Right-Wing House Twists Arms, Thwarts Democracy To Pass Oil Industy Windfall
Right-Wing House Twists Arms, Thwarts Democracy To Pass Oil Industy Windfall
Emotions erupted on the floor of the House of Representatives this afternoon as the right-wing-led Congress held open yet another vote to twist arms and pass a bill that would line the pockets of energy company executives. The House leadership held the five-minute vote open for almost 50 minutes until they could convince three lawmakers — Reps. Wayne Gilcrest (R-MD), C.W. Bill Young (R-FL) and Jim Gerlach (R-PA) — to change their minds. The bill passed 212-210. As the vote concluded, opponents of the bill chanted in unity: “Shame, Shame, Shame!”
Watch in streaming Quicktime (refresh if video doesn’t load)
The vote was held on the “Gasoline for America’s Security Act of 2005,†a provision sponsored by Rep. Joe Barton (R-TX) to nominally “expedite the construction of new refining capacity.†But the bill is essentially a giveback to the oil industry — Rep. Edward Markey (D-MA) called it a “leave-no-oilman-behind bill.â€
The antics of right-wingers on the House floor today mirrored their previous strong-arm tactics in passing CAFTA and prescription drug legislation – bills that, like today’s, favored large corporations. In July 2005, the House passed CAFTA with a slim two-vote margin after holding the vote open for an hour and 45 minutes. In November 2003, in the dead of night, the House leadership passed the Medicare prescription drug vote by five votes after holding the vote open for three hours.
The Center for American Progress released a report today detailing the profiteering of oil executives while American families struggle with higher gas prices.
Sort Comments By: Top Rated | Date
During the CAFTA vote, they twisted one “poor” Repub’s arm so hard that he cried as he voted.
October 7th, 2005 at 4:31 pmHow can these Republicans sleep at night? Do they have a conscious giving a free ride to the oil companies.
October 7th, 2005 at 4:32 pm/sigh
The superstitious regard for environmental science that is holds Congress back from passing out manufacturing incentives is going to bite us in the ass soon.
October 7th, 2005 at 4:37 pmHow much profit would be okay for the oil companies? I mean, I’m opposed to the arm twisting, tax giveaways, givebacks, etc., but what’s wrong with the oil companies making money selling oil (I’m assuming they do it legally, if not, then yes let’s complain about profits)?
October 7th, 2005 at 4:39 pm[…] Update: Thinkprogress has video. […]
October 7th, 2005 at 4:39 pmI just found out today that my electric company will be raising rates 18% after a 9% increase just last year.Before these increases it had been 15 years since the last increase.Too bad my salary never jumps like that.
October 7th, 2005 at 4:41 pmAt this point I consider these energy theives to be taking the food from my children’s mouths.
These increases are on top of their record profits. Shame on YOU F’ers.
This, too, will come back to haunt the Republicans. I can hardy wait.
October 7th, 2005 at 4:41 pmDone it again
I sincerely doubt the news stories will include all this, but if you were watching C-SPAN at all just now you witnessed a fine bit of political theatre of the absurd. The vote came up on the Floor this afternoon…
October 7th, 2005 at 4:44 pmFrom the article “(this bill)…limits ’boutique fuels’” , “…and it promotes conservation”
2 questions:
a)What is a ’boutique fuel’?
b)I’m so pissed off right now I can’t see straight, so maybe I’m missing something but how does increasing capacity (and therefore supply, which means lower prices) “promote conservation”?
October 7th, 2005 at 4:54 pm#4 I don’t have a problem with the oil companies making a profit, but I do have a problem with the government giving them land and reducing regulations against them. They don’t do this for other buisnesses that are not to their benefit.
It should be the oil companies responsibility to build new plants and obtain the land, not the federal government. If a buisness is not able to keep up with the demand then the government should spend that money looking into something that will be of better use to the American people.
October 7th, 2005 at 4:55 pmIt’s all about the money (greed) when reichwingers do anything… The fear and hatred are just how they motivate themselves while they loot everyone else’s wallets…
October 7th, 2005 at 4:56 pmSHAME! SHAME! SHAME! SHAME! SHAME! SHAME! SHAME! SHAME!
October 7th, 2005 at 5:00 pmI am sure the DLC could find something nice to say about these shameless elected crooks.
October 7th, 2005 at 5:00 pmI don’t have a problem with companies being in business to make a profit. I DO object to windfall profits on the backs of those who can least afford it. None of us gets a rise in income anywhere near the increases in all energy costs this year. Energy costs incurred by business gets passed along to the rest of us. The higher up in the chain, the greater the profits; conversely the lower end (the consumer) pays the highest rates, subsidizing all those above him in their profit-making.
October 7th, 2005 at 5:02 pmCNN just reported on this in the last hour and it was described as simply and Democrats fighting for the environment against the need for refineries.
This was a give-away to the oil companies to add to their windfall profits, but it wasn’t explained like that by Wolfie and his friend.
To their credit, the Democrats staged a spontaneous demonstration, after they lost 212-210 in a drawn-out vote (Rethugs were twisting arms a la CAFTA).
Of course profit is ok. I mean, if CEO’s and others routinely make 300 to 500 times the pay of average workers, not a problem. Too bad if retirees, who have worked their entire lives and now have finally earned an opportunity to retire, have to choose between eating and heating this winter.
I mean, it’s no big deal that the middle class have been hollowed out by the income redistribution resulting from the changes in the tax codes, begun in 1970, when the burden of taxation was shifted from the ruling class, onto the backs of the working class.
That’s good ole’ capitalism at work, eh UGH!
October 7th, 2005 at 5:03 pm(R) Stands for Rubberstamp. Why do they even get paid?
They are going to grab everything they can from now until early 2007 when the Democrats take over.
October 7th, 2005 at 5:03 pmi just dont understand…are there rules about voting, or just guidelines? if there are set rules, how can they break them? or do they just ignore them b/c they cannot be punished for it?
seriously, is this a banana republic, or WHAT? can anyone explain how any of this “vote-holding-open” stuff works?
October 7th, 2005 at 5:04 pm#10: I’m fine with all that. It was the “profiteering” in the original post that got to me. The Oil and Gas companies basically have their own tax code, so te
October 7th, 2005 at 5:05 pm… no wonder the Left is so ‘angry’…
October 7th, 2005 at 5:05 pmI think it was John Kenneth Galbraith that said ‘In the long run, we are all dead’
October 7th, 2005 at 5:06 pm#15: I would agree with most of that, but all I’m objecting to is the idea that Exxon making a huge profit is somehow wrong or evidence of wrongdoing.
October 7th, 2005 at 5:08 pm#4 - They have so much profit (Exxon Mobil profited $10 BILLION last quarter) that they can afford to invest in more refineries on their own. Why should my (our) tax dollars be spent to “encourage” them? #10 has the correct idea, lets look for something else. Its a fact that burning fossil fuel is harmful to the environment and bad for our health, and its generally agreed that fossil fuel is a limited resource, so why not go all out to find an alternative? Call your representatives and tell them you object and want alternatives. Bushco is stealing our money!!!!!
October 7th, 2005 at 5:09 pm#9
Boutique fuels are fuel blends mandated by states as part of their State Air Quality Plans designed to satisfy NAAQS (Clean air regulations).
The Congressional bill would limit the national total to six blends. Your state would have pick the one that best does the job out of these six.
October 7th, 2005 at 5:09 pmYou won’t see prices drop signifigantly, if at all. More likely they will continue to rise. The ‘incentives’ are nice, but they still have to build those refineries, staff them, get them running, buy MORE FOREIGN OIL to refine in them (which means international oil will see an increase in demand, and thus an increase in barrel price), as well as buy and lay those new pipelines, plough up some wildlife (”what endangered species? We believe in intelligent design, not your fake evolutionary theories, so no evolution = no endangered species. They’re just animals, anyway. We don’t like animals”). Well, SOMEONE has to pay for all that, and it certainly won’t be the oil companies or their oil-soaked politician whores. It will be us - The People. How about any of the numerous alternate fuel sources (Henry Ford himself was a proponent for hemp fuel, which burns in a regular engine, is very inexpensive, and quite efficient. THIS is the reason oil lobbyists worked incredibly hard to get hemp banned as illegal (and for the dolts who may be tuning in, marijuanna is only a strain of hemp, and not even the one best for this fuel). And oil is not a luxury, it is a necessity. How many people can get to work, or live a semblance of their life, without using oil products (esp. gasoline)? If it is to remain it should be FIRMLY regulated as a utility, which is what it basically is. Cut off all tobbacco sales and trading and use for a month and all you will have is some pissy niccotine addicts. Cut off all sale trade or use of gas in the country and our entire society will collapse. We must begin using (no need to ‘find’, many solutions have already been found) alternate fuel/energy.
October 7th, 2005 at 5:10 pmAs for profit, a healthy return on equity is the goal of most companies. The energy companies are investing more in making money than looking for oil.
October 7th, 2005 at 5:10 pmGeorge Bush doesn’t care about black people.
Or treason.
Or bribery.
—
October 7th, 2005 at 5:11 pmOK, instead of bitching more, let me propose this: Encourage people to use public transportation or car pool. Many people don’t like to do this or come up with some lame excuse why they can’t, so encourage them to try it, just try it. Even if it’s one day a week, if enough people do it, oil companies will feel it. This is the power we have as consumers.
October 7th, 2005 at 5:16 pmbuckfush: right idea! Great, in fact! I will be joining you.
October 7th, 2005 at 5:17 pm#22: Which is why I said I was against the tax breaks in my #4 post.
October 7th, 2005 at 5:21 pmThis is a Kleptocracy.
October 7th, 2005 at 5:22 pmWhy should companies that make record profits be
subsidized?
Why should billionaires have their ballparks
subsidized?
If you pay the stupid CEOs too much to make
a profit then go out of business you morons.
Someone else (The Chinese?) will do it better.
Sometimes the very poor may need a leg up due
to circumstances.
If ExxonMobil needs a leg up (they don’t!) they
should go out of business.
Maybe they are required to pay so much into
DeLay’s pay-to-play scam that they are going
out of business?
buckfush, I didn’t see your post before I posted my bright idea in #28. I’ve been boycotting some of them already, but I will stop buying anything from any of the companies on the list immediately.
October 7th, 2005 at 5:23 pmUgh wrote:
The problem is recent Congresses have given freebie incentives to oil companies, and industries in general. For example, as recently as July Congress passed another tax break and acknowledge the law wouldn’t do little to lower gas prices.
Energy Bill Won’t Cut Gas Prices
It’s not so much a question of how much money is it okay for oil companies to make. It’s more a question of, how much money should any industry make in a free market? Whenever Congress fiddles with the market it, either through tax incentives or bailing out the airline industry, they impede market forces.
We can debate back and forth how Congress should spend our money and where, but this gets around the conservative/libertarian thought about the economy. Republicans do this because they don’t want to/can’t face the electorate music when it comes to repealing a double tax for companies, changing tax laws to a flat tax system for citizens, private accounts for Social Security, etc.
My issue with this get around is that a Republican Congress inevitably gets around state voters by siphoning taxes away from domestic programs, whether you’re talking Medicaid or FEMA. The public remains unaware of the subtle erosion of government agencies until it’s too late.
October 7th, 2005 at 5:23 pmSo “boutique fuel” is a way they spin clean-air improvements to appear elitist and unAmerican…
October 7th, 2005 at 5:23 pmHumm. Let’s try this. In our past history when the energy corportions wanted to raise their profits, there was suddenly an energy shortage.
Prices were raised, the little guy was paying through the nose and in order to save him, the govenment created tax breaks so that the energy companies could explore for more natural gas and oil, or create more dams and plants using atomic power.
And if that weren’t enough, some funds were outright distributed to these companies by our Congress to offset the costs to the energy companies for their “expenses” in the above endevors.
What we’re experiencing now is nothing new, it’s just that older Americans are trained to forget and the younger ones don’t know any better.
October 7th, 2005 at 5:25 pm#34 Yes, it is a derisive way to belittle a state’s right to regulate the products sold in their communities.
October 7th, 2005 at 5:26 pmOne of the main reasons gas prices are so high these days, is the lack of refining capacity in the US. Its virtually impossible to set up a refinery these days, b/c of NIMBY concerns.
The only way we are going to get tax prices down is to set up new refineries. Abandoned military bases are perfect.
I dont really see it as an oil co profit issue - they could import gasoline and probably charge more as it is.
Granted its a sneaky way to get the legislation approved - however, the country needs to build new refineries.
October 7th, 2005 at 5:26 pm#23, thanks for the explanation. I suppose a little standardization couldn’t hurt, as long as it isn’t a ploy to limit competition or rid renewable resource based additives such as ethenol.
October 7th, 2005 at 5:27 pmI may not have made sense with my last post. I’m out the door…
October 7th, 2005 at 5:27 pmDear Anonymous;
I live in Louisiana. There is one refinery near here that was abandoned. There were many that were abandoned for economic (i.e. profit) reasons or because they were obselete.
So, setting up new refiners is not the only way to get prices down. Existing refineries have also been expanded, which also helps make them more efficient (profitable).
Importing gasoline and other refined products just moves the pollution overseas. It als moves the jobs and value added aspect of the industry overseas.
October 7th, 2005 at 5:30 pmIf the oil companies did not have such horrible
October 7th, 2005 at 5:32 pmrecords of toxic destruction on the surrounding
environment there would not be a NIMBY problem.
You reap what you sow.
how did mike fitzpatrick bucks 8
October 7th, 2005 at 5:45 pmThe most important part about this is that in the ’90s the oil companies shut down 50 oil refineries, so they could artificailly raise the price of gas. Thos refineries are still standing and are in working order.
This bill has nothing to do with building more refineries. It is only about lowering EPA standards for oil companies AND COAL BURNING POWER PLANTS.
What exactly do coal burning power plants have to do with refining oil?
October 7th, 2005 at 5:45 pmIt’s all just pay-for-play.
October 7th, 2005 at 5:48 pmThey are sooo corrupt they make the Russians
look like angels.
how did m.fitzpatrick vote bucks.8
October 7th, 2005 at 5:50 pmIts all about breaking the backs of Americans or is it the rethuglicans way of imposing Sanctions against Americans…. He is hell bent to take over this country…….. 2004 bush said,this would be easier if it was a dicatorship and I was the dicator……
Its all the little stuff he saids,that we over look……
October 7th, 2005 at 5:56 pmOh, come on. Whatever you think of the bill, the majority party holding votes open to twist arms has a long House tradition from both parties and is completely consistent with House rules, which provide that such things exist completely under the discretion of the Speaker. The Constitution clearly gives the House the authority to give such discretion to the Speaker under Clause 2 of Section 5 of Article I of the U.S. Constitution (”Each House may determine the Rules of its Proceedings…”). Hardball politics it may be, but “thwarting democracy” it isn’t.
October 7th, 2005 at 5:58 pm37:
I’ve lived in and around the SF Bay area all my life, and one thing is a certainty- the refineries in Richmond (a predominantly poor, black area- go figure) have a propensity for leaking toxic emissions, if not just plain blowing up. Why would anyone in there right mind live anywhere near one, if they could afford not to?
October 7th, 2005 at 6:01 pmWell, is anyone really surprised? The Republican Party is an extension of Big Oil.
Big Oil is not investing in capital-intensive core business assets…they know we are in a post peak oil economy. They’ll stand pat with what they have and follow the supply/demand curve right up to the last barrel of sweet light crude. I’m sure their profits are being divested out of energy and into other profit making instruments. Certainly, lots of that investment is goinng to places where capital growth is assured…and that isn’t in our economy.
October 7th, 2005 at 6:02 pmIt’s getting down to the nitty gritty, is it not?
Admin,
May I link this thread from my website?
Thx!
October 7th, 2005 at 6:03 pmHurricanes Katrina and Rita destroyed (supposedly) 109 oil platforms and five drilling rigs in the Gulf of Mexico.
Sure… I wouldn’t doubt if the companies destroyed the drilling rigs themselves..
October 7th, 2005 at 6:04 pmI think you have that right Innocent Bystander.
October 7th, 2005 at 6:06 pmNo strategy for America to prosper, just quarterly
profits and large bonuses for CEOs.
I don’t know Left of Center,
October 7th, 2005 at 6:09 pmbut with insurance and tremendous
profits, why should we subsidize them?
Kleptocracy.
Stupid, stupid wingers backing this Kleptocracy.
Unreal. When is this nonsense going to stop? They seem to not understand rules or common decency. The questions were fair from the democrats and they were ignored and ridiculed until they twisted enough arms to pass this vote.
Disgraceful…..
October 7th, 2005 at 6:15 pm[…] They’re not quite banging their shoes on the bannister yet, but voting at the House today turned into a screaming match. The Dems were angry at the House leadership for holding a 5-minute vote open for 50-minutes so that they could turn around the winning votes. More at Think Progress. “Not a proper parliamentary inquiry!!!” (via TPM) […]
October 7th, 2005 at 6:18 pmThere is just no honor among theives anymore. Bullies, the whole lot of them.
October 7th, 2005 at 6:26 pmThese people have no honor, theives or not.
October 7th, 2005 at 6:30 pmThat goes for the know-nothing supporters as well.
Shenanigans! Shenanigans!
It really is an unpalatable pile of Oil Whore swill posing as “hurricane relief.” What is even more unpalatable is how it passed. When initially voted on, the “nays” had it, 212 - 210. Instead of accepting the will of the body, the House leaders[si…
October 7th, 2005 at 6:37 pm[…] Late-breaking: Friday afternoon, October 7th, 2005: U.S. Senators engage in verbal taunts over vote on “Gasoline for America’s Security Act of 2005,” C-Span, via the liberal foundationThink Progress. […]
October 7th, 2005 at 6:47 pmDefinition of Republican: sick and twisted.
October 7th, 2005 at 6:58 pmThat video made me so mad I can’t even believe it.I am shaking!
October 7th, 2005 at 7:09 pmMid-term elections. Vote the bastards out.
October 7th, 2005 at 7:10 pmThis is an outrage! Our plan was to keep Big Oil from building any new refineries so that they couldn’t produce enough gas to go around and therefore prices would go up and then nobody would be able to pollute by using fossil fuels because they wouldn’t be able to afford it! Only the Rich would be able to afford fossil fuels, and then that would give us even MORE reason to hate them! These Republicans have ruined our plans entirely!!!
October 7th, 2005 at 7:13 pmIsn’t this vote illegal? The rules state 5 minutes, they broke the rule, the vote is null and void, correct? Or can only Congress vote it illegal?
October 7th, 2005 at 7:17 pmOn Thursday, October 6, 2005 the Rules Committee granted a structured rule. The rule provides one hour of debate in the House equally divided and controlled by the Chairman and the Ranking Minority Member of the Committee on Energy and Commerce. The rule waives all points of order against consideration of the bill. It provides that the amendment in the nature of a substitute recommended by the Committee on Energy and Commerce now printed in the bill, modified by the amendment printed in part A of the Rules Committee report accompanying the resolution, shall be considered as adopted and shall be considered as read. The rule waives all points of order against the bill as amended. It makes in order the amendment printed in part B of the Rules Committee report accompanying the resolution, if offered by Representative Stupak of Michigan or his designee, which shall be considered as read and which shall be debatable for 40 minutes equally divided and controlled by the proponent and an opponent. It waives all points of order against the amendment printed in part B of the report. Finally, the rule provides one motion to recommit with or without instructions.
October 7th, 2005 at 7:23 pmIf you’re going to buy gas, you still have a choice who you buy it from. Buy CITGO gas, it comes from a state owned oil company in Venezuela and not some global capitalist baron.
October 7th, 2005 at 7:33 pmDOWN WITH CAPITALISTS! LONG LIVE THE THOUGHTS OF STALIN!!!!! LONG LIVE THE THOUGHTS OF MAO!!!!!
October 7th, 2005 at 7:34 pmWar Protest - Nov 10 2005 Take a day off! – Please Read
If you feel, as the majority of Americans and people throughout the world do, that the war in Iraq is wrong, and you wish you had a way to show the Bush Administration, the Government of the United States, and the world, how you feel about it, then join us in our world wide walk out on November 10th 2005.
Show the world how you feel, and just how many of us feel this way. Let’s drive the point home by taking away from them their most precious item; money.
On November 10th 2005, unless you hold a position which people rely upon in the event of an emergency (you work at a hospital, a firemen, policemen etc), don’t go to work. Try not to drive your car; don’t watch T.V.; don’t use the internet. Stay at home. Read a book. Play with your kids. Engage in a hobby.
Plan a vacation day at work. Call in sick. Use your best judgment on how to take this day off.
If we don’t get their attention this way, we’ll just do it again, until we do.
If the people speak, and speak together, they have to listen.
Please email this to as many of your friends and colleagues as you wish/can.
October 7th, 2005 at 7:39 pmBoutique fuels like, you know, UNLEADED.
October 7th, 2005 at 7:43 pmDid you know that there are diesel engines in europe that run cleaner than any gasoline engines we have over here?
October 7th, 2005 at 7:48 pmSmedley, my man - Nov. 2. I’ll be there.
October 7th, 2005 at 7:52 pmI wonder when Hybrids will finally appear. When and if they do, will we be saving money, because hybrids don’t use gas, but electricity. Right?
October 7th, 2005 at 7:57 pmNov 10 2005
October 7th, 2005 at 7:58 pmTake the war protest thread. Put it in an email, send it to your friends.
Post it on Craigslist in the Community/Polotics section.
Title it: War Protest - November 10, 2005 - Take a day off!
We can’t post the same thread more then once, and there are only so many ways to say it.
Post it on all your blogs!! GET THE WORD OUT!!
October 7th, 2005 at 8:04 pm#73
A Hybrid is not an electric car. A Hybrid uses both gas and electric. The electricity is generated when the car goes downhill or is coming to a stop. My friend had a Toyota Preious, it got great gas milage.
An electric car needs to be plugged in or left out in the sun to charge up. A Hybrid doesn’t need to be plugged in or left out in the sun.
October 7th, 2005 at 8:10 pmThe republican leadership in this country is organized crime.
October 7th, 2005 at 8:16 pmA friend of mine reminded me that in the 70’s when the OPEC jerks had the oil embargo against us, we lowered the speedlimits on the freeways nationwide to 55 mph. It saved millions of barrels of gas over the years until we got selfish and in a hurry again.
Why can’t we do that again? Because none of us want to be inconvenienced? Or because the administration does NOT WANT to really do anything that might cut into the gas companies outrageous profits?
Where is the outrage from the right as well as the left? Liberal or conservative, we are ALL being ripped off!
October 7th, 2005 at 8:18 pmOne word encompasses the democrats in congress and us… saps! We’re really enjoying our cheap clothes and TV’s and our cheap electronic gadgets too much to worry about gas and electricity prices.
October 7th, 2005 at 8:33 pm“He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.”
~The Declaration of Independence. What d’you suppose Jefferson would have thought of this?
October 7th, 2005 at 8:44 pm[…] Check out the video of how the Republicans kept the voting open, even everyone present had already voted, so that they could lean on certain representatives to switch their votes. […]
October 7th, 2005 at 8:47 pm#48 -
i live right next to richmond…you try to say that the oil refineries are ‘in the black neighborhood’ — you are misrepresenting facts…from the oil refinery, i can go 2 miles and be in the hood, or i can go 2 miles and be in Richmond Marina (where the rich people live).
October 7th, 2005 at 9:06 pmWrongOfYou,
You forget that those ‘rich people’ didn’t live there when those refineries were built. I did some research and the marina development all occurred AFTER the refineries were built - before then the entire area was blue collar and poor…
October 7th, 2005 at 9:25 pm#71 - We have clean diesel engines in the USA, they are manufactured in Europe, but sold here.
October 7th, 2005 at 9:31 pm#73 - Hybrid engines are here, Toyota, Honda and (gasp)Ford are offering them. The Ford (Escape) is still a pig as the electric boost is used to boost torque instead of mileage as its primary goal. The hybrids work by conserving energy used for slowing down, going downhill and braking. Basic savings are 23% in town and 40% on the highway. Using the full system can add another 6%. his excludes the Ford which averages about 19% savings(Highway plus In-Town) over its conventional version (Unless you drive the EPA test track).
Our right to bear arms was meant for times just like this!
Should the Republicans steal another Presidential election… Revolution may erupt!!!
Oh wait… most Libs are pacifists. It’s the redneck goat ropers who play army in the backwoods… damn!
October 7th, 2005 at 9:58 pmActually last year most refineries were running at 75% capacity so the companies (rightfully so) shut some down to balance out the market. So why can’t they just re-open them?
October 7th, 2005 at 10:07 pmTHe Oil companies have been controlling their market and their prices since long ago during the time of the texas wildcatters when a texas judge made all the wildcatters agree to charge the same price. Anyone ever wonder how all those competing service stations are always within .10 of each other in price. Christ! Americans claim they BELIEVE in free markets, and every day they face the greatest controlled economy going.
The oil companies agree that they will all charge the same, and they will all run their refineries into the ground and keep them below capacity. Now they will get even more of our tax dollars
ALl those supposed conservatives who support this are a bunch of freakin morons. If you want to see communism at work, this ia a prim example of the worst that communism has to offer. The few at the top controlling prices, input, output, wages.
And then the faux conservatives jump in their SUVS and speed down the road driving to the tune of their communist masters.
October 7th, 2005 at 10:19 pm#86
Jim,
You are used to the old school hippy commie pacifist Democrat. I am here to tell you that Bush (just as in Iraq) has brought forth a new type of Democrat. I suppose you could call me a NeoLib. I bear arms. I was in the military and I have martial arts training. I am ready for a revolution my friend.
Don’t be so sure that only the red necks are armmed at this point. You just might be surprised.
October 7th, 2005 at 10:28 pmI’ll tell ya this cmw. These communists you speak of can try their best but I won’t sit back and allow their nonsense.
I have found so many ways to fight back.
1. Walk more
October 7th, 2005 at 10:33 pm2. Buy gas at Citgo
3. Mail postage paid credit card (Republican Newspaper subscription) offers back with “screw you Bushie supporter” written on it
4. Boycott all businesses that donate to the Pug Party
5. Support family owned businesses
6. Bush Bash on my radio show
7. Attend Anti Bush rallies
8. Create my own job and jobs for others
9. Post messages on blogs (O’Scumbag hates that)
10. Email, call and demand action from Congress and the media.
Go ahead, give the oil companies breaks to get new refineries on line, BUT, they have to promise to lower gas prices, which is supposed to be the reason for this bill.
If there is no…we giv you this, you give us that, then it is just a giveaway that will not benefit regular people AT ALL.
October 7th, 2005 at 10:40 pm#67 and Susan. Right on. I’ve posted about Citgo several times. I get called a ‘pinko commy bastard’ or words to that effect. Citgo is a wholly owned sub of PDVSA, the Venezuelan oil company which is a nationalized company of Venezuela, meaning the profits go to the government of Venezuela. You can make up your own minds about Chavez, but you can at least see some of the money finding its way into readin, health and local farming programs for the poor of that country. Buying gas at Exxon or Chevron goes to the shareholders who apparently can already afford health care, can read and can buy food from the supermarket and therfore probably don’t need your help.
Check this site out to find your nearest Citgo and make sure you tell the manager why you are there.
Here’s your Citgo locator: http://www.citgo.com/CITGOLocator/StoreLocator.jsp
And here’s this for the rest of the companies you might frequent to stop feeding the beast: http://www.buyblue.org/
Pass it to your friends who are fed up with this fascist regime.
October 7th, 2005 at 10:48 pm#91, Karen - if you believe that a corporation is a ‘person’ then they should be subject to the same laws as a person. If not, then they should not have the same rights as a person, nor a disproportionate say in our affairs. Over to you Mr Hartmann:
http://www.peacehost.net/ PacifistNation/ restoredemocracy.htm
October 7th, 2005 at 10:54 pmThere’s one way to try to even out the rip-off we can’t control. I found it years ago when my Republican broker talked me into it. Buy stock in the wretched oil companies. You can buy Exxon directly from them, no broker needed. It’s probably the same with some others. You’ll get the dividends and you’ll probably get some nice capital gains as I have. I had an inheritance and I diversified as we’re supposed to. Oil has been up and down, but over time, it’s been my best investment. Yes, I’m a liberal Democrat but we have to survive, don’t we?
October 7th, 2005 at 10:55 pm#91
karen,
The only problem is that it has already been stated that it will take ten years to build these new oil refineries. Bush will be long gone come ten years. Nobody will be held acountable in ten years.
And more importantly, 50 oil refineries were shut donw in the ’90s to artificially inflate the price of gasoline. These refineries are still in perfect working order, they just need to be turned back on.
This bill wasn’t about building oil refineries, it was about lowering the EPA standards for refineries.
If it wasn’t, tell me why COAL BURING POWER PLANTS were even in this bill. They don’t refine oil, they make power by buring coal. No oil involved, except to lube the machinery.
October 7th, 2005 at 10:57 pmThe corporate media machine at work again. Read this; http://mediamatters.org/items/200510070001. It’s short and to the point.
October 7th, 2005 at 11:00 pmNot to mention that we have reached peak oil, so refineries and oil economy are already dinosaurs -
this is just part of the general robbing of the treasury to destroy the US that the Bush gang has been engaged in for the past ten years, and Clinton is one of them now. They must have inducted him into Skull and Bones while he was visiting with Bush Daddy on his yacht this summer.
October 7th, 2005 at 11:01 pmLouis Freeh is a member of Opus Dei I believe
October 7th, 2005 at 11:04 pmIs Meirs, the latest SCOTUS nominee, a member of Opus Dei? Supposedly she belongs to a Baptist fundamentalist sect in Dallas, but even that story is starting to bleed
October 7th, 2005 at 11:05 pmScalia and Thomas are both members of Opus Dei. Scalia brought Thomas into the fold after his appointment to SCOTUS.
October 7th, 2005 at 11:06 pmCould someone please post over at my blog, the Anti-Manicheist, a link to evidence that shows this sort of breaking the rules was nowhere as common when the Dems were in power?
dlw
October 7th, 2005 at 11:10 pmThe statement that we are at “peak oil” is nothing but bullshit to make people think it is okay to pay more money for gas. OPEC has already stated, numerous times, that they can send us more oil, we just don’t have the refining capability.
That is because the oil companies shut down 50 oil refineries in the ’90s to artificaially drive up the cost of gas.
October 7th, 2005 at 11:11 pm#101
I would post at your blog, but it seems that my screen name has been used on Blogger. Now why could that be? Spudge Boy is something that I made up. How could anybody else want to use that, unless they wanted to cpoy me or impersonate me.
I am not saying it is you, I am just saying it is pretty interesting. Why would somebody copy a stupid name like Spudge Boy.
October 7th, 2005 at 11:24 pm[…] Think Progress has the details. […]
October 7th, 2005 at 11:53 pmSpeaking of windfalls, has anyone followed the DJIA over the last five years? NASDQ? AMEX? OTC? Since 1928, with the exception of Ike, investments have tanked during Repungent administrations and recovered under the Dems. Why do investors support these losers?
October 7th, 2005 at 11:54 pmFunny how the trolls are in short supply here tonight.
Who the hell can justify this kind of legislation? Or, worse, this kind of government?
October 7th, 2005 at 11:57 pmWalt,
This question is like asking someone why they take drugs that destroy their lives - because they’re addicted and incapable of recognizing their addiction is harmful to them and society. In this case their addiction is to ‘no taxes’ and ‘deregulation’ and in their delusion that someone republicans are ‘better’ at handling the economy. It doesn’t matter that these are in fact psychotic delusions and that poverty drops and the economy improves under democrats and the reverse happens under republicans. Their irrational addictions to things that actually undermine the economy and their own well being as well as societies overwhelms them to the point of irrationality. It’s a classic ‘break’ from reality that often happens with people of addictive personalities… It’s no accident that bush is both a republican and an alcholic/druggie…
October 8th, 2005 at 12:09 amI don’t think that W has gone back on drugs yet. Booze? - it’s either that or advanced Alzheimers.
October 8th, 2005 at 12:24 amCan we spell ENRON? Haven’t we seen this all before? They have been closing refineries in order to cause a shortage so they could raise prices, now they want the taxpayers to bribe them to put refineries back on line. Meanwhile the Bushies waste jet fuel flying around setting up photo-ops. I’d start looking for a good mule, but they’ll probably tax hay next.
October 8th, 2005 at 1:13 amJim and SpudgeBoy, you would be suprised how many of us are anti war and good gun owners, even more suprised how many are women and excelent shots. Good hunters and sports persons. Yep! Keep your powder dry, men. Never know when you will need to protect your food, family and civil rights up close and personal…..Blessings
October 8th, 2005 at 1:21 amI wish I was a Republican, because then it would be easier for me to see how much my Congressmen and women really care about me, the average citizen, and my needs.
But since I’m not a Republican, I don’t see it. All I see is a crumbling empire, getting destroyed at the hands of a small group of corrupt extremists, whose have zero interest or concern or compassion for anyone but themselves and their own bank accounts.
What a shallow, meaningless, vapid existence these Republicans have. What’s that old saying, you can’t take it with you?
We now have two Americas: an America of people who care about others and the environment, and an America of people who care only about themselves.
I’m glad I belong to the former, and I feel nothing but pity for the latter.
October 8th, 2005 at 2:52 am[…] Think Progress � Right-Wing House Twists Arms, Thwarts Democracy To Pass Oil Industy Windfall […]
October 8th, 2005 at 4:03 amWhen is the old Democratic party going to stand up. Going to an event and saying Bush and Rove are evil, getting a bunch of applause and people shaking their heads doesn’t get people to the polls. Rock the vote? You might as well call it a Free Concert. I remember a day when our party actually ment something. We have to let go of the radical left and move forward with good ideas, powerful plans and a conviction that is true. I’m sick and tired of hearing those on our side complain about the oil companies, while everyone is complaining about high gas prices. We need to move towards alternative fuels but lets get real people. This “oil thing” isn’t going away over night. It’s going to be a long hall and only when we start running out of oil is anybody going to take a serious look at other alternatives. At the end of a football game it doesn’t matter how many flags are thrown, if the team wins and the refs agree they won, GAME OVER. Thats what is happening today. We can all rally around the “coruption” campaign Nancy is trying to promote but the end result for us in 2008 is going to be GAME OVER if we don’t act like the team who throws some elbows to win the game. NOW GET YOUR GEAR ON AND GET IN THE GAME.
October 8th, 2005 at 4:39 amthe power of two
what?you don’t know how to step?no, not omega, man…walk tall.walk straight.walk proud.nothing half-baked,straight up into the crowd.in comes the leftto cushion the drop of the rightput it back down…bang!the gavels brings on a crowdof purposeof con…
October 8th, 2005 at 8:25 am[…] Democracy was put on hold yesterday as indicted ex-Majority Leader Tom DeLay twisted arms on the House floor to ensure passage of an industry-backed energy bill. […]
October 8th, 2005 at 8:34 amZookeeper (#7) - How?
Afterthought: This is a kleptocracy and that’s ALL it is. It’s extremely obvious in Iraq, where war profiteering, certainly an impeachable offense (Wake up Mr. Minority Leader Reid!), is rampant.
I’m getting sick of this. I’m even more sick of standing by watching it while I can’t get a 10 cent/hour increase in my rate (I’m an IT contractor). The blue collar workers, or most of them, seem content to let the thieves run things. The white collar workers, too; they’re probably even more brainwashed. So let’s do something.
Can we organize a one-day walk-out at our jobs? It should be done using the Internet, because people will be too timid to approach people at work. Anyone who works for a corporation, and that’s a huge majority, can stand up and walk out at 10:00 AM on a certain day. The corporations won’t give a shit, of course, but the sheep in the House might, maybe even a few media outlets.
I’m going to try to light a fire via Air America, Moveon.org, Think Progress……
Any thoughts?
October 8th, 2005 at 8:50 amSmedley — I didn’t see your post until just now. Great!
October 8th, 2005 at 8:52 amJust more of Bushlandia giving away the house to the big companies.
I have noticed over the past few years that many of the companies who are in trouble, supposedly, and cant pay their penioners their due, gave their officers huge bonuses and umbrella packages.
In other words, they cant keep their promises to the working man, but sure can get the wheelbarrow to the officers of the company.
October 8th, 2005 at 9:19 amGood Morning all, the oil feeding frenze on the senate floor show’s us how much we don’t have control, however, I do think it is time for shut down’s. Have seen two dates mentioned on these threads. One date was Nov.2, the other mentioned Nov. 10. Let’s pick one, join together and run with it. No buying, no work if you can and a shut down sick day. It worked for some smaller things back in the 60’s and 70’s, know it will work now. Another thing that we could do to cut their profits is cut our travels. Don’t give a damn what Bush said while he run’s all over the country, remember when we did this in the 70’s and they lied to us, there wasn’t enough gas, we all did this and then we gave them a surplus, so much so in our area they had no place to put the excess. Know for many this is not possible, job loss or living in remote areas but for those that can it would make a big impact. Some one please contact our diffrent groups to get the word out. Decide on a date and all of us join in…..Blessings
October 8th, 2005 at 9:43 am#69 Smedley Butler
October 8th, 2005 at 12:47 pmIs there a second event on 11/10/05? I know there is one on 11/2/05. I hope you don’t show up a week late!
Please investigate the date you have noted.
Here we go again. Earlier I wrote we should get in the game and all i’m hearing is that some of you want to walk out of your job on a certain date. This isn’t the 70’s anymore. I remember Bill Gates saying the he couldn’t imagine anybody needing more then 64K but look at us now. If I walk out of my job it’s possible my boss will fire me. I work for a small tech firm, ok three people, and this would only hurt myself, family and friends who are my co-workers. Here is another example of people compaining and not getting in the game, you can even decide which date to walk out… We all need oil regardless of what we do no the short term. I saw a bus in the bay area (San Francisco) that traveled across the United States to protest the oil companies & the war. Does anybody see the irony in that? This bus probably got 9 miles to the gallon. Not only did he put money in the pockets of those we are complaining about but polluted all the way across the US in an old school bus. I bet when he filled up he complained about gas prices. Where is his Hybrid? We have to do much better then this people.
October 8th, 2005 at 1:17 pmSorry for the spelling errors. I’ve been up for 21 hours.
October 8th, 2005 at 1:20 pmMASSACHUSETS LIBERAL #116
There is a national work boycott and protest being planned:
“Wednesday 11-2-05: A massive day of repudiation of the Bush Regime, launching a movement to drive Bush himself from office, and where the whole direction he has been taking society is reversed.”
http://www.worldcantwait.org
“Think about this: When four young people sat in at a lunch counter in the South, they didn’t know exactly what forms of struggle the Civil Rights movement would develop or how many and who would join them. When women and doctors developed networks to provide abortions and held speak-outs to make it legal, they didn’t know exactly what court ruling or piece of legislation would codify this right.
They did these things because living one more day without resistance was intolerable. And, by doing what was right and not compromising, they set new terms for society, changed what was deemed possible and realistic and were able to galvanize and activate many thousands more in ways that couldn’t have been predicted.
Today we are facing an unprecedented situation. The challenge is bigger, the stakes are higher, and the window of opportunity is being hammered shut rapidly. There is a moment to seize right now while public support for Bush is at its lowest and millions are seething with anger and aching with desire to affect things. The world cannot wait. The Bush regime must be driven from power. But, we must leave the comfortable ruts of familiar territory and politics-as-usual if we are to stand a chance.
Think of how many people were inspired by the uncompromising and courageous stand of Cindy Sheehan. We are in a moment when one person stepping boldly forward, pointing out that the emperor not only has no clothes, but is a lying, callous brute, can change the whole national discourse. Imagine what can happen when hundreds of thousands, on one day, refuse to bite their tongues or stay at home.
November 2nd, 2005 will be a launch of a new kind of movement, a society-wide resistance. It holds the potential to break open new space and possibilities for the struggle going forward.
November 2nd, 2005 must be a day when history starts to turn.
November 2nd will be a day when those who hate and fear the future Bush is creating will pour into the streets together, out from beneath the suffocating “mandate†Bush claimed last November 2nd, out of the “acceptable†political framework that forces people to speak in “reasoned†tones about compromise positions, out of the dynamic of fighting Bush’s outrages one at a time constantly losing ground to the whole onslaught, out of the logic of waiting…and waiting…and waiting for someone somewhere else to say what must be said and do what must be done, while each day people grow accustomed to unspeakable crimes.
On November 2nd, in society-wide outpourings – in large cities and small towns, emptying high schools and colleges and lining the highways in rural areas, buzzing through the media and provoking frank debates among families, friends and coworkers – we will say: NO MORE! WE REFUSE TO BE RULED IN THIS WAY! BUSH DOES NOT REPRESENT US AND WE WILL DRIVE HIM OUT! THE WORLD CAN’T WAIT!
Everyone will be clear – this outpouring is just the beginning of a new kind of movement which takes the offensive in society and really wages a pitched political battle for the whole direction of the future. The gatherings will bring together the impatience of the youth who walk out of school, with the experience of those from the 60’s generation, with the stature and voices of prominent artists and intellectuals, together with the anger and perspective of those who have been hardest hit by the Bush program of repression and heightened poverty and racism. The organizers will direct participants to trade phone numbers and emails with other protesters, to start up discussion groups and book-clubs about fascism and resistance movements, building communities of resistance going forward.
By bringing together hundreds of thousands nationwide in outpourings of many sizes which become the lead story in small towns and large cities on the news that night, this day will give heart and inspiration to millions of others who are looking for a way to stop this direction and will very quickly draw them into an organized resistance. It will put a challenge to many who still support Bush, causing them to question and, for some, begin to break with a program that is not in their interests. It will also give notice to the regime and its die-hard supporters that they will not have a free-hand in reshaping the world, leaving them further exposed in the eyes of millions.
This day alone will not stop the regime, but it will introduce a whole new dynamicand will enable millions to make a big leap towards a movement that can stop it. This day will embolden individuals and groups everywhere to speak up, to defend others who come under attack, to challenge the Bushian mentality and program everywhere it pops up – from the local school boards pushing “intelligent design†and Abstinence Only, to the pulpits promoting hurtful intolerance of gays and non-Christians, to the unjust war and continuing torture, and beyond.
November 2nd is a day for which thousands must immediately throw in all their energies and time, creativity and critical thought, connections, skills and finances to pull off on a scale that accomplishes this important beginning.
From there, further organization and planning will be required, but all of it will be in a new context and with new strength. As organizers of the World Can’t Wait – Drive Out the Bush Regime, we pledge to take responsibility for leading and broadening the core of those leading this all the way through. We will hold a national summit to chart our next steps, bringing to bear all the strength and momentum and lessons we have gathered and surge ahead on a higher level which impacts the terrain again nationally and internationally.
Years from now, when children want to know the character of their parents — as they lived in a country that was normalizing torture, moving to condemn half the population to enforced motherhood or back-alley dangers, attacking science and critical thought, waging wars of preemption based on outrageous lies, snatching people off the street without lawyers or charges, and no major office-holder was making a stink – they will ask, “Were you in the streets that day, on November 2nd, 2005?â€
Sunsara Taylor - An initiator of World Can’t Wait – Drive Out the Bush Regime!
also:
October 8th, 2005 at 1:34 pmhttp://portland.indymedia.org/en/2005/06/320536.shtml
These fools are totally drunk with power. It won’t stop until we have some sort of a mass removal from office of all the sitting senators, reps, pRESIDENT, vicepres and all their cronies.
I still think the nyc subway news was staged for pulling up support on the reTHUG’s part. After all, it was the bookend to dumbyas stay scared speech.
they’re evil
October 8th, 2005 at 1:51 pmI hate to be cynical (it’s hard not to be these days) but until it’s proven otherwise, I say our friend Smedley with his November 10th suggestion is here to gum up the works. Until he provides a link to some organized effort….November 2nd is the day for work stoppage, corporate boycott etc.
October 8th, 2005 at 4:09 pmSmedley says he’s doing this one on his own. He doesn’t have a link. I’m going with worldcantwait.org. on the 2nd.
Jay, this could also be someone who is trying to divide and conquer our mission.
October 8th, 2005 at 4:21 pmJay, Susan,
You guys are probably right. A single individual cannot get anything going without a web site at the minimum.
October 8th, 2005 at 4:49 pmI heard of worldcantwait.org on AirAmerica so I assume this organization is quite large.
October 8th, 2005 at 5:24 pmWhat Democracy?
There are justifiable outcries that the new energy bill undermines democracy by ignoring the will of the people. The flaw in this criticism is that it assumes there was democracy in America in the first place.
Delaying a vote until the republicans were assured of a victory on an energy bill that clearly serves the interests of the oil industry is a symptom of a much deeper problem. The American government rarely serves the interests of the people in a deeply flawed democratic system the structure of which opens the door to business-friendly governments.
The U.S. is one of only three domocracies in the world that does not use proportional representationm to elect people to Congress. The result is a very unrepresentative Congress where only 12% of its members are women. The American electoral system imposes huge barriers to any third party seeking to elect people to Congress.
Although there appear to be two parties vying for votes at election time, both parties are owned lock, stock and barrel by big business and lobbyists. They drive trucks through the loopholes in the election laws to fund often both parties to hedge their bets.
Another problem is that the members of Congress serve the interests of lobbyists who represent large corporations rather that the people who elected them. In a democracy everyone should have equal political power and input into decision-making. This isn’t a fantasy of some pie-in-the-sky dreamer but a realistic idea for which there are many methods of implementation. Anything is better than the current system where big corporations almost write government policy while ordinary citizens suffer the consequences. All lobbying should be banned. It is nothing more than influence-pedalling despite the feigned cries of big business that the government needs their expertise. The expertise of all stakeholders and all interested groups should have equal input into decision-making not just those with an abundance of money.
The third pillar of the principle of separation of powers, the Supreme Court, is corrupted by the election process which deprives the court of its independence.
So scream foul when Congress delays bills to gain an advantage but put it in the larger context rather than create the impression that this case is only one of a number of isolated examples.
October 8th, 2005 at 5:53 pmWhat Democracy?
There are justifiable outcries that the new energy bill undermines democracy by ignoring the will of the people. The flaw in this criticism is that it assumes there was democracy in America in the first place.
Delaying a vote until the republicans were assured of a victory on an energy bill that clearly serves the interests of the oil industry is a symptom of a much deeper problem. The American government rarely serves the interests of the people in a deeply flawed democratic system the structure of which opens the door to business-friendly governments.
The U.S. is one of only three domocracies in the world that does not use proportional representationm to elect people to Congress. The result is a very unrepresentative Congress where only 12% of its members are women. The American electoral system imposes huge barriers to any third party seeking to elect people to Congress.
Although there appear to be two parties vying for votes at election time, both parties are owned lock, stock and barrel by big business and lobbyists. They drive trucks through the loopholes in the election laws to fund often both parties to hedge their bets.
Another problem is that the members of Congress serve the interests of lobbyists who represent large corporations rather that the people who elected them. In a democracy everyone should have equal political power and input into decision-making. This isn’t a fantasy of some pie-in-the-sky dreamer but a realistic idea for which there are many methods of implementation. Anything is better than the current system where big corporations almost write government policy while ordinary citizens suffer the consequences. All lobbying should be banned. It is nothing more than influence-pedalling despite the feigned cries of big business that the government needs their expertise. The expertise of all stakeholders and all interested groups should have equal input into decision-making not just those with an abundance of money.
The third pillar of the principle of separation of powers, the Supreme Court, is corrupted by the election process which deprives the court of its independence.
So scream foul when Congress delays bills to gain an advantage but put it in the larger context rather than create the impression that this case is only one of a number of isolated examples.
October 8th, 2005 at 5:53 pmI agree David, lobbying should be banned. It would solve a lot of problems.
October 8th, 2005 at 6:07 pmWhy not amend the Constitution to the effect that any second term President be subject to a vote of confidence on the first Tuesday of October of the second year after re-election (or is that re-selection?) and if he fails the test, the previous election be repeated on the first Tuesday of November in that year.
October 8th, 2005 at 7:33 pmPeople - do yourself a favor and let conservatives deal with Bush. We’re mad at him too, but we won’t be able to punish him at the polls if Nancy Pelosi gets out of her cage again.
October 8th, 2005 at 7:40 pm#132, WTM
October 8th, 2005 at 7:45 pmThat’s an interesting idea. We sure could use a law like that now couldn’t we? Bush would be out of here so fast to stay ahead of the tar and feathers.
#128 - “I heard of worldcantwait.org on AirAmerica so I assume this organization is quite large.”
Comment by Susan — October 8, 2005 @ 5:24 pm
Why Susan NUST be correct (she would never say “right”) - if AirheadAmerica featured an organization like worldwontwait then it MUST be large. Is this the same radio programming which is trying to attract more suckers (excuse me, “investors”) due to the fact that they do not generate sufficient ad revenue - I KNOW - they should ASK for donations from altruistic, generous, liberal$ - pinch the limo liberals for a few $$ , too!!
October 8th, 2005 at 7:59 pmThe economy used to run the stock market. Now the stock market runs the economy.
October 8th, 2005 at 8:05 pmPeople - do yourself a favor and let conservatives deal with Bush. We’re mad at him too, but we won’t be able to punish him at the polls if Nancy Pelosi gets out of her cage again.
Comment by Steven Souter — October 8, 2005 @ 7:40 pm
Listen to these nervous fools. It’s over Cons. Deal with it.
GOP thinks Senate could be at risk
Once powerful Christian Coalition teeters on insolvency
You can’t even get 500 people to go to D.C. You are nothing. Nobody. Nowhere.
October 8th, 2005 at 9:08 pmWhy Susan NUST be correct (she would never say “rightâ€) - if AirheadAmerica featured an organization like worldwontwait then it MUST be large. Is this the same radio programming which is trying to attract more suckers (excuse me, “investorsâ€) due to the fact that they do not generate sufficient ad revenue - I KNOW - they should ASK for donations from altruistic, generous, liberal$ - pinch the limo liberals for a few $$ , too!!
Comment by mighty aphrodite —
No, Sweety. It’s the Christian Coalition that’s going belly up. AAR is doing just fine. Don’t believe your own propaganda. And as I said on the other thread
Susan,
You go right ahead and use the RCP and any other org that puts warm bodies on the streets to fight the right. The left will use them as “useful idiots†just like the right uses hermaphrodite and he/she’s cuckold and the other useful idiots on the right.
October 8th, 2005 at 9:12 pmAnd you do the math… 400 to 400,000.
October 8th, 2005 at 9:14 pmIt’s fun to watch the smear machine work. Works both ways, kids.
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/7/30/124315/828
There’s more of us, than you. Buy those tickets. Git while the gittin’s good. 2006 gonna make you cry. 2008 goona make you wish you died.
Air America Radio up 140% in LA, eating up Rush Limbaugh’s audience
http://www.alternet.org/mediaculture/26178/
http://www.newshounds.us/ 2005/ 08/ 04/ fox_news_joins_slimy_campaign_to_smear_air_america.php
It’s over kids. Buy your tickets. It’s time to emigrate.
October 8th, 2005 at 9:36 pmhttp://www.newshounds.us/ 2005/ 08/ 04/ fox_news_joins_slimy_campaign_to_smear_air_america.php
October 8th, 2005 at 9:37 pm“In a democracy everyone should have equal political power and input into decision-making. This isn’t a fantasy of some pie-in-the-sky dreamer but a realistic idea for which there are many methods of implementation.”
Model #129 - This is our CURRENT FORM OF GOVERNMENT. Isn’t that incredible?
republic: from Latin, res publica, meaning “public matters” We are a republic, not a nation. The military represents the nation, not the people. War is not a public matter; It always leads to profits for the rich.
October 8th, 2005 at 10:22 pmeveryone on the hill should be wiped out the next election. A life long democrat I have never seen the wimpyness of my party to melt to the attacks of the GOP .. the gustapo has taken over with the endless money line from the corporations feeding off the people elected by the people but not representing the people who elected them…
October 8th, 2005 at 11:13 pmA DAY IN THE LIFE OF JOE REPUBLICAN
Joe gets up at 6 a.m. and fills his coffeepot with water to prepare his morning coffee. The water is clean and good because some tree-hugging liberal fought for minimum water-quality standards. With his first swallow of water, he takes his daily medication. His medications are safe to take because some stupid commie liberal fought to ensure their safety and that they work as advertised.
All but $10 of his medications are paid for by his employer’s medical plan because some liberal union workers fought their employers for paid medical insurance - now Joe gets it too.
He prepares his morning breakfast, bacon and eggs. Joe’s bacon is safe to eat because some girly-man liberal fought for laws to regulate the meat packing industry.
In the morning shower, Joe reaches for his shampoo. His bottle is properly labeled with each ingredient and its amount in the total contents because some crybaby liberal fought for his right to know what he was putting on his body and how much it contained.
Joe dresses, walks outside and takes a deep breath. The air he breathes is clean because some environmentalist wacko liberal fought for the laws to stop industries from polluting our air.
He walks on the government-provided sidewalk to subway station for his government-subsidized ride to work. It saves him considerable money in parking and transportation fees because some fancy-pants liberal fought for affordable public transportation, which gives everyone the opportunity to be a contributor.
Joe begins his work day. He has a good job with excellent pay, medical benefits, retirement, paid holidays and vacation because some lazy liberal union members fought and died for these working standards. Joe’s employer pays these standards because Joe’s employer doesn’t want his employees to call the union.
If Joe is hurt on the job or becomes unemployed, he’ll get a worker compensation or unemployment check because some stupid liberal didn’t think he should lose his home because of his temporary misfortune.
It is noontime and Joe needs to make a bank deposit so he can pay some bills. Joe’s deposit is federally insured by the FSLIC because some godless liberal wanted to protect Joe’s money from unscrupulous bankers who ruined the banking system before the Great Depression.
Joe has to pay his Fannie Mae-underwritten mortgage and his below-market federal student loan because some elitist liberal decided that Joe and the government would be better off if he was educated and earned more mone