Redstate

Posted at 2:29pm on Jun. 5, 2008 We The People...Living In The House Of Pain

By haystack

Senate bill S. 3044 is slithering its way through the Senate right now. Guess what "Congress finds" that has made them believe they need a new law ("Consumer-First Energy Act")?

(1) excessive prices for petroleum products have created, or imminently threaten to create, severe economic dislocations and hardships, including the loss of jobs, business failures, disruption of economic activity, curtailment of vital public services, and price increases throughout the economy;

(2) those hardships and dislocations jeopardize the normal flow of commerce and constitute a national energy and economic crisis that is a threat to the public health, safety, and welfare of the United States;

(3) consumers, workers, small businesses, and large businesses of the United States are particularly vulnerable to those price increase due to the failure of the President to aggressively develop alternatives to petroleum and petroleum products and to promote efficiency and conservation;

(4) reliable and affordable supplies of crude oil and products refined from crude oil (including gasoline, diesel fuel, heating oil, and jet fuel) are vital to the economic and national security of the United States given current energy infrastructure and technology;

Of COURSE it's the President's fault...after all, he writes the legislation and votes on it and then signs it into law...all by his own little onesies...

the rest of the list of "failed Presidential policies" below the stinking fold..

Posted in AGW | Congress | Energy Bill | House of Pain | Tax and Spend — Comments (13)/ Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 7:35am on May 15, 2008 They're Not Going to Miss It

By haystack

There's been a great deal of talk about the state of Conservatism in America these days and what (if anything) that may have to DO with the state of the GOP. For the sake of argument let's pretend ideological "purity" is irrelevant for the moment, and focus on the matter at hand; winning elections is all that matters in 2008...and let's all just get over it.

Like it or not OUR Political heroes are only focused on winning, and if you get after them about what they stand for you'll be ignored; "elect me no matter what I say because my opponent is worse than I am." Such is the state of politics now, and when you consider the most recent Gallup Poll that tags Congressional approval at 18%, they are ALL right - they ALL suck and we face the choices of "suck or suck less."

In a Karl Rove op-ed over at the WSJ, pay close attention to this quote:

No Congress has fallen as far and as fast as the Nancy Pelosi/Harry Reid-led House and Senate. Unlike President Bush, congressional Democrats will be on the ballot this fall, and can do little to improve their lackluster record before then.

The thing to remember here, folks, is that none of the candidates running for President have been around to actually vote on very much of the trash that's come from the Halls of Nancy and Harry™. The election in November may be "about" electing a President, but what will matter in our daily lives is who we put in Congress, and those decisions are not very hard to make. One need only consider Blue Dog leader Rep. Mike Ross, D-Ark. and his thoughts on the effects of raising taxes on millionaires to pay for new Veteran benefits (not asked for by the President in this particular bill) via the Iraq Supplemental bait and switch trash headed for a veto:

"What we're talking about is a one-half percent income tax surcharge on incomes above $1 million," said Rep. Mike Ross, D-Ark., a leader of the Blue Dog group. "So someone who earns $2 million a year would pay $5,000. ... They're not going to miss it."

More below the "it's not really hard to vote Republican" fold..

Posted in 2008 | GOP Freefall | Iraq Funding | Liberals | Tax and Spend — Comments (12)/ Email this page » / Read More »