August 7, 2008
Aug 07 01:03 Ominous Clouds Forming For Democrats??? Aug 07 02:41 Dems' Belligerence Won't Win Votes Aug 07 09:37 Pelosi's Flop Aug 07 10:19 Obama: Policy Lightweight? Aug 07 12:29 Exposing Tim Walz's Pandering
Prior Months: Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul
Ominous Clouds Forming For Democrats???
Nancy Pelosi has sent a letter to Republican leader John Boehner criticizing the GOP protest faction. The more she says on this, the easier the ads write themselves. Hugh picked up on it last night on H & C. He repeated what I've said for a month: that a vote for a Democrat is a vote for Nancy Pelosi's energy policies. Here's Pelosi's letter :
August 5, 2008Ms. Pelosi's assertion that we have only 3% of the world's energy reserves is that this letter is spin. Referencing this fact sheet tells you what you need to know:
The Honorable John A. Boehner
House Republican Leader
H-204, The Capitol
Washington, D.C. 20515
Dear Leader Boehner:
Thank you for your letter from the House GOP leadership yesterday on gas prices.
America uses nearly a quarter of the world's oil, but sits atop less than 3 percent of the world's reserves. According to the Bush Administration's own Energy Department, if we repealed the offshore drilling ban today, oil and gas production would not begin there until 2017, and impact on prices before 2030 would be "insignificant." We cannot drill our way out of this problem.
The facts are clear. The New Direction Congress has repeatedly brought forth proposals to increase domestic supply, reduce the price at the pump, protect American consumers and businesses and promote renewable energy and conservation. To date, Democrats have brought forward 13 major initiatives to accomplish the above goals and each time a majority of House Republicans have voted against these proposals.
One of these proposals would codify Democrats' call for releasing a small portion of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR). Releasing a small amount from the government stockpile is a positive short-term step that would provide immediate impact on the price at the pump and ease the pain American families and businesses are feeling every day.
The SPR has been tapped or suspended before by President Bush, President Clinton, and the first President Bush, and each time the impact on prices has been dramatic and immediate. In 1991, oil prices immediately dropped by 33 percent. The 2000 exchange drove oil prices down by 19 percent. And the release by President Bush in 2005 resulted in a 9 percent drop.
While a very small band of your colleagues remain on the House floor to discuss gas prices, their constituents deserve to know why their representatives in Congress have failed to support serious, responsible proposals. These proposals would increase supply, reduce prices, protect consumers, and transition America to a clean, renewable energy independent future. Americans deserve real solutions, not rhetoric. Using yesterday's solutions to today's problems will not allow us to achieve energy independence.
Again, thank you for your letter, and I look forward to working together on behalf of America's working families.
best regards,
NANCY PELOSI
Speaker of the House
This estimate of 2-6% of the world's oil supplies does not hold up to scrutiny.Ms. Pelosi is simply telling a whopper when she says this. She couldn't say this if she were under oath because she'd be slapped with perjury charges. The shale oil deposits of Colorado, Wyoming and Utah have enough oil to sustain us for the next 400 years.
In oil shale alone, found in the Green River Formation in parts of Utah, Colorado, and Wyoming, the U.S. has approximately 800 billion barrels of recoverable oil, or over three times the proven reserves of Saudi Arabia. This comes from a midpoint estimate in a 2005 RAND study done at the request of the Department of Energy, and a higher end estimate puts the number at over one trillion barrels.
Furthermore, there are vast areas of the United States and its outer continental shelf where it is illegal to even look for oil. Exploration routinely yields additional resources far larger than initial estimates. Resources from oil shale and additional oil resources that are likely to be discovered are not included in the estimates of American oil supplies.
If Ms. Pelosi wants to argue that 400 years worth of oil constitutes 3% of the world's oil reserves, doesn't that say that we have an incredible abundance of oil in the world? I'm not suggesting that we shouldn't explore alternative energy sources. I'm just suggesting that we've got alot of energy that we currently can't access because Congress won't unlock the reserves.
What's fascinating to me is watching Speaker Pelosi try to change the subject , which is what she's doing here:
For instance, Question No. 5. asks: "Senator McCain missed two critical votes in the Senate to promote renewable and conservation. The American people have a right to know why he is putting the interests of Big Oil ahead of American consumers. Why is that?"The American people aren't distracted by these questions. Their only concern is cringing anytime they pull into a gas station. The American people are looking for solutions-oriented legislators, not blame game artists. Based on David Winston's polling , it's safe to say that Democrats aren't seen as the solutions-oriented legislators:
Pelosi also suggested Congress repeal tax breaks for oil companies in light of recent record profits. "If House Republicans are for 'all of the above,' why do you oppose efforts to protect consumers like price gouging and holding OPEC accountable for price fixing?" reads Question No. 6.
Pelosi laid blame at Republican feet for not ensuring "we wouldn't reach the energy crisis we're in now" while they were in the majority in Congress, and asked for support for ending "undue speculation in the oil market", a measure that met its demise in the Senate.
Pollster David Winston of the Winston Group told House Republicans at a morning briefing that 68 percent of Americans want a drilling vote before the end of the 110th Congress. He also said the GOP is winning generic ballots by 12 percent on energy policies when the Republican and Democratic plans are compared , a source in the room said.This information should frighten Democrats. I suspect it does. It isn't often that Democrats lose the generic ballot question. That's why Democratic strategists should be frightened to hear that they're losing the biggest issue of this election by a dozen points. I don't normally put alot of stock in generic ballot polling because it doesn't take into account what type of campaign is being run, the quality of the candidate and other important factors.
This time, I'm paying attention to this generic polling because it's an issue where alot of Democrats are locked in by their environutter supporters. Disagreeing with them is political suicide for a Democrat because half their GOTV operation is comprised of environutters. Alot of their campaign contributions come from the environutters, too.
Democrats are where they never thought they'd be: East of the rock, west of the hard place.
Posted Thursday, August 7, 2008 1:04 AM
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Dems' Belligerence Won't Win Votes
Politico.com is reporting about the Democrats' attempts to deflect people's attention from their miserable energy record. Their effort is predictable. It's also a failing strategy. People want drilling for oil and natural gas. Here's one of the Democrats' favorite arguments against drilling:
Pelosi's office has also pointed to an Energy Department study that shows that lifting the outer continental shelf drilling ban wouldn't produce significant oil until 2017.Bureaucratic red tape and litigation are two things that delay oil exploration and production. Furthermore, Democrats won't yield on streamlining the leasing process.
It's also worth highlighting President Clinton's cited the '10 years down the road' line in vetoing legislation that would've opened up ANWR. By using this excuse, Democrats are telling truckers and farmers that they'll just have to suffer until Kenworth and John Deere start manufacturing hybrids.
It's also worth noting that people living in the northern tier of states will get hit with monstrous heating bills this winter. Drilling now wouldn't produce natural gas before winter but starting the leasing process would drop the prices immediately.
All three House Democratic leaders, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Majority Leader Steny Hoyer and Majority Whip James Clyburn blasted the House GOP for their floor tirades. It's a sign that Democrats are not only ready to go on the offensive on this issue, but also that Republicans are making inroads with their message.Democrats can't effectively go on offense because they don't have an appealing message. Let's remember that they're on the wrong side of a 70-30 issue. In fact, it isn't just that they're on the wrong side of a 70-30 issue. It's that they're stuck on the wrong side of this issue. What's worse is that they're belligerently on the wrong side of this issue.
People are demanding drilling. Eventually that will happen. The longer Democrats fight against the will of the people, the longer Democrats fight against solid energy policy, the worse November's outcome will be. People don't believe that there isn't a solution to this crisis.
That's because they're convinced in American ingenuity. It's because they've learned from American history. Look at the incredible accomplishments in American history. Think of the marvel we call the Golden Gate Bridge. Think of all the medical miracles that've happened the last 20 years. Think of how Democrats laughed at Reagan's SDI. People back then said it was impossible. Now it's on the verge of being deployed. Think of how people didn't believe JFK when he said we'd put a man on the moon. Look at that incredible accomplishment.
Now Nancy Pelosi, Steny Hoyer, James Clyburn, et al, are telling us we can't drill our way out of this, that we'll have to wait 10, 15, 20 years for hybrids to be researched, developed and built.
The American people aren't stupid. They aren't buying the Democrats' negative message. They're just looking at our ability to solve problems.
They're thinking about how we will solve this problem, with or without the Democrats' help.
Posted Thursday, August 7, 2008 2:42 AM
Comment 1 by skep41 at 07-Aug-08 10:23 AM
The dynamics of this election are turning against the Dems. The energy question is stark and understandable. All their guff and spin will be ineffective to people voting to make real economic choices.
Pelosi's Flop
Drudge is reporting that Nancy Pelosi is a literary disaster:
The most powerful woman in the history of American politics is suffering a humiliating defeat at the nation's bookstores, sales figures show.This is typical spin from Pelosi supporters. She just isn't a popular figure.
In her first week at market, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi sold just 2,737 copies of her book KNOW YOUR POWER, according to NIELSEN BOOKSCAN .
The DOUBLEDAY release was launched with a full media push, featuring high profile interviews on TODAY,THEVIEW, THISWEEK.
"I wrote the book in response to people asking me what it was like to go from housewife to House Speaker and for advice as to how young people, especially women, could balance family and career," Pelosi told the WASHINGTON POST.
Pelosi's sales debacle [#41 on the Non-Fiction Chart] is dramatically overshadowed by the first high profile anti-Obama book, OBAMA NATION, which debuts at #1 on both the BOOKSCAN and the NEW YORK TIMES Bestseller List, with 21,466 copies moved, industry insiders tell DRUDGE.
"The speaker was pre-occupied with House business last week," a source close to Pelosi explained Thursday morning. "She has now turned her focus to promoting this extraordinary book... doing local signings and speeches. I think we'll see an uptick."
Posted Thursday, August 7, 2008 9:38 AM
Comment 1 by eric zaetsch at 07-Aug-08 10:20 AM
The Dems were in the Whitehouse over the last eight years? That's a surprise to me. The Cheney energy policy, cooked by a kitchen cabinet of unnamed names, they were Dems?
Wow. Thanks for the news.
Comment 2 by Gary Gross at 07-Aug-08 10:23 AM
I'm just quoting the article. The sales statistics are terrible either way.
Obama: Policy Lightweight?
Kirsten Powers' column tells Sen. Obama to abandon his position on oil- fast. That's a step in the right direction...sort of:
McCain has been chanting "Drill here. Drill now." while Obama plays the scold, trying to convince a nation suffering from Attention Deficit Disorder to take the long view.Ms. Powers isn't talking about the other thing that's getting Sen. Obama in trouble, which is his persistence in talking about keeping our tires inflated. Generally speaking, people already keep their tires properly inflated. Sen. Obama's talking about it is seen as his talking down to them. It's also seen as BS. People know that we can't "inflate our way out of this crisis', as Obama suggests in this video:
Obama's internal polling shows that he's getting killed on this issue.
Democratic Congress members are ringing the alarms. Someone close to the campaign reported that, at a meeting this week, lawmakers were pleading with the Obama camp to revise its position on drilling.
What a foolish statement to make. My dad always used to say that stupidity is what gets us in trouble; pride is what keeps us there." I'd say that Sen. Obama is in the pride phase.
There's one other portion of Ms. Powers' column worth reading:
Obama moved in the right direction politically when he signed on to the "Gang of Ten Bipartisan Energy Plan," which would expand offshore drilling beyond the 68 million acres in which he'd supported it. But his endorsement seemed tepid, and he looked like a follower.the reason why he looked like a follower is because that's what he is. Lightweights generally aren't leaders. I'm not saying Sen. Obama is stupid. I'm just saying that he isn't a serious man on policies. Had he run in 2012, he would've gathered the knowledge required to be president.
As it is, he's now the most underqualified major party candidate for president in American history.
Posted Thursday, August 7, 2008 10:20 AM
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Exposing Tim Walz's Pandering
During FarmFest, Rep. Tim Walz made a gigantic mistake. Here's the gaffe he made:
Energy was a major part of the forum discussion. Walz said he likes renewable energy standards recently put into law.Here are some questions that I'd like Rep. Walz to answer:
"They have done wonders," the first-term congressman said.
The standards help to encourage things like ethanol and wind power, both good for Minnesota, he said.
- What proof does Rep. Walz have that "renewable energy standards recently put into law" have worked wonders? Or is this just spin?
- Why is Rep. Walz only open to off-shore drilling if 'Big Oil' doesn't profit too much? Isn't making gas prices cheaper the goal?
- What does Rep. Walz think is an appropriate amount of profit for 'Big Oil'?
Yesterday on Washington Journal, Newt Gingrich was asked by a caller about punishing 'Big Oil'. Not surprisingly, Newt's answer was perfect, saying that "it seems to me that the best way to punish oil companies is to increase supply" and making oil cheap again.
Rep. Walz's populist tone shouldn't be confused with compassion for Main Street. Just like other Democrats, Rep. Walz is more concerned with punishing corporations than he is with providing reasonably priced commodities. Let's ask another set of question regarding profits:
- Does Rep. Walz think that farmers care about oil company profits as long as gas prices are cheap? If he thinks that, why does he think it?
- Does Rep. Walz think that OTR truckers care about oil company profits as long as prices are cheap?
Ever since they started getting clobbered in the polls on the energy issue, Democrat have tried sounding like they're pro-drilling. With some exceptions, they're nothing of the sort. They're faking it. There's two real tests to determine if they're for drilling: Did they vote for adjournment? Will they sign a discharge petition for the American Energy Act?
According to the Washington Post, Tim Walz voted for adjournment . At best, Rep. Walz's support for drilling is tepid. He's insulting his constituents by pretending. This is the worst type of pandering. People across the nation and in Rep. Walz's district are hurting. Rep. Walz's response to this crisis is to pander long enough to get re-elected. Let's ask one final question:
Why won't Rep. Walz start representing his constituents instead of playing the role of Speaker Pelosi's lapdog?
Posted Thursday, August 7, 2008 12:29 PM
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