In fact, their response was pretty much the same-old same-old that they are being told to give by the radical environmentalists who control them.

From CNN:

President Bush asked Congress on Wednesday to permit drilling for oil in deep water off America's coasts to combat rising oil and gas prices. "There is no excuse for delay," the president said in a Rose Garden statement. ... Bush also renewed his demand that Congress allow drilling in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, clear the way for more refineries and encourage efforts to recover oil from shale in areas such as the Green River Basin of Colorado, Utah and Wyoming. Bush said that the basin potentially contains more than three times as much recoverable oil as Saudi Arabia's proven reserves and that the high price of oil makes it profitable to extract it.

Of course, the Dems, who seem to be completely ignorant of economic reality are opposed to any of this. Liberal Dem Bill Richardson of New Mexico made the wild claim that gas prices wouldn't be affected for 30 years, although the Saudis and other oil producing nations know that the global price of oil can be brought down in less than one year after drilling operations commence. I should also note that CNN made no effort whatsoever to impart this latter information to their audience.

But here is something very interesting that was part of a sidebar of the CNN article:

Oil Production Cost Here's what the price of a barrel of oil needs to be for different sources of petroleum to be profitably extracted: - Accessible land: $19 - Shallow water: $20-60 - Deep water: $60 - Shale mining: $30-50 - Oil sands: $50-60 Current price per barrel: $134 Sources: U.S. Govt. CERA, Rand, EnCana

With numbers like that, it becomes clear that Bill Richardson has no understanding of economics whatsoever and was merely parroting what he was told to parrot by the greens. With costs being cut in half, it would be only months before world oil prices began feeling the deflationary effect of increased American domestic production. That would be good for Americans.

But in press releases after the President's call for lifting the ban, the Dems were quick to reject it, although they used canned responses and made wild accusations with nothing to back them. Here is one example of their pathetic statements:

"After eight years, President Bush and [Vice President] Dick Cheney have turned the GOP into the Gas and Oil Party. That's the legacy that they are going to leave," said Rep. Edward Markey of Massachusetts, chairman of the House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming. "The White House has become a ventriloquist for the oil and gas industry, repeating the requests of the oil and gas industry."

No substance. No data to back it up. No understanding of economics. Just flurry of insults from a mouthpiece for the radical greens.

You can access the complete article on-line here:

Bush Asks Congress To Clear Way For Offshore Oil Drilling
Ed Henry, Richard Greene, Brianna Keilar, Hussein Saddique and Ali Velshi
CNN.com
June 19, 2008

Gas Prices Emerging As The #1 Issue, But Is Senator McCain Listening?

We now have an issue we can lock onto and really draw a direct comparison between the Free Market Republicans and the Socialist Democrats. Gasoline price and domestic energy production. And, if the Republicans and Senator McCain play their cards right, it could go a long way towards bringing some sanity back to the halls of Congress this November.

From Dr. Bobby Eberle at GOPUSA:

It was easy for Democrats to blame the "big" oil companies. They would bring oil executives before Congress, lambast them, and feel good about themselves. However, public opinion is changing. The American people are seeing through the left-wing effort to cloud the issue. The price of gasoline is driven by supply and demand. The proper approach is to address both aspects. We should conserve and look for energy alternatives to hit the "demand" side. We should also look at the "supply" side and see how ridiculous it is to leave the fate of America in the hands of unstable Middle-Eastern countries when we have huge supplies of untapped domestic oil. Americans want to drill at home, and Sen. McCain has a golden opportunity to seize upon this issue. Is he listening? In a recent survey by Rasmussen Reports, Scott Rasmussen notes that "most voters favor the resumption of offshore drilling in the United States and expect it to lower prices at the pump."

According to the Rasmussen poll, 67% of voters now believe that drilling should be allowed off the coasts of California and Florida compared to 18% who are opposed.

Heck, even China plans on drilling off the coast of Florida and they plan on drilling directionally to tap mineral reserves that lie within U.S. waters! Why shouldn't we drill there instead?

Dr. Eberle goes on:

In his speech, McCain says: "But the stakes are high for our citizens and for our economy. And with gasoline running at more than four bucks a gallon, many do not have the luxury of waiting on the far-off plans of futurists and politicians. We have proven oil reserves of at least 21 billion barrels in the United States. But a broad federal moratorium stands in the way of energy exploration and production. And I believe it is time for the federal government to lift these restrictions and to put our own reserves to use. "We can do this in ways that are consistent with sensible standards of environmental protection. And in states that choose to permit exploration, there must be an appropriate sharing of benefits between federal and state governments. But as a matter of fairness to the American people, and a matter of duty for our government, we must deal with the here and now, and assure affordable fuel for America by increasing domestic production." Here, the senator is right on target. We must increase domestic production to address the "supply" side of the equation. Congress is standing in the way, and the American people must make their voices heard on this issue. Just as we stopped their attempts at amnesty, if we join together, we can demand more domestic oil production. Make no mistake... through legislation and regulations, Congress is responsible for our vast dependence on the Middle East for oil. This is where the left is so out of touch. People like New York Sen. Chuck Schumer stand up and demand that President Bush pressure countries like Saudi Arabia to increase production, but he won't allow production at home? The president gets criticized by the liberals for being a "bully," but that's exactly what Schumer wants the president to be when it comes to increasing oil production. Rather than increasing our national security and driving prices down by producing more oil at home, the only thing Schumer wants America to do is to actually increase our dependence on foreign oil by demanding OPEC supply more.

Yes, Congress is part of the problem here. Since the Democrats took control, the price of gasoline has almost doubled and rather than actually doing something sensible (like increasing production here at home) they have falsely accused oil companies of price gouging, blocked efforts to bring prices down, and actually driven the price of gasoline up with those idiotic ethanol requirements. Further, those ethanol requirements resulted in us using more oil than ever before so it didn't do anything to reduce our reliance on foreign oil.

The Dems haven't done one thing to ease the consumer's pain at the pump. Despite Democrat claims to the contrary, they do not care one whit about the problems faced by Joe and Jane Average American.

The next time you see someone who voted Democrat, thank them for the high energy prices.

Finally:

Sen. McCain is on the right track in calling for lifting the ban on offshore drilling. He is right that we need more domestic production. He needs to step up and lead on this issue. We can't cower to the left and be afraid of angering some environmentalist. McCain needs to stop the global warming chatter, and show the American people that the best way to ensure America's national security interests are to take our fate out of the hands of the Middle East. I certainly hope he can do it.

Senator McCain needs to come out swinging on this issue. Is he listening to us? I don't know yet. But it is clear the American voter is watching closely now to see who promises what before November.

You can access the complete column on-line here:

Gas Prices Emerging As #1 Issue - Are You Listening Sen. McCain?
Dr. Bobby Eberle
GOPUSA.com
June 18, 2008

Oil And Gas Prices Are Going So High That ExxonMobil Is Selling Off Gas Stations For Lack Of Profit

If you are one of those diehards who refuses to believe that the oil companies are not engaged in price gouging, you need to read the following from CNN:

Oil giant Exxon Mobil Corp. plans to sell its company-owned gas stations, saying they aren't profitable enough even with gasoline selling at $4 per gallon.

Now, how could gas station be "not profitable enough" if they are reaping extra profits through price gouging?

This is simply one of the first signs that serious economic downturn is on the horizon and coming at us fast. If oil companies are becoming reluctant to distribute, that will mean supply shortfalls which in turn will lead back to the gas lines we saw in the late 1970's under Jimmy Carter.

The Dems in Congress need to stop fooling around with idiotic ideas like investigating bogus price gouging claims, suing OPEC and trying to punish consumers by raising the price of gas through harsh taxes. Instead, we need to produce right here at home and we need to do it now. (ANWR, Offshore drilling, Oil-shale.)

More:

The nation's largest oil company, which earned nearly $41 billion last year, says it will sell more than 2,000 stations over the next few years. "The fuels marketing sector is a very challenging market," ExxonMobil spokesperson Prem Nair said, adding that the company is feeling particular pressure from hypermarkets like Wal-Mart that sell gasoline.

Again, if they were able to manipulate the price of gas, this wouldn't be happening.

You can access the complete article on-line here:

ExxonMobil To Sell 2,220 Gas Stations
Alan Chernof
CNN.com
June 12, 2008

How Obama Wants To Send The Economy Spiraling Into Depression And The Democrats Want To Help Him Do It

We know the economic news isn't good. We know that high energy prices are to blame for the current situation. When gas prices go up, transportation prices go up which means the price of anything being transported goes up and the American consumer pays for it all at the retail cash register. That's called inflation. Gas prices are currently driving a very inflationary economy and eventually, it is going to drive us into a full-fledged depression.

So, what does Barack Obama want to do about it? Read this from Reuters:

Barack Obama said on Monday he would impose a windfall profits tax on U.S. oil companies as he sought political gain from Americans' pain over high gasoline prices. ... "I'll make oil companies like Exxon pay a tax on their windfall profits, and we'll use the money to help families pay for their skyrocketing energy costs and other bills," the Illinois senator said.

So, Obama's plan for dealing with "skyrocketing energy costs" is to force Americans to pay even higher prices for energy by raising taxes, which get passed on to the consumer, on the oil companies? And then, he is going to redistribute wealth so Americans will feel okay with paying higher energy costs?

This guy is so detached from reality that it is difficult to believe that even the Dems could have nominated him. His socialist policies, if implemented, are going to end up in disaster. He must be stopped.

You can access the complete article on-line here:

Obama Says He Would Impose Oil Windfall Profits Tax
Reuters
June 9, 2008

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And while we are on the topic of high gas prices, the House GOP rightly laid the blame at the feet of the Democrats in Congress.

From The Hill:

"Today marks another dubious day for this Do-Nothing Democratic Congress," House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) stated. "On their watch, gas prices have soared to new heights, and by refusing to schedule a vote on a plan to increase American-made energy to help lower gas prices, congressional Democrats are complicit in this unprecedented surge in fuel costs."

Yes, on their watch, we were promised lower gas prices. The truth is, the Dems have forced gas prices up. They know what the effects of supply and demand are just as well as anyone else. Yet, they are bound and determined to keep supply low in order to keep prices high.

Read on:

Boehner touted the GOP's plan to reduce the burden at the pump and blasted House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) for not bringing it to a vote. "Every American has a right to ask: What will it take for the Democrat-controlled Congress to finally take action and help ease the pain of the Pelosi Premium on behalf of struggling families and small businesses?" Boehner stated. "Speaker Pelosi has the power to schedule a vote on our plan to begin breaking America's costly dependence on foreign sources of energy. She should not wait another day to do so." House Minority Whip Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) added: "Enough is enough. It's time for Democratic leaders in D.C. to put American interests above their special interests – and allow a vote on increasing America's homegrown energy supply. We’ve tried it their way -- and with $4 gas as the result, it's time to do something worthwhile for the American people."

We need to start drilling at home. We need to start drilling offshore. We need to tap into the massive amounts of oil we have underneath us and begin bringing prices back down and hopefully prevent a Democrat-induced depression.

You can access the complete article on-line here:

House GOP Seeks To Pin $4 Gasoline On Democrats
Klaus Marre
The Hill
June 8, 2008