‘Selling Out To Big Oil’ Costs Rep. David Davis His Job
‘Selling Out To Big Oil’ Costs Rep. David Davis His Job
Yesterday, Rep. David Davis (R-TN) became the first incumbent Tennessee congressman to “lose in a primary in more than four decades.” He lost to Johnson City, TN Mayor Phil Roe who accused “Davis of selling out to ‘big oil’ by accepting money from industry PACs and backing legislation supporting offshore drilling.” Watch the Roe campaign’s ad:
Throughout his campaign, Davis used common conservative canards to justify his support for Big Oil, falsely claiming that “there is more oil in Colorado than in the entire nation of Saudi Arabia,” and “China is 90 miles off the coast of the U.S. drilling for oil.” Davis, like many other Big Oil advocates, has received thousands of dollars from the oil and gas industry this year and has consistently voted with Big Oil’s interests in mind.
This week, Davis returned to the floor of the recessed House with other conservatives to participate in a partisan political stunt demanding a vote on offshore oil drilling.
Conservatives predicted significant gains in the polls as a result of their stunt. The Hill wrote, “House Republicans believe they have struck political gold with American voters.” Instead, Davis’s support for big oil cost him his job.
House Minority Leader John Boehner claims that he is not worried by Davis’s defeat. His rejection, however, could be a warning to those candidates who — in the pursuit of cheap political points — choose to support Big Oil’s profit-driven campaign to expand offshore drilling.
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hey grampy mclame…the handwriting’s on the wall
August 8th, 2008 at 1:49 pmWouldn’t it be great if even the low info voters finally realize how Big Corporate Powers have stolen our government by buying our politicians and our media. Hopefully this is a harbinger of things to come.
August 8th, 2008 at 1:52 pmHouse Rethugs have struck something alright, but it sure ain’t gold.
August 8th, 2008 at 1:53 pmIn the real world, this is exactly what should be happening on a national scale. Unfortunately, most Americans have bought into this “Drill here, drill now” campaign, even though they were never made aware of all the economists and government reports that showed it will not solve our oil crisis.
Why isn’t the media doing it’s job and exposing this massive fraud to all Americans?
August 8th, 2008 at 1:54 pmHe sounds a lot like McDumbass.
August 8th, 2008 at 1:56 pmCoach Sanders and Uncle Al support darkness to light in the Capital. Look for those new commercial celebrities to show up alongside Newt at the Republican House press conference.
August 8th, 2008 at 1:57 pmThe time has come for a permanent Rethuglican minority……then extinction.
¶ AIO
August 8th, 2008 at 1:57 pmOh oh. Davis Davis gone bye bye.
August 8th, 2008 at 2:05 pmSo while Davis is grandstanding in the darkened halls of congress, he loses his primary at home?
Now that is priceless!
PEACE
August 8th, 2008 at 2:09 pmAm I seeing shades of blue in blaring-red Tenn.? Has to be so telling for the rest of the country..
August 8th, 2008 at 2:10 pmGee… the republicans say one thing, the pundits agree, and the american public turns around and votes against the established story.
There is hope in America.
August 8th, 2008 at 2:11 pmRemember Lincoln’s famous saying, you cannot fool all of the people all of the time.
August 8th, 2008 at 2:15 pmImpeach Pelosi, Cheney and Bush and Save the Constitution!
I know I’m going to get tons of stuff dumped on me for this but your headline is about as accurate as:
GORE LOSES ELECTION BECAUSE HE WAS TOO SOFT ON TERROR!
nuf said?
August 8th, 2008 at 2:20 pmI predict the trolls will be here soon, claiming that despite Davis’ loss, the majority of the American people still support offshore drilling, and therefore the stunt by the GOP has been effective.
I believe that the majority of the American people support offshore drilling, because they are hurting from high gas prices, and they believe that immediate drilling will bring immediate relief. A no-brainer, right? Heck, if I believed this was true, I’D be pushing for offshore drilling. Right here. Right now.
Except people don’t know these things — yet:
1. Granting offshore and/or ANWR drilling leases to the oil companies won’t result in immediate drilling. Even if the oil companies marshalled all their resources to this objective, it would be years before we’d see any petroleum.
2. Oil companies currently hold leases on millions of acres of other land. They aren’t drilling there. Why not — if the need is so urgent? Nobody is willing to answer this question, or even acknowledge that it’s being asked.
3. Granting additional drilling leases to the oil companies is no guarantee they will drill right away. They will drill at the time they will make the most profit by doing so. The oil companies are about profit. They aren’t about increasing the supply, and they certainly aren’t about lowering gas prices.
4. If and when we DO get petroleum out of these areas, it will go to the global market, and likely be sold to China, India, or any other place willing to spend more than we will for it.
Many Americans are ignorant of these things now. Once they are informed, I doubt the idea of indulging what is essentially nothing more than a land grab on the part of the oil companies will remain popular.
August 8th, 2008 at 2:24 pmMcBorg needs to get drilled. Here. Now.
August 8th, 2008 at 2:26 pmA majority of Floridians now support drilling for oil in protected areas offshore
You might have a hard time convincing Bush to pay atention…
President Bush: ‘As to whether or not I make decisions based upon polls, I don’t. I just don’t make decisions that way.’
See, he’s the decider…
August 8th, 2008 at 2:29 pmIt’s cute when the trolls try to tag-team.
Especially when one goes to tag the other and smacks him in the face. I always get a good laugh at that.
Um… Dennis? If the Republicans are “talking down the price we pay at the pump”, doesn’t that mean that we don’t have to drill in protected areas? We can just “talk down” the price, right? Much simpler, quicker and safer for the environment.
I think you may have just soled the energy crisis. Good work, man!
August 8th, 2008 at 2:35 pmImmediately after MissMolly posts her cutting-edge piece preemptively debunking the trolls, Themis posts the debunked talking point. CLASSIC.
August 8th, 2008 at 2:45 pmWell, McWars, taking nothing away from missmolly, predicting a troll’s response is almost as easy as predicting that Gozer the Gozerian will appear as the Sta-Puft™ marshmallow man after seeing Ghostbusters a few times.
August 8th, 2008 at 2:49 pmdennis Says
August 8th, 2008 at 2:29 pm
Don’t look now, but Oil is down $3.26 a barrel to $116.52 as we speak. GWB and the fighting Republican Congressmen are talking down the price we pay at the pump while Nancy Pelosi continues her book selling tour.
____________________________________________________
Oil IS down, and this is a good thing. However, it’s not due to Bush and the GOP Congressmen talking down the price, since that’s not what they’re doing at the moment. Bush is in Beijing for the Olympics, and the “fighting” Congressmen are engaging in silly political stunts.
Most experts believe the current drop in the price of oil comes from a drop in demand. As the price skyrocketed, many people modified their consumption habits to use less. As it should be.
August 8th, 2008 at 2:51 pmA majority of Floridians…making up one of the most regressive states in the nation.
August 8th, 2008 at 2:57 pmDr. Hussein Matt Says:
August 8th, 2008 at 2:52 pm
I’m beginning to think that McSpin is avoiding Washington to bolster his image as an “outsider”. Heck, he’ll probably start claiming he’s never been a Senator and, therefore, can’t be held responsible for much of anything.
August 8th, 2008 at 2:59 pmTrolls really are more like Borg than Trolls…
-They have no mind of their own
-This hive mentality makes it impossible for single identity
-They all always agree with each other
-They’re sneaky
-They will stab you in the back without notice
-They’re butt ugly
-And then their’s McBorg, the Elder, soon to have tubes & all…
August 8th, 2008 at 2:59 pmralph the wonder llama
I think I’d need to be checked in if I thought of inserting ‘Stupid’ anywhere in your handle, ralph.
August 8th, 2008 at 2:59 pmObama will g8 you in November, troll.
August 8th, 2008 at 3:06 pmWhat was the price of gas when Pelosi and her buddies took control of Congress? What is it today?
obamagr8 Says:
Need I remind you that it takes a 2/3 (two thirds) majority to over-ride a President.
This is still Bush’s (and Republican’s) tar baby.
¶ AIO
August 8th, 2008 at 3:19 pmCan you explain the causation that you imply with your correlation?
August 8th, 2008 at 3:24 pmobamagr8 Says:
$100/barrel is still far higher than this country needs and the only way to attack this issue is to increase supply over the short and medium term while making plans to switch to alternative energy.
August 8th, 2008 at 3:38 pm
The free market is undermining the talking points and the trolls can’t stand it. They just can’t admit the third option of demand going down.
Here’s the deal trolls. We aren’t the only ones who got hit by the oil crisis Bushco created. And much of the rest of the world was already ahead of us in conservation measures. Most of the world drives smaller cars.
So? Worldwide demand went down and the prices, artificially inflated by rampant speculation and worries about supply, are following. (NOTE: The only interruptions of supply have been those caused by the invasion of Iraq and natural disasters.)
Now here’s the question: If there was no reason to give oil companies new leases over the last 7 years, why is it an emergency today?
Extra credit: Why are Republican lawmakers lying about the projected effects of more domestic drilling?
August 8th, 2008 at 3:41 pmReading Republican posts defending every ill begotten move by their party is one of the most enjoyable things about Think Progess. I love it!
August 8th, 2008 at 3:43 pmDo you remember the feeling when you hated your boss because you were smarter than him and he always made lousy decisions, made more money than you and you always had to save his ass.
That’s the feeling I get when I read these posts. Except I have my own company now and I don’t need to listen or follow orders from idiots.
Keep it coming, you’ll find some uninformed moron to agree with your world view.
A steady rise doesn’t trigger an emergency. Perhaps I should have asked, why did the reps think it an emergency on Friday when they had blocked an energy bill on Wednesday?
And the price will fall to $47.00 when the market dictates such a price. Even if it never goes that low, it’s unlikely we will see a repeat of the frenzied trading and overbidding of the last year anytime soon. Many of the fortunes made are dissapearing as the price drops. History tells us we should see a time of caution where the recent gains are protected.
August 8th, 2008 at 4:04 pmThe Repugnicunt circle jerk is causing lowered gas prices? Can’t these idiots come up with talking points that at least pass the laugh test?
Do the Repugs interrupt their daisy chain to hold hands and chant and project thoughts of lower gas prices? Do they pray for Jebus to lower gas prices? Is that the causality?
Pitiful trolls. Clutching at straws and projectile vomiting the shit they are fed by Faux News.
August 8th, 2008 at 4:14 pmobamagr8 Says:
Jeff Stryker said you’re the best fluffer he’s ever had.
Must make your mom proud.
August 8th, 2008 at 4:14 pmdennis,
Today’s wealth of McCain points has earned you a one-way ticket to Baghdad.
But no rug shopping allowed, please.
August 8th, 2008 at 4:16 pmThe point these trolls keep skipping by is that when Dubya took over, oil was $22, then he invaded a sovereign nation and is still occupying it and oil has now gone up to over $110. Given the rise in demand from China and India, that will account for about $25 of that increase, the rest is due to the disruption in the ME and the uncertainty in all those producing countries.
August 8th, 2008 at 4:24 pmobamagr8 Says:
Another pie-in-the-sky, full of shit, from an idiot.
PRICELESS.
August 8th, 2008 at 4:35 pmLet’s see, if Carter’s plan had been implemented. If Reagan hadn’t made a deal for the hostages. Hmmm, all of this would be moot.
August 8th, 2008 at 4:41 pmBut it’s not. Because no one can lie and decieve and line their pockets like a good republican. Yes this site may be shut down. But if so, it will because of the good works being done.
Don’t worry, you’ll always have Rush, O’Reilly, Hannity and Coulter. You can sit by the fire, read their books and wallow in their disdain for their fellow human being.
Meowwwww obamagr8. Quit your goddamn whining. Practice saying President Obama, you’ll get used to it. And the next 8 years will give you plenty of opportunity.
August 8th, 2008 at 4:45 pmFortunately, the “free market” is making an adjustment towards smaller, lighter, slower cars. Which many of us have been calling for over the last 20+ years.
Unfortunately, it looks like the U.S. auto industry isn’t going to take the risk of exploiting the new demand for fuel efficiency.
August 8th, 2008 at 4:50 pmWhy are Reps lying about the short-term effects of giving out new leases?
August 8th, 2008 at 5:20 pmDo your own research. Start with McSpin’s campaign ads.
August 8th, 2008 at 5:29 pmMan, this dude just looks evil!
August 8th, 2008 at 5:46 pmGood riddance
August 8th, 2008 at 7:51 pmIt’s pretty low that they want us to believe off-shore or ANWR oil will be Amerika’s and not promptly sold on the world market for curiously huge profits – by Exxon. Republicans are knowingly misleading their constituents – that may be nothing new but environmentally speaking this will be devastating and that makes me equally annoyed at the fact that democrats are currently too busy selling books and vacationing to care. How much longer will they ignore? What’s considered an emergency these days? If all but the wealthy are homeless and unemployed who’s going to fund their elitist lifestyles?
August 8th, 2008 at 10:27 pmobamagr8 Says:
Six months from now, TP will be shut down and many of you fellows will be chatting on some other board, wondering how Obama managed to lose the election.
The American public doesn’t care what the price of oil was in 2002 or how much wind power we can generate by 2020. They want answers now and putting on a sweater will not be enough.
August 8th, 2008 at 4:32 pm
Heh. I’m saving this quote.
August 10th, 2008 at 8:18 am