A message to the Do Nothing Congress--Keep Doing Nothing!

Yeah, sure, Palin will "spearhead efforts to achieve energy independence"... the governor of a state where 72% of the revenue comes from BP Oil company and whose husband is an employee of BP Oil. Right.....

Unfortunately their does not seem to be a way to get the public to realise that congress has to be cleaned out or the election will not make any difference. The sitting congress is just as corrupt as the Bush/Cheney gang and needs to be thrown out, both parties.

First it will take 7 years for them to get oil from drilling if they start today.
Congress should not have to run back just because those that have created the problem and done nothing for years demand it. It was a show off for people like you who look at the surface of things rather than the substance.
The democrats voted nay on deregulations that have caused the problems we have on the act promoted by sen Gramm in 1999 now he is the economic adviser to McCain.

SARAH PALIN PRESIDENT F THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Ms. Palin I am sure Is Great As Governor Of Alaska

Sarah Palin as Vice President is really not the problem. The problem is that given McCains health issues and age Ms. Palin could in deed become the President of the United States.

Please look at her resume. Check theses facts on the web

Beauty queen
After changing colleges 5 times she did graduate with a journalism degree
For a short time a sports reporter
4 years on a small town city council
6 years as the mayor of a small town with less than 7,000 people
20 months as the governor of a state with only 650,000 people.
On the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission

You say Mr. Obama is inexperienced?
Mr. Obama spent 3 years as a community organizer (Not important)
Attended Harvard Law School,
Passed the bar on the first try (Hillary had to take it three times),
Graduated in the top portion of his Harvard Law class
President of the Harvard Law Review,
Created a voter registration drive that registered 150,000 new voters,
12 years as a Constitutional Law professor
8 years as a State Senator representing a district with over 750,000 people
Chairman of the state Senate's Health and Human Services committee
4 years in the United States Senate representing state of 3 million people
Sponsored 131 bills
served on the Foreign Affairs, Environment and Public Works and Veteran's Affairs committees.


Sarah Palin as Vice President is really not the problem. The problem is that given McCains health issues and age Ms. Palin could in deed become the President of the United States. SCARY VERY SCARY.

Todd Palin As first "DUDE" in the White House Hosting diplomats from around the world.

The law that the Dems in the House are trying to get passed (which likely won't) is "Drill Here, Drill Now, Drill Everywhere But Where There Is Actually Oil"--over 95% of the offshore oil reserves are within 50 miles of the shore. They want to put a permanent ban on any drilling within that 50 miles and at the same time make it sound like they're in favor of offshore drilling as an option so their representatives up for reelection won't get voted out. They also have been trying to rush the process so Republicans and citizens on both sides don't have time to analyze other details--all the time making it seem like the Republicans are holding up some great energy bill they've come up with.

Makes you wonder why Congress has a lower approval rating than Bush, doesn't it? Single digits.

the low approval is due to the fact they have decided not to impeach Bush

Anyone who wants Mccain in the white house does not understand neither politics,economics,or foreign policy....all this smart people who support Obama are smarter than I am and better equipped to know what is a stake here.They are independent thinkers not partisan, republicans and veterans.They are looking at the best man for pragmatic reason , they are not in infatuated.

Hmm...Because both houses of congress are almost equally divided between the two parties it's very hard to pass legislation that either party dislikes. It's simple arithmetic.

"They are independent thinkers not partisan, republicans and veterans."

I know plenty of Democrats who are veterans. I think this would be news to them.

Thank you for posting to Point Whore! Wishing everyone many, many points!

Dems are the majority in the house, and at least some of them are actually in favor of domestic drilling along with Republicans. Nancy Pelosi's actions of sending everyone home to avoid even a debate on the issue--shutting off the CSPAN cameras, mics, etc.--was an indication of this.

We could have had a very basic and preliminary energy plan right now that both sides could've hammered out, but then Bush would've been known as the President that signed off on it. Couldn't have had that, could we? Not in an election year when energy is an issue that is really impacting everyone right now, and a positive step by Republicans would have been seen as favorable.

So we have all of this mess for political reasons while people are paying $4+ for gas.

Off-shore drilling is a sham proposed by the GOP to attempt to cover up the fact that they have done nothing to reduce foreign-oil dependence, even though they completely controlled the government from 2001-2006, and controlled congress from 1995-2006. Since 2007, the GOP has filibustered or Bush has vetoed any and all legislation that was not to their liking.

The legislation that passed is worthless, but since off-shore drilling is worthless it matters not.

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After Obama went behind backs and tried to negotiate our troops remaining until he was voted Pres is just one indication that there is despiration for approval and nothing will stop the Democrats from doing what they feel they need to do to make themselves look good.

FYI the oil companies have rigs over nearly dried up wells and have said they could realize oil from the new sites within 5 years. Also note: 78% of all oil leaked into the ocean comes from beneath the ocean floor. Natural seepage is the greatest leaker of oil into the ocean. Only 2% comes from spills, and the rest comes from normal shipping operations.

I strongly disagree with offshore drilling. First of all the EPA has stated that we will not be able to feel the impact of all the drilling that John McCain and his Oil McLobbyists want to get done until 2030. We can be totally green by then, so then what is the point of doing it if not to get a small group of people richer who are not you or me?

The PROBLEM is global warming not energy independence. Energy independence wasn't an issue until the Bush Administration got us into OPERATION F#CKUP. The oil companies will always find new ways to screw us. When we all have hybrid vehicles, fuel will cost us the same as it costs us now per mile that we drive. It's time to abandon oil and all dirty fossil fuels for much more renewable and cleaner burning fuels and this can be done before the new oil all the oil enthusiasts want to get even hits the market. Do you want progress, or do you want the oil lobby to hold us back while they milk whatever oil is left?

Care to share a link on that claim, Kathy?

Poliwonk, what about the other 62 million acres that they have not drilled on? And don't tell me there is no oil there or that they are all on protected lands.

FYI- the EPA is a federal agency who is staffed by Bush Apointees, and the effect they expect from all the new drilling will be mostly ineffectual in lowering oil prices.

Wonder how the McCain Campaign figured out how to "stick it" to the Oil Lobbyists? Why, by staffing his campaign with them. The following are Oil McLobbyists working on getting McCain elected:

Number- Name of Lobbyist- Campaign Role- Firm or Company- Oil Clients

1 Rebecca Anderson- Women for McCain Steering Committee- Williams & Jensen- Sunoco
2 Wayne Berman- National Finance Co-Chairman- Ogilvy Government Relations- Amerada Hess, Chevron, Texaco, American Petroleum Institute
3 Charlie Black- Senior Political Adviser- BKSH- Occidental Petroleum Corp, Yukos Oil, Chinese National Off-Shore Oil Corp. (ran a lobbying firm that represented brutal dictators like Ferdinand Marcos in the Philippines, Mobutu Sese Seko in Zaire, and terrorist rebel Jonas Savimbi in Angola.)
4 Carlos Bonilla- Economic Adviser- Washington Group- Chesapeake Energy (was forced to leave the campaign as an adviser because of his lobbying activity)
5 Eric Burgeson- Fundraiser- Barbour Griffith & Rogers- BP (was forced to leave the campaign as an adviser because of his lobbying on energy issues, but McCain has not given any indication he intends to return the money raised by Burgeson)
6 Kerry Cammack- Fundraiser- Cammack and Strong- Exxon Mobil
7 Frank Donatelli- McCain Pick as Deputy RNC Chair- McGuire Woods- Exxon Mobil, Dominion Resources
8 Melissa Edwards- Fundraiser- Washington Group- Chesapeake Energy
9 John Green- Congressional Liaison- Ogilvy Government Relations- Amerada-Hess, Chevon, Texaco, El Paso Energy, American Petroleum Institute
10 Robert Harding- Fundraiser- Greenberg Traurig- Chevron, Murphy Oil, Phillips Petroleum Company (now ConocoPhillips after merger)
11 Richard Hohlt- Fundraiser- Hohlt and Associates- Chevron
12 James "Jim" Hyland- Fundraiser- Pennsylvania Avenue Group- BP America, Independent Fuel Terminal Operators Assoc, Occidental Petroleum Corp, Independent Fuel Terminal Operators Assoc.
13 Peter Madigan- Fundraiser- Johnson, Madigan, Peck, Boland & Stewart- Shell Oil
14 Susan Molinari- Women for McCain Steering Committee- Washington Group- Chesapeake Energy
15 Jack Oliver- Fundraiser- Bryan Cave Strategies- Shell Oil
16 Nancy Pfotenhauer- Adviser- Koch Industries- Koch Industries
17 Steve Phillips- Fundraiser- DLA Piper- BP America Occidental Petroleum
18 Elise Pickering- Women for McCain Steering Committee- Mehlman Vogel Castagnetti- Koch Industries
19 Sloan Rappoport- Fundraiser- Downey McGrath Group- Koch Industries
20 Matt Salmon- Fundraiser- Greenberg Traurig- El Paso Energy
21 Randy Scheunemann- Defense and Foreign Policy Coordinator - Scheunemann and Associates- BP Amoco
22 Jeffrey Weiss- Fundraiser- BKSH- Yukos Oil Company

End partisan gridlock by electing a partisan like Obama?

Good luck.

12 years as a Constitutional Law professor. I keep seeing that and wonder. When? Where? For a Constitutional Law professor he certianly proposes a lot of things that are not Constitutional.

Tim, You got it!

So it will be 7 years before we see any benefit from offshore drilling? We better get with it then, time is wasting.
As far as becoming oil independant. That is not even close could be done in 50 years maybe. Look around your home. How many things are made of plastic. What was used to make the tires on your car? How about those black top roads? We might be able to invent an automobile that does not use fossel fuels but that is only a small part of what comes from a barrel of oil.

Tim, maybe you can enlighten us with some good ideas that Republicans have brought that Obama could have supported.

Francis, McCain supports ALL of the solutions Obama does, but in addition to those solutions, he takes into account adding more nuclear power plants, clean coal technology, and an increase in oil drilling.

Lets face it, if you increase efficiency by 10% over the next 10 years and increase the number of drivers by 10% where is the benefit? You need to do it ALL. A 10% increase in efficiency plus a 10% increase in supply will do a lot for the economy.

If being bi-partisan means that you would have had to agree with George W Bush at least 50% of the time, then I don't want a bi-partisan in office. I want someone furthest from the Republican Greed/Power Structure as possible and that is NOT McCain (voted with Bush 95% of the time) by any stretch of the imagination.

Poliwonk, all McCain is doing is trying to keep with the interests of the Oil Industry. I do not trust that.

Lets face it, if you increase efficiency by 10% over the next 10 years and increase the number of drivers by 10% where is the benefit? You need to do it ALL. A 10% increase in efficiency plus a 10% increase in supply will do a lot for the economy.

By then we could have a fully green energy infrastructure, so what's the point? I'm sure it means the world if you have stock in oil, however I'm certainly not impressed.

Well francis since 80% of all the bills passed in congress are voted unanimously as part of keeping the government running, then Obama has voted with Bush more than 50% of the time.

"I want someone furthest from the Republican Greed/Power Structure as possible and that is NOT McCain"---Nor is it Obama, who received more than $100K from Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, the #2 recipient behind Chris Dodd another Democrat.

The Oil Companies have had all the time in the world to invest in green energy solutions as environmentalists have done all they can to get their attention over what damage their industry is responsible for in the atmosphere and now that that information is becoming more and more undeniable, their only hope is John McCain. They have profitted enough from their destructive ignorance that causes children to develop asthma, that causes lakes to dry up in Africa, etc. How are we enjoying those last few hurricanes? Get used to them, they happen with much more frequency than they used to.

Poliwonk: Well francis since 80% of all the bills passed in congress are voted unanimously as part of keeping the government running, then Obama has voted with Bush more than 50% of the time.

Oh so then I'm wrong then? Obama IS bipartisan. Thanks for setting Tim Nelson and me straight on that one.

Poliwonk: Nor is it Obama, who received more than $100K from Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, the #2 recipient behind Chris Dodd another Democrat.

These organizations existed to make sure people could afford homes, hardly indicative of a greedy lobby that Republicans seem to allow to fester.

Obama recieved all his funds from individual donors mind you, so its not the same as recieving $100k from an organization.

Pol, great article you wrote. I am not speaking of you when I write this, but need I remind you of this: NEVER ARGUE WITH AN IDIOT; HE WILL DRAG YOU DOWN TO HIS LEVEL AND BEAT YOU WITH HIS EXPERIENCE. You can't beat a dem.

And Obama voted party lines 97% of the time. Whats with that? Can't bring himself to disagree with his party more than 3% of the time. So does he really believe the Democrats are right that much of the time or is he afraid to disagree with the party.

Obama never claimed to be a maverick.

And Obama voted party lines 97% of the time. Whats with that? Can't bring himself to disagree with his party more than 3% of the time. So does he really believe the Democrats are right that much of the time or is he afraid to disagree with the party.

Charles, I see you judge a person by how often he parts ways with his party on an issue. Which issues do you think Barack Obama should part ways with his party and why?

Democrats in general disagree with Republicans on fundamental issues unless that Democrat is Joe Lieberman who would otherwise be completely useless as a Republican.

What is your formula exactly for measuring this virtue of being in disagreement with one's party. John McClone seems to be in total lockstep with his party NOW, unlike earlier versions who just couldn't seem to get the Presidential nomination WHEN HE ACTUALLY DID THINK DIFFERENTLY. The partisan argument is laughable. You praise McCain for opinions he had prior to the ones he has now. STERLING ARGUMENT!

First, this post initially addressed the do-nothing congress and that's been a mixed problem/blessing for years. Usually what they are able to pass is a raise for themselves.
Francis H. feels that our dependence upon foreign oil began with US military involvement in the Middle East! Give me a break!
There's lots of blame to go around with regard to our use of fossil fuels.
The oil companies are responsible for hurricanes? The oil companies are not responsible for the destruction of tropical rain forests. Perhaps it's not such a good idea to eat wild mushrooms for breakfast!

A do nothing Congress is by definition a shortage of centrists. In the 1970's, a quarter of Congress were aisle-crossing centrists, there is no shortcut to a "do something" congress other than electing more centrists at all levels of government.

The famous hand gesture of Obama, taking us forward (hands outstretched then brought to the center) is just politics as usual, unless he can demonstrate concrete policies that centrists, like myself, can recognize as centrist in nature.

All politicians, in September through November, covet aisle-crossing. The independent, swing voters will decide this election, and every election until the supply of centrists is replenished.

Tim, you're correct unless an issue appeals to both parties or if a party has an overwhelming majority (and that is the party of the President).

John Beck: Francis H. feels that our dependence upon foreign oil began with US military involvement in the Middle East! Give me a break!

Preposterous! I said that nobody cared about energy independence until OPERATION EFF-UP that drove oil prices up and our oil-run government needed something to distract from the undeniability of global warming.

In this case: "was not an issue" = "nobody cared"

Tim, trying to cling to centrism as an ideology requires a morality that is everchangable because the balance of power between right and left are everchanging. I can trust a Rightie. I can trust a Lefty, but if there is one type of person I KNOW I can't trust it is someone who touts themself a centrist.

OK, Francis, thanks for the clarification. Your last post disagrees with my philosophy. Those left, right and centrist labels are so limiting. I think most people in their heart of hearts identify strongly with some positions considered right and some considered left. Where people don't feel strongly about anything is where we can't trust them. Probably our most centrist President in recent memory was Clinton, who tilted either way depending on the latest poles.

Good for you Linda.
The bottom line is we need domestic drilling to increase. We need to drill in Alaska. We need more money put into research for alternate sources of energy. Has either side acknowledged Mr. Pickens? I live in a state where the land is plentiful but the Jobs are not. We need to take the noose off our necks put there by foreign oil.

Linda, I see lea deleted some of her comments. Can you really blame her?

I like Palin.

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I have never, in my life, seen such a worthless, do nothing Congress....now, especially with the "bull", Nancy Pelosi....she makes me vomit.

Amen...Congress has the lowest rating ever....I think 3% approval...what a joke! May as well put a bunch of high school or college kids in there....they'd be just as effective...ROFL!