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DEL.ICIO.USWestmoreland at the front of GOP’s lights-out revolt in D.C.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
U.S. Rep. Lynn Westmoreland (R-Ga.), whose rabble-rousing dates back to his legislative days in Atlanta, was at it again this afternoon, leading the lights-out revolt of Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives.
U.S. Rep. Tom Price (R-Roswell) also participated in the uprising.
Click here for a full account in The Hill. But this is the gist:
The microphones are off, the C-SPAN cameras are no longer running in the House chamber, but all is not silent as a group of House Republicans has stayed behind to continue to speak about energy issues.
Rep. Lynn Westmoreland (R-Ga.) began the protest, which included about 20 GOPers who chose not to make the traditional mad dash for the airport following adjournment. Instead, they gave speeches on the empty floor to protest that Congress went into recess and to raise awareness of what they say is an unwillingness by Democrats to take up legislation to deal with the nation’s energy crisis.
“There were about 40 people lined up to speak, and Democrats adjourned to keep us from doing the special orders,” Westmoreland said. “I was looking around and trying to figure out what we were going to do and just decided to go down to the well and started talking to the people in the galleries.”
…. Nadeam Elshami, a spokesman for Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), chalked the display up to politics. At one point the lights went off but were later turned back on. The microphones were also eventually turned on, according to staff present. In addition, the Capitol Police tried to shut down the press gallery at one point but [U.S. Rep. John] Shadegg ensured that it remained open.
Comments
By Craig H
August 1, 2008 7:00 PM | Link to this
Today our voice the voice of the American people was shut out by the speaker of the house but she can not stop our voice forever. Go back and do the job we sent you to Washington to do. Vote to give us energy independence. Vote for your country not your party! Just go back to Washington and let there be a vote! If not remember November is coming!
By TW
August 1, 2008 7:04 PM | Link to this
The Republican Party has become nothing but a sham. The only people who fare well under Republican rule are the wealthy. Look around. We’ve had soldiers needlessly killed because of Republican lies, record job losses, mortgage crisis and the economy is awful. But not for the rich - they have made a fortune on top of their fortune with the tax policy of the Republicans. They care only for the wealthy. What a shame it had to come to this. And now they want us to buy this crap about drilling offshore? Like the oil company that drills it is going to give us Americans a great discount? A home field discount? Yeah, right. Just the US drug company’s make things affordable…what a joke.
Not anymore. My GOP of old is dead, and the current carriers of the torch have killed it.
Shame.
By FullCircle
August 1, 2008 7:21 PM | Link to this
I’m with you, TW. The GOP is something to be ashamed of — not proud of and certainly not a part of. The last time I voted for a Democrat was for Jimmy Carter and I still cannot say that I’m thrilled with the Democratic Party. But the Republican Party has lost its moral compass (among most other things that I believe in) and I will not tolerate it any longer. I don’t know who I’ll vote for but it won’t be any from the Republican Party.
By Westmoreland is scum of the Earth
August 1, 2008 7:30 PM | Link to this
You have to see this video to believe it http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3zXftyVAhk
This video is of white trash Georgia Congressman Lynn Westmoreland praising Blackwater during a Congressional committee hearing. He actually told Blackwater CEO Eric Prince that he was “Doing a good job.” Lynn Westmoreland is just plain stupid and childish. He doesn’t have a college degree and he speaks on forth grade level. He sets the state of Georgia back 40 years everytime he speaks on the house floor. As a proud Georgian I would love to see Lynn Westmoreland retired from public service.
For those of you who don’t remember Blackwater is a private contracting firm that killed innocent civilians in Iraq.
By Republican
August 2, 2008 12:01 AM | Link to this
Awww are the DemoRats upset that the GOP had the testicular fortitude to ignore Psycho Pelosi’s shutdown? I think it’s fantastic that we actually DO have elected officials who care about more than a badly-selling book. Hahahahahahahahaha Expect more revolutionary acts. Americans will NOT be turned into a socialist dictatorship!!
By conservative
August 2, 2008 12:46 AM | Link to this
America has lost it’s way we are a Christian nation let’s start acting like it an eye for an eye lets kick arab butt
By Churchill
August 2, 2008 2:55 AM | Link to this
Great job, Westmoreland!!! If the libs hate you, you are doing something right. They, led by (284 on amazon) Pelosi are running scared. Great job keep up the pressure. I, with others, will be sending another, sizable, check. P!iss off the libs and keep it up. Peace.
By DaninMacon
August 2, 2008 6:31 AM | Link to this
I am signing a check to the RCCC as I type. I like it when we fight back. MCCain, you get a check to, but hold fast. Hold Fast.
By Deep Pockets
August 2, 2008 7:05 AM | Link to this
Hey, liberals in the media!!! Guess what? The base is going to support McCain, after all. I will also cut a couple of checks. One to McCain, one to the RCCC and, Westie, you get a check too. Sickem’!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
By GA Values
August 2, 2008 7:22 AM | Link to this
I am check writing too. This is progress. And for the record screw you, Tom GA Hunter.
By ODIrony
August 2, 2008 7:29 AM | Link to this
Speaker Pelosi is on record that she will not allow the question to be debated. In the movie 1776, the boozy old representative from Rhode Island favors voting for debate on “independency” saying, “I never heard of an idea so dangerous you couldn’t talk about it!” I guess, the idea that the US could work towards ‘independency’ from foreign oil while also investigating the other options is too dangerous for Speaker Pelosi and friends. So much for the great new Democrat ideas and bi-partisanship.
By Crystal
August 2, 2008 7:31 AM | Link to this
Who has deeper pockets? Guess what lefties… play time is over. It is no accident that your guy has found his, uppity/haughty, arse under attack this week. The “vast right wing base, not conspiracy, is alive and well. And we will support McCain., We will support those members of Congress that attack the liberal leadership. We will not buy what the MSM is selling. We will not. Will not!! allow John Kerry’s most liberal comrade to prevail.
Barry, welcome to the big dance. Don’t trip.
By GnatDawg
August 2, 2008 7:37 AM | Link to this
McCain’s Bake Sale!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Be there. 2nd weekend.September. Camilla, GA. For more, stay tuned…….
By Help-a -dem
August 2, 2008 7:55 AM | Link to this
Who is Frank Marshall Davis? Who is Frantz Fanon? Did Obama plagiarize? I need a fellow leftist to help me. I got a mass email, and I need help. Who are these people? Did or was Obama a copy Cat? While you are at it who is Saul Alinsky? Did Alinsky come up with the change message? This is bad stuff for Obama, I fear.
By WhoYouGonnaCall
August 2, 2008 8:16 AM | Link to this
It’s about time these rich folks started sending in their past-due taxes. Keep that money coming in because I need more stimulus. I love those Republicans in charge. They tax the rich folks and spend it on me just to get my vote. Life is good. I’m getting all kinds of rebates for not spending anything and refunds for not making anything and government-paid help for everything from property taxes to those achy corns on my big toe. I even got me a list of government phone numbers right here beside my recliner of all my favorite Republicans from county commissioner up to fed senators. I wouldn’t try to call the president though because he’s a mighty busy man. He’s more like Santa Claus — you just have to wait and see what he brings you once a year.
By The New Rugby
August 2, 2008 9:53 AM | Link to this
The GOP base will get McCain 35% of the vote, because that’s all the electorate they rep. Without Diebold, Florida/Ohio ballot stuffing, and the Supreme Court’s treasonous interference with our electoral process, (did you hear Scalia’s justification’s on Dateline? OMG. Who is that miscreant fool?), Obama wins in a landslide.
In other words, the GOP has to destroy this country (camera flashes stills of OBL and Benedict Arnold), to win the election.
Then it all depends on which side Blackwater mercenaries come down on, the right or the left, to determine whether this is America or the Fourth Reich.
McCain had a pretty good weak this week. Mostly, it was great fodder for comedians. I stayed away for the most part because it was simply too easy to write, and a even a troll could roll.
Anyone read Wooten today? Wooten has nothing. I wonder if he ever reads his own writing, detached as an impartial observer, the way we all read it. What’s Wooten saying? anything adult? issues? Or Paris lip. What momentum or traction can non-denial denials and uncalibrated-corroboration take you in a campaign where the polls show you slowly sinking into the sunset?
The debates. The conventions. The Veep Opts. There’s much more fun ahead. Too bad it’s in the hands of a total sellout hack like Wooten, or we could be so enthralled with informed, gifted observation narratives (camera flashes to bloggings like mine, yes, like mine), but if you’d all be kind enough to continue to read my blogs, I promise to provide the entertaining insights you all crave. As usual, feel free to steal, then folks’ll think that you’re the genius, instead of the liposuctioned overbite your faces truly R. (camera to Paris porn video)
As God is my witness, I never thought I’d read the kind of foppish folderol that Wooten offers as journalism during this really stupid-so-far campaign.
This campaign is stupid. (copyright 2008)
Obama 08: America4America (copyright 2008).
McCain 08: America4Iraq (you can have that one)
By Westmoreland is scum of the Earth
August 2, 2008 10:36 AM | Link to this
If you all are proud of Westmoreland more power to you. Congrats on supporting a childish, racist bumpkin who lacks a college education. If that’s elitist so be it. I’m not saying you need a degree from Emory, but if you can’t get through at the very least a public university in Georgia you’re not qualified to be in Congress. Westmoreland literally couldn’t even qualify to be a G-7 at the agriculture department!
BTW, It cracks me up that the McCain camp and people on this board are calling Obama an uppity elitist. Obama grew up in very modest circumstances and got through college and law school on student loans and part time jobs.
McCain is a Maryland blue blood who comes from an aristocratic family. His father covered his a* all through high school and got him into the naval academy despite rock bottom grades and mediorce test scores. McCain graduated like 3rd from the bottom of his class at the Naval Academy and almost got kicked out several times. If it wasn’t for his father he would have been kicked out of the Naval Academy and he also would have been decommisioned after graduation. He crashed several planes before he even went to Vietnam.
I honor his service and courage as a POW, but had McCain grown up in the modest circumstances of Obama or most people on this board he wouldn’t have made through high school. McCain got everything handed to him growing up and YALL want to call Obama the elitist. To top all of that Obama’s wife grew up working class on the south side of Chicago and went on to Harvard, while McCain’s 2ND wife is a multi-millionaire beer heiress. Do you honestly think the McCains are more in touch with “regualar folks” than the Obama’s? Give me a break.
Of course, the Connecticutt blue blooded uppity aristocrat known as “W” was able to pull wool over peoples eyes. I guess if you drag some brush, wear religion on your sleeve and put on a fake Texas accent that NOONE else in your family has you can be a gritty “regular” guy.
By Christian Warrior
August 2, 2008 10:53 AM | Link to this
Jesus said in the bible one day Repubs will finally understand his message of hate and go forth to discriminate, judge, and act the fool. His Dad’s only regret is the Crusades didn’t finish the job go forth young brave christian american soldiers and smite the evil doers operation convert or kill.
By Bo
August 2, 2008 12:37 PM | Link to this
What more does the US citizens need to see about OUR Congress, what more proof is needed? With our leaders nothing gets done, they are all out of touch with the average American. With so many issues that need attention now, they just cut and run. We need to send them an adjustment message, so lets start at the polls this fall, vote them out. Vote for any and all that are new to politics, these professional politicans are killing America. Since the House has the most lets start there, everything starts there or dies there, lets do a little slashing by trimming the professionals out starting this year, and 2 years from now do it again. Any politician that tolls their Party lines, without reguards to the US citizen, VOTE THEM OUT. The founding fathers included a provision they we the US citizens could seize control of out Congress, so instead of people arming themselves with clubs and pitchfolks, lets revolt against the Washington DC machine and get them where it hurts, at the polls. Could you imagine the choas created to the lobbying interest if all the smoozing they’ve been doing was wasted up til now and they had to start over, the feeding frenzy would really bloodly the waters. Vote in people that acturally live on our streets, and know what food really cost, and know how the HMO’s really work(national health care for everyone,please),the cost of living going thru the roof, and being faced with the fear of loosing your job every Monday because the economy can no longer support your job. And we need to think about this on the local front,too. Our towns running on money expected to be there in 6 months and spending more and more, increasing budgets every year instead of cutting them and when there is a windfall instead of returning the money back to the tax base, waste it on something like the Beltway(another funnel that will last a few decades because the Airport construction will be slowing down in a few years). Return our money and quit inflating home prices to cover your increases, roll back the taxes to real market adjustments, or come buy my house at the price you charge me, be realistic of the here and now.
By Tom
August 2, 2008 1:02 PM | Link to this
Lynn Westmoreland again demonstrates his ignorance by opting for special effects rather than a thoughtful solution to the problems facing America right now. He needs to enroll at one of Georgia’s fine universities and learn something. Maybe Karen Handel and Casey Cagle can be his classmates.
By gasbfree4me
August 2, 2008 1:55 PM | Link to this
The Government should just take over the Oil Companies (see Russia) and this will eliminate the big profits at Exxon and others. Sure, corruption will be prevailant, but its already prevailant now, so long as fuel prices come back down previous levels, who is really going to care. When fuel cost $1/gal Exxons profits were still about $2/billion each quarter and no one cared. So, PM Putin, can you tell us how we do it? P.S. We must hurry as China (The Real Enemy of the State) already has a plan to take both of our Countries out in about 10 years if we dont ensure that there Oil keeps flowing.
By Westmoreland is scum of the Earth
August 2, 2008 2:04 PM | Link to this
Republicans are sure to bring up “Bill Gates doesn’t have a college degree.” Well, he got into Harvard for reasons other than political and family connections, so that’s not a good example. Also, it’s not elitist to question why your Lt. Governor, Secretary of State and one of your Congressmen only have high school degrees. They would have a hard time getting hired for a low level desk job with state if they weren’t in elected positions.
The fact 3 of Georgia’s front runners for Governor Handel, Westmoreland, and Cagle don’t have College degrees says alot about the dumbing down of Georgia’s Republican Party.
I don’t see what educated socially moderate Republicans in the metro area see in the Georgia Republican Party. The GOP at the state level constantly spits in the eye of the metro area. GRTA asked for an additional 13 million for buses and the state turned them down, but they did fund a 7 million dollar horse barn in Sonny Perdue’s hometown. Whether you ride GRTA or not it reduces congestion! The Marta extension to Lovejoy has like 86 million in federal funds, but Sonny and the redneck coalition at the state house won’t throw in the state support to secure the money.(It’s a small fraction of the federal funds) We would have commuter rail to Athens and Chattanooga in the pipeline if not for the rural Republican lawmakers who “OWN” the Georgia GOP.
People who live in large houses in the North Metro area have more common concerns with people in Bankhead than with Republicans in Waycross or LaGrange, but you vote overwhelmingly for people like Sonny Perdue and Casey Cagel. I just don’t get it. Do you like sitting traffic? Do you like breathing unclean air? Do like getting home after dark? Do you like the fact your Governor, Lt. Governor and Speaker of the House did everything short of challenge each other to duels over the past two years.
If so, you can thank the Georgia Republican Party.
By Captain R, Limbaugh America
August 2, 2008 4:01 PM | Link to this
We knows as conservatives that the left is trying to take this country down brick by brick, it is high time we start lynching libs, demanding subservience, march to our orders commie lib bed-wetters, or u will be exterminated, heil Bush hell ya McCain
By Rightwingnutjob
August 2, 2008 6:02 PM | Link to this
I’m moe send me a big ole billion million dollar check yeah come on!
By Ken
August 2, 2008 6:27 PM | Link to this
It is kind of funny the way that this happened, I know that people would have a different opinion if they were both there and heard the real story.
People are forgetting that Congress was scheduled to adjourn for August recess and district work periods, and that has been on the schedule for months. It was the Republicans that have been blocking things for weeks. They are not the good guys in this situation!
So at 12 P.M. after a long night the day before trying to pass legislation, Congress voted to adjourn, LIKE IT WAS SUPPOSED TO!
So, what happened? CSPAN left, the House officers turned off the lights, and the sound guy turned off the sound system… like THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO!
For the next 5 hours, the GOP ranted and raved about how they were on the side of the American people. If you were there you would know that it sounded like a circus. I will admit that although I did not agree with the GOP, it was kind of fun. But the Republicans were not looking out for the people, they were doing this to try to blame this energy mess on the Democrats.
By Believer
August 2, 2008 6:36 PM | Link to this
I believe you, Ken. Now, these morons will be back home campaigning and telling people that they tried their best but the Democrats blocked their every move. I won’t vote for any Republican in November.
By Believer
August 2, 2008 6:54 PM | Link to this
Some of the elected ones from Georgia are real morons. These Republican losers will be back in their districts moaning about how they tried so hard to help out the voters and just couldn’t do it. Pathetic.
By Rarl Kove
August 2, 2008 7:41 PM | Link to this
I’ll be sending checks too. Great job, Westmoreland. You guys on the left are just upset because Obama now supports off shore drilling. He flipped flopped on that yesterday. It must be very frustrating to be an Obama supporter. Do you guys have charts that help you keep track of his ever changing positions? Do you feel like fools when you support his stances and the he pulls the rug out? Saw the Gallup tracking poll today. It looks as if McCain and Obama are now tied. I thought Obama had this in the bag, the way ya’ll kept calling him President Obama? I think you are counting your roosting “Rev. Wright-wing” chickens before they hatch.
By Why don't we go ahead and crown China
August 2, 2008 8:40 PM | Link to this
Rarl Kove,
Do you think John McCain is the same guy he was in 2000? He called Falwell an “agent of intolerance” and then went to speak at his college. He asked a crowd in 2000 “Who thinks Bill Gates needs a tax cut” and now he’s all about the Bush tax cuts. He got Parsley and Hagee to endorse him in primary and then threw them under the bus. Those guys are far more dangerous and insane than Rev. Wright. They actually send money to Israel to support settlements in the West Bank. This is making the world a far more dangerous place and slowing the peace process to a halt.
Obama has moved to the center like most general election candidates do, but McCain is just a totally different person than he was in 2000. He’s now running for the third term of George W. Bush. BTW, Obama didn’t say he was for drilling. He said he was open to looking at the legislation. Also, most of that bill is alternative energy with drilling making up a small portion just to shutup all of the big liars like Westmoreland. Obama didn’t concede drilling would be the answer because it’s not. The fact is drilling is just giving loud mouch right-wing zealots something to b*** about. Complaining about Gay people and Mexicans is so 2006.
Environmental concerns aside drilling won’t do much in the short term or the long term. Do you honestly trust the oil companies to pump more oil? They could pump more now, but they choose not to. Also our oil companies charge us the worldwide price and they’re not going to pump more oil just to be nice. Furthermore, oil is destoying our planet and even the biggest right wing kool-laid drinker at the very least would have to admit the air quality in Atlanta is dangerous and getting worse.
We have to do something else. Most conservatives just want to get back to $2 gas, huge SUV’s, no carpooling and no talk of expanding public transportation. No amount of domestic drilling will ever bring back $2 gas. We should change our behavior and move forward with real energy and transit solutions. We can either be on the cutting edge of alternative energy and transportation or we can go ahead and give the title of the world’s greatest super power to China.
By Rarl Kove
August 2, 2008 9:21 PM | Link to this
I like John McCain better this time. He views are now closer to mine and most other mainstream conservatives. Yes I trust the oil companies. They are great. 50% of the American people are invested in the stock market and are likely invested in the big oil companies. When oil companies perform well, my 401K increases. That is a good thing.
Don’t tell me what I should with regard to my energy usage, there buddy. Change your own behavior and mind your own business, I am entitled to as many resources as I can afford. It is called Capitalism and it is what this country was founded on. If you want to live in some sort of quasi-socialist country, I suggest you move. I hear that they got some super nanny states in western Europe, you should look in to it.
If you lefties have your way you would cut off the energy that keeps this country moving, that is when the Chinese could surpass us. The Chinese have no intention on slowing their consumption of fossil fuel. Until there is a legitimate alternative source, I say drill baby drill.
MCCAIN 08!!!!
By Baseball Wrap
August 2, 2008 10:07 PM | Link to this
The GOP base will get McCain 35% of the vote, because that’s all the electorate they rep. Without Diebold, Florida/Ohio ballot stuffing, and the Supreme Court’s treasonous interference with our electoral process, (did you hear Scalia’s justification’s on Dateline? OMG. Who is that miscreant fool?), Obama wins in a landslide.
In other words, the GOP has to destroy this country (camera flashes stills of OBL and Benedict Arnold), to win the election.
Then it all depends on which side Blackwater mercenaries come down on, the right or the left, to determine whether this is America or the Fourth Reich.
McCain had a pretty good weak this week. Mostly, it was great fodder for comedians. I stayed away for the most part because it was simply too easy to write, and a even a troll could roll.
Anyone read Wooten today? Wooten has nothing. I wonder if he ever reads his own writing, detached as an impartial observer, the way we all read it. What’s Wooten saying? anything adult? issues? Or Paris lip. What momentum or traction can non-denial denials and uncalibrated-corroboration take you in a campaign where the polls show you slowly sinking into the sunset?
The debates. The conventions. The Veep Opts. There’s much more fun ahead. Too bad it’s in the hands of a total sellout hack like Wooten, or we could be so enthralled with informed, gifted observation narratives (camera flashes to bloggings like mine, yes, like mine), but if you’d all be kind enough to continue to read my blogs, I promise to provide the entertaining insights you all crave. As usual, feel free to steal, then folks’ll think that you’re the genius, instead of the liposuctioned overbite your faces truly R. (camera to Paris porn video)
As God is my witness, I never thought I’d read the kind of foppish folderol that Wooten offers as journalism during this really stupid-so-far campaign.
This campaign is stupid. (copyright 2008)
Obama 08: America4America (copyright 2008).
McCain 08: America4Iraq (you can have that one)
By him
August 2, 2008 10:15 PM | Link to this
“I am entitled to as many resources as I can afford. It is called Capitalism and it is what this country was founded on.”
I am entitled to breath clean air and not have code red smog alerts happen just because you won’t change your behavior or the morons at the State Capitol won’t address our transportation crisis.
Kids can’t go out for recess some days because of the air and you think it’s your right to dirty the air as much as you want.
As far as resources go you can’t suck up as much water as you want and get away with it. Even if we got more water from Lanier it still wouldn’t come close to meeting our demand in the future. Unless REGULATIONS are passed for new building construction and tax incentitives for updating old buildings we’re screwed. The population increase will make the next drought a true crisis. We might not be able to take showers much less water lawns.
Does it bother you that according Forbes magazine that Atlanta has the worst commute in the country?
Do you honestly think if all the drilling was allowed that the oil companies would put more oil on the market and hurt their bottom line just to be nice?
If oil dropped back to two bucks a gallon those problems would still be there.
What is your solution for cleaner air and conserving water in metro Atlanta?
By Rarl Kove
August 2, 2008 10:35 PM | Link to this
I do not live in Metro Atlanta. Sure their are some problems with the water supply, but that is solely the fault of poor planning and not enough investment infrastructure. As far a air quality, most large cities have that problem. If you do not like it, move.
No one is against clean air and water, by the way. That is one of those red herring lines the liberals like to impute onto conservatives. Soon, the technology will evolve and the air quality issue will be remedied. But not to increase the domestic oil supply in the mean time is criminal. Slowing the economy is not the answer to anything and you guys know it. That and the polls is why Obama has had his little change of heart on the issue of drilling. You guys can scream and moan about the environment all you want. But mankind is not going to destroy the planet. You lefties, however, could destroy the country if given the opportunity.
By Believer
August 2, 2008 10:36 PM | Link to this
Well, Kove. If you trust the oil companies now, then why aren’t you listening to them instead of listening to the likes of whining Westmoreland or McCain. The oil companies are not complaining about a lack of places to drill. They are telling people like it is — oil is getting more expensive to get out of the ground because there are not any more really big easily accessible oil fields left that are not already being sucked on so hard that the earth’s diameter is shrinking. OK, so that part about the earth’s diameter is an exaggeration comparable to those being told by the Republicans that are touting Drill, Drill, Drill some more. Anyway, the oil companies are just plain tickled pink to drill holes everywhere right now that will make them a decent profit and they are. The oil company executives are not saying that they need more off-shore leases. In fact, they have said that there are not any big amounts of oil out there because they did the surveys over thirty years ago. That’s one of the reasons why Bush Sr. had no problem imposing the off-shore drilling ban in the first place when he was president. It was all just a game of politics even back then. It made him look like he was some great environmentalist. Just think about that one for a minute. He imposed the ban because the oil companies — companies that he has always been buddies with — did not care. Now, the Republicans are playing the same game all over again because they have a bunch of ignorant and overly trusting voters who are too lazy to do their homework and find out the whole story. Now, that’s pathetic. Check it out. The oil companies and analysts that follow them have all sorts of information out there on the internet. There’s even complete reports out there on what it will take to make a usable oil from the shale deposits. BP has tons of information about their work in Alaska and in the Gulf of Mexico. I’m constantly amazed at how many people have not pulled up this information and read about it for themselves. Check out the Thunder Horse platform in the Gulf for starters. It just started up in June of 2008. Enjoy.
By Rarl Kove
August 2, 2008 11:21 PM | Link to this
That is absurd, Believer. Of course the oil companies want to drill. What they do not want to do is be forced by the government to put themselves out of business. Although they are doing the lions share of research in alternative energy on their own, while be taxed at the rate of 50% on the profits they take. The reason the energy companies are seeing record profits is because the global demand for energy is increasing and they are in the energy business, after all. It is economics 101, something the left clearly does not understand.
Your disdain for the energy companies is silly. Energy companies are not the enemy. The enemy is the radical environmental lobby and a Democratic Party hell bent on ruining our nation’s economy. Guess what? People are beginning to realize who is to blame for this energy crisis now more than ever. Don’t believe? You may want to research some polling on the issue. Enjoy!
By Believer
August 3, 2008 9:39 AM | Link to this
Well, Kove, I can lead you to the drinking water but I can’t stop you from peeing in it. It’s your loss — not mine. I just do this to help enlighten others. I don’t know how you arrived at the conclusion that I have disdain for the energy companies or that I think of them as enemies. I have yet to meet anyone at any of the energy companies that I have disdain for and I certainly don’t have anything against what they do. Have a good life believing whatever it is you claim to know, Kove.
By raloree
August 3, 2008 9:50 AM | Link to this
Pelosi has brought this once great country to its knees by stifling debate on off shore drilling, for grossly obvious Democrat political expdience. This antic will cost all Americans for years to come. Why? The democrats do not want to upset the extremist left wing freaks that dominate the jack a* party before the election. So wake up Ameria, Pelosi and her mob have just cast a NO!!! vote off shore drilling. Remember that when you mark yor ballot in November.
By raloree
August 3, 2008 9:50 AM | Link to this
Pelosi has brought this once great country to its knees by stifling debate on off shore drilling, for grossly obvious Democrat political expdience. This antic will cost all Americans for years to come. Why? The democrats do not want to upset the extremist left wing freaks that dominate the jack a* party before the election. So wake up America, Pelosi and her mob have just cast a NO!!! vote off shore drilling. Remember that when you mark yor ballot in November.
By charles corley
August 3, 2008 9:52 AM | Link to this
Goooooood morning / Lynn w. What a pile of s**. Surely he is running for gov. Now is the time for the DNA test. Don’t forget the Republicans used to be the Democrats until Ronnie R. said he was going to stop busing and the Democrats changed color. No black Republicans in the congress. House or senate. Don’t you want to throw up when Lynn refers to his African-American friends.
By Ga Values
August 3, 2008 10:39 AM | Link to this
Why are you’ll so upset with Pelosi?? Saxby worked closely with her to over ride President Bush’s veto of waste..
By Ga Values
August 3, 2008 10:43 AM | Link to this
Rarl Kove …Saxby wants you to go jogging with him ASAP. Where did you get the 50% tax rate, it’s many times the tax rate published in their financial statements?? Does your numbers include pay offs to Congress?
By It's all the liberals fault
August 3, 2008 12:35 PM | Link to this
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3zXftyVAhk
Here’s Lynn Westmoreland showing them liberals whose boss.
By you just got spanked Rarl Kove
August 3, 2008 5:19 PM | Link to this
I wonder how it feels.
By BillW
August 3, 2008 5:43 PM | Link to this
Republicans, keep on hitting Pelosi….she needs to learn 80% of the US is more in tune with reality here than the wackos in her her San Fran district.
By GodHatesTrash
August 3, 2008 5:55 PM | Link to this
Westmoreland is a moron with a milkstool, looking for a cow to freshen. A stumpbroke south Georgia POS.
Trash through and through.
By Rarl Kove
August 3, 2008 6:21 PM | Link to this
Go ahead and attempt to make excuses for Pelosi’s dismal record while Speakerette of the House. Congress, the majority of which are leftie Democrats, has an approval rating less than Bush’s. I think near single digits. Go ahead and dissemble. Go ahead and bash Bush. But this election will be a all about Obama, not Bush or the Republicans. Obama and his hangers on in the media have built a house of cards. Obama is refusing to debate McCain in a Town hall forum, this is of course after he said that he will debate McCain anywhere at anytime. (he is such a liar and flip flopper)
And for the poster above, It feels great to call liberals out and challenge them.. They have no substance, just their worn out personal attacks. People see through this and that is why Obama, the chosen one, cannot get above 50% in the polls.
By Fi
August 3, 2008 6:24 PM | Link to this
Pelosi and Reid’s Big Choice: Lower Gas Prices or Go on a Five Week Vacation? by Newt Gingrich
It’s August, the time each year when many American families go on vacation. But if you’re like many Americans, you’re crunching the numbers and realizing this year’s vacation won’t be like recent years past. The cost of gasoline and its spillover effect on the price of food - and, well, everything else - has left your family with less money to spend. That’s why over half of Americans are reconsidering taking vacation this summer to save money.
It’s against this backdrop that Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, and the rest of the leadership in Congress will have to make a big choice.
With so many Americans skipping vacation this summer because of the high cost of gas, should Congress get to go on a five week vacation without doing anything about it? The American Energy Act: “All of the Above”
Last week, House Republicans introduced a comprehensive energy legislation called the American Energy Act.
The American Energy Act is the sort of “all of the above” energy solution the American people want, one that allows for the development of American oil to lower gas prices and free us from foreign sources of oil, but also recognizes that oil must be used as a bridge to a much more diversified energy portfolio for America.
Passing the bill would not only allow the development of more American energy resources from the outer-continental shelf, oil shale, and the Arctic coastal plane, it would cut red tape that blocks the development of new refineries, provide tax incentives and prizes to reward energy conservation and efficiency, and promote renewable and alternative energy technologies.
But if Nancy Pelosi has anything to do with it, the bill will never even come to a vote. Nancy Pelosi and Her Anti-Energy Allies: “None of the Above”
Last week, the US Geological Survey issued a report that showed there are an estimated 90 billion barrels of oil in the Arctic. One third of that oil is in Alaskan territory, but it is currently illegal to access most of it due to the offshore drilling moratorium imposed by Congress.
Furthermore, a recent Fox News poll shows that the American people now favor “increasing oil in the United States immediately” (75%), including offshore (71%) and “in a small area of the Alaskan Wildlife Refuge” (54%).
But despite the increasingly overwhelming reasons to “Drill Here, Drill Now, Pay Less”, Nancy Pelosi and her anti-energy allies in the House are countering the House Republicans’ “all of the above” energy proposal with a “none of the above” energy stonewall.
They want to leave Washington this Friday having done nothing to lower gas prices. They won’t even allow a vote on the American Energy Act.
And let’s be clear. None of their reasons for burying the American Energy Act have to do with the merits of the bill. Don’t Buy the Left’s Drilling “Leftonomics”
The Left has offered all sorts of arguments for why they oppose drilling, including reasons why producing more American oil will not lower gas prices. These arguments are bunk, and the American people know it.
In last week’s newsletter, I linked to a study by two economists that argued allowing drilling in ANWR would produce an immediate drop in oil prices even if the oil did not enter refineries for several years. The study was rejected for publication in The Energy Journal, not because the editors disagreed with their findings, but because they considered the study’s conclusion so obvious that it was not worth publishing.
This week, noted American Enterprise Institute economist Kevin Hasset confirmed what we already know - drilling now would lower prices immediately:
If exploration can be expected to be successful and significantly increase oil production in the future, then it would cause producers to revise downward their estimates for future prices. This would increase the attractiveness of extracting more today. As producers respond with higher production, prices today would drop.
Read the full article here.
So why is Nancy Pelosi preventing votes that would allow for the production of more American oil - which would have the likely effect of lowering our gas prices today? Don’t Tolerate the Left’s Drilling “Leftopolitics”
If the American Energy Act were allowed to come up for a vote and it passed, it would infuriate the left-wing environmental lobby that opposes all new American oil production.
And if the bill were allowed to come up for a vote and Nancy Pelosi and her anti-energy allies could corral enough votes to defeat it, those Representatives would then have to explain their votes to an angry constituency with an election in less than 100 days.
Even the Washington Post can see through this debased power politics. In an editorial last week, they asked:
When they took the majority, House Democrats proclaimed that “bills should generally come to the floor under a procedure that allows open, full and fair debate consisting of a full amendment process that grants the Minority the right to offer its alternatives.” Why not on drilling?
It’s a good question, and one we should ask all of our Representatives. Call Your Representatives, Insist They Vote to Lower Gas Prices before Going on Vacation
Our Representatives have a simple choice to make.
With so many Americans cancelling their vacation this summer because of high gas prices, should Congress get to go on a five week vacation without doing anything about it?
Call your Representatives today and insist they do two things.
Americans deserves to know where their Representatives stand on this vital piece of legislation, and it’s obscene to allow the bill to languish while so many Americans are suffering under the weight of high gas prices.
Also, we’re at over 1.3 million signatures in American Solutions “Drill Here, Drill Now, Pay Less” petition. But it will take more.
If you’re one of the 1.3 million who have signed so far, please consider sending it to ten of your friends. It’s AmericanSolutions.com/DrillNow.
The Left has had a stranglehold on America’s energy future for too long and thanks to your efforts it’s now beginning to break. It’s now time to increase the pressure on the Left to allow a common-sense energy policy that uses all of our American energy sources.
By Ga Values
August 3, 2008 6:40 PM | Link to this
Rarl Kove========What do you think about Saxby running on his big spending, big government, owned by special interest, pro amnesty track record?? Do you think his friends-Pelosi, Reid & Kennedy will do apperences with him?? When do you figure the shot himself wound from protecting the Imperial Sugar Management wil heal?
By Believer
August 3, 2008 7:00 PM | Link to this
I mean to tell you, I cannot recall these so-called caring, concerned conservative Christian “family values” Republicans ever showing so many signs of total desperation. If I didn’t know better, I’d think that there’s an election on the horizon and they don’t feel too good about the prospects. Well, after screwing us for eight long years under the Bush reign of terror, we are certainly overdue for some positive changes. Maybe this will be the year that the Republicans lose their grip on the White House and the Senate. It serves them right.
By Rarl Kove
August 3, 2008 7:39 PM | Link to this
Believer can follow directions. He did exactly what i said he would do. He bashed Bush. Keep it up. You are going to be very disappointed come November. As for Saxby, while he is not the perfect conservative Senator he is far better the the alternative on the left. Saxby will win reelection and you guys know it. It sees that Tom GA Hunter has hijacked him another name. Again.
By Believer
August 3, 2008 7:49 PM | Link to this
Kove, You’ve already demonstrated your stupidity. Why do you persist in emphasizing it. Bush screwed us. Saxby is an arrogant idiot. I don’t care what you have to say about it, moron.
By sam1234
August 3, 2008 9:27 PM | Link to this
Obama is a sleeper Muslim.
By 4321mas
August 3, 2008 9:49 PM | Link to this
zzzzzz
By hatecrime1234
August 3, 2008 10:36 PM | Link to this
Ronald McDonald is a closest born-again cow meat dealer. Reagan was a closet gay-dancer. Hannity is a sleeper retard, Limbaugh is a pill popping race-baiter
By spanked
August 3, 2008 10:36 PM | Link to this
it’s tough to recover from one of those
By Personal attacks
August 3, 2008 11:05 PM | Link to this
take many forms, not least of which is accussing over half of the population of seeking to destroy the country. Not very positive, nor constructive, and just more of the same t**-for-tat-shat-spat, signifying nothing, calling out nobody but yourself. It’s called projection. Rise above the constipation that’s stifling your better self.
By KevinA
August 4, 2008 3:53 AM | Link to this
The Democrats say there is plenty of oil and land to drill on. The Republicans say the high price for gas is a supply and demand problem. I set off to look for information. I found some interesting charts on the Bakers-Hughes web site. They are a company that Provides products and services to the worldwide oil and gas industry. Lets go back a few years. from 1973 to 1979 the price per barrel for oil was less than $10. During that time the drilling count went from around 1,000 to 2,500 drilling rigs. In 1982 oil prices spiked to around $32 because of the Oil embargo. At the same time the drilling rig count peaked at 4,500 rigs. By 1986 the oil prices had dropped to around $32. The rig count had dropped to 1,900 rigs. From 1987 to 2004 oil bounced from $10 to $35 a barrel. On 4-23-1999 the drilling rig count hit a low of 448. In 2005 oil started going up as did the amount of drilling rigs. Oil passed $40 and the rig count went to around 1,500. As of July 11th 2008 more rigs have been brought online. Up to around 1,900 (equal to the 1986 levels). The price for a barrel is now around $135 per barrel. It seems obvious to me that the oil companies deploy drilling rigs when it is in their own interests. It has nothing to do with national security or helping consumers. I encourage you to check out this web site and do the research yourself and respond. When the first oil crisis hit in the 70’s the oil industry ramped up to 4,000 rigs. With our dependence on foreign oil growing from 25% back then to 60+% now, how can anyone explain the rig deployment dropping to 448 in 1999. It seems oil producers are only interested in profits. How can any one guarantee the oil producers will keep producing when prices drop? The history says no.
By Believer
August 4, 2008 7:05 AM | Link to this
KevinA, you are using knowledge and reasoning at election time. Such an approach has been proven by the polls to be an ineffective means to get voters for those looking to get elected/re-elected. It’s all about the career politicians getting in office — not about the voters getting real representation. As far as oil companies are concerned, they represent capitalism at its finest — they deliver profits no matter what the cost.
P.S. Thanks for the research. It is most enlightening indeed.
By Opie
August 4, 2008 10:48 AM | Link to this
KevinA is starting to get the idea of the free market system. (I wonder if HE has a college degree, since so much has been made that Hon. Westmoreland does .) Kudo’s to KevinA!
The red-state/blue-state folks have screwed this up again.
What the world needs is alternative energy sources. In the meantime, we need some additional areas to drill in that will be PROFITABLE (that’s a really dirty word for so many folks that didn’t learn their economics lessons in college) for the oil companies. Remember, oil companies are in the private sector; Profits are what drive research and development.
Let’s vote UP or DOWN on the American Energy Act. This would let the American people know that at least there is some genuine concern on Capitol Hill.
To those that turned out the lights: “Enjoy your 5 week vacation homies.” And to those that have stayed to work the People’s Business: “Carry on. We appreciate your continued efforts. Sure would like to join you there.”
Has anyone planned a Bake Sale yet?