West Virginia Blue
The Best Blogging Community in West Virginia Democratic politics, progressive policies, the good life and free living in Wild, Wonderful West Virginia.
The Charleston MoveOn Council will be delivering a petition to Shelley Moore Capito's office @ 12:15 pm on Thursday, urging her to offer real solutions to the energy crisis, not gimmicks like drilling. We're doing this in response to the Republican Representatives' sit-in stunt that is still going on in DC.
Here is a link to the event: The Charleston MoveOn Council will be delivering a petition to Shelley Moore Capito's office @ 12:15 pm on Thursday, urging her to offer real solutions to the energy crisis, not gimmicks like drilling. We're doing this in response to the Republican Representatives' sit-in stunt that is still going on in DC.
Here is a golden opportunity for Capito to meet with real citizens and not just Big Oil lobbyists. Will Capito make a rare appearance to meet with her constituents?
If you want to sign up to attend the event with the Charleston MoveOn Council the link is here.
John McCain decided on a running mate for November, and it wasn't among the usual suspects. No, with the recent flood of oil money into John McCain's campaign, and his plan to give Big Oil $4 billion in tax breaks, the presumptive Republican nominee chose to run on the GOP ticket with Big Oil.
UPDATE: John McCain flip flops yet again. He was opposed to telling voters to inflate their tires properly before he was for it. McCain just threw his campaign and the GOP's messaging of the past few days under the bus. Hope the tires were inflated properly.
His campaign went further, distributing to reporters tire gauges engraved with the words "Obama's energy plan."
Predictably, Obama hit back calling McCain's mockery "ignorant," arguing his plans were being misrepresented and saying that experts backed his call over tire pressure. Equally predictably, McCain's camp hit back.
The surprise came during a telephone town hall meeting McCain held on Tuesday with voters in Pennsylvania.
"Obama said a couple of days ago says we all should inflate our tires. I don't disagree with that. The American Automobile Association strongly recommends it," McCain said.
So is the GOP stooges going to pass out tire pressure gauges criticizing McCain now to remain consistent? Apparently McCain's memory troubles are so bad he forgets his own messages.
The DCCC is going after a Baker's Dozen of Republicans tied to Big Oil, including our own Shelley Moore Capito:
Congressman Chris Van Hollen announced today that the DCCC is running radio ads against Representative Shelley Moore Capito (WV-02) for standing with George Bush and Big Oil, while West Virginia's middle class families are squeezed by gas prices. The ads against Representative Capito were recorded by a comedian impersonating President Bush.
"This July 4th, we are going district-by-district to hold Republicans like Representative Shelley Moore Capito accountable for helping President Bush give tax breaks to profitable Big Oil companies and doing nothing to help hardworking middle class Americans who are paying more than $4.00 per gallon at the pump," said Chairman Chris Van Hollen. "This Independence Day, the American people deserve to be liberated from the Big Oil policies of President Bush and the rubber stamp House Republicans."
Van Hollen highlighted that the radio ads were recorded by a Bush impersonator, "President Bush's Big Oil energy policies delivered high gas prices to the American people, so who better to deliver our message than someone who sounds just like him?"
Representative Shelley Moore Capito is one of 13 Republicans being targeted with ads that begin airing during drive time radio the week of June 30th. The initial ad buy is for one week.
"Phone Call" - 60 seconds
(Sound of phone ringing. After rings, ANSWERING MACHINE picks up):
Hi, you've reached the Office of Congressman Shelley Moore Capito. Please leave a message at the sound of the beep and we will get back to you as soon as possible.
("PRESIDENT BUSH" leaves message):
Shell..."W" here. Wanted to thank you for continuing to support the Big Oil Energy Agenda.
'Preciate you voting to keep giving billions in tax breaks to the big oil companies.
Sure, gasoline is over four bucks a gallon and the oil companies are making record profits, but what's good for Big Oil is good for America, right? I guess that's why they call us the Grand OIL Party. (Bush chuckles.)
Heh, heh, heh.
Seriously, Shelley Moore, I know I can always count on you.
Gotta go. Bye now.
ANNOUNCER:
Call Shelley Moore Capito at 304-264-8810 and tell him to stop rewarding the oil companies and start standing up for hard working Americans. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is responsible for the content of this advertising. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee.
You can hear the ad here (MP3). (I'd embed it but having some html coding troubles.)
The U.S. Supreme Court in a 5-4 decision lowered the fine to Exxon for their damage from the company's negligence in the Exxon Valdez oil spill that created an environmental disaster to $500 million from $2.5 billion. That sounds like a lot until you consider, as Devilstower points out, is a half a day's revenue for the oil company.
To put the fine in perspective, the median household income in the country is $48,000 - and just counting working days since unlike Big Oil we're not making money 24/7 - the fine is going to cost Exxon about the same as $92 would to the typical household.
In a 51-43 vote today, Republicans blocked the Senate from passing a windfall profit tax on the oil industry.
Some will say (like this guy) that this infringes on the freedom of companies to make profits and interferes with the free market. Companies should be allowed to make however much profit the market will allow.
To a certain degree that's true. However, in true free market style, let's open this up to the free market. Many companies are given a pass on paying royalties for crude extracted from federal lands. That's right. While ABC Oil Company, Inc. is drilling on taxpayer land and extracting oil, refining it and selling it for record profits, we the taxpayer give them the oil FOR FREE.
Maybe we should find out how much those companies are willing to pay for their profits. Let's reopen the leases and have a bid on who gets to drill. Wouldn't that be "free market." Or would making a company pay for it's resources be too communist for the market. If you follow that logic (and it is faulty) I can get to the most (il)logical conclusion: Truckers should stop in to refueling stations and fill up with diesel, then drive off. ABC Oil needs free crude to operate and make huge profits. Truckers need free diesel to operate and make huge profits.
I'll say again to those opposed to windfall profits taxes: the oil companies make money for free and are experiencing record profits. It is only fair in a free market system that the taxpayer who is subsidizing their profits should see some of that.
I love when Bow Tie Boy at the State Journal gets writing in such huffy excitement that his words run right by obvious facts and he doesn't even wave to them as he passes them by.
As I always say, 50 years from now people will look back at us beset by challenges from the Islamists, the Chinese, the Russians and from our porous borders and they will say “And they tried to change the weather.”
If you don’t think that our first priority should be to get untangled from that nest of vipers in the Middle East, you’re not thinking like an American
Looks to me from where I sit that it's Chris Stirewalt's beloved Republican Party (except for Maryland Rep. Wayne Gilchrest, a Vietnam veteran) that intends to keep the U.S. forever in Iraq.
Somehow Bow Tie Boy overlooked that the occupation of Iraq is an entanglement in the Middle East, perhaps because he hasn't enlisted to serve in the occupation there.
Or is Bow Tie Boy suddenly bucking the Republican Party and reversed his position on Iraq and eager for bringing the troops home? Nah, he's just being his usual, illogical self.
Bow Tie Boy's criticism of Big Oil also rings exceptionally hollow when he approvingly quotes his reader "Bo":
At a minimum, we are funding the munitions (military, education, etc.) of the enemy every time we fill up a Hummer.
Percentages of campaign contributions from Oil & Gas industry to Republicans:
* 2006 - 82 percent of contributions to GOP.
* 2004 - 80 percent of contributions to GOP.
* 2002 - 80 percent of contributions to GOP.
* 2000 - 78 percent of contributions to GOP.
Bow Tie Boy also thinks the danger of global warming is an issue only cared about by liberals.
Liberals love to put global warming first because it is somewhere over the horizon, is solved by government regulation and is our fault.
"We will pay for this one way or another," said retired Marine Corps General Anthony Zinni, former commander of U.S. forces in the Middle East. "We will pay to reduce greenhouse gas emissions today, and we'll have to take an economic hit of some kind. Or, we will pay the price later in military terms. And that will involve human lives. There will be a human toll."
"The U.S. should commit to a stronger national and international role to help stabilize climate changes at levels that will avoid significant disruption to global security and stability," the Military Advisory Board recommends.
The study, "National Security and the Threat of Climate Change," explores ways in which climate change acts as a "threat multiplier" in already fragile regions of the world, creating the breeding grounds for extremism and terrorism.
The CNA Corporation, a nonprofit research and analysis organization, brought together 11 retired four-star and three-star admirals and generals as a Military Advisory Board to provide advice, expertise and perspective on the impact of climate change on national security. CNA writers and researchers compiled the report under the board's direction and review.
Members of the Military Advisory Board come from all branches of the armed services. The board includes a former Army chief of staff, commanders-in-chiefs of U.S. forces in global regions, a former shuttle astronaut and NASA administrator, and experts in planning, logistics, underwater operations and oceanography. One member also served as U.S. ambassador to China.
"We found that climate instability will lead to instability in geopolitics and impact American military operations around the world," said retired General Gordon Sullivan, chairman of the Military Advisory Board and former Army chief of staff, in releasing the report today at a Washington news conference.
The Military Advisory Board report recognizes that unabated climate change could bring an increased frequency of extreme storms, additional drought and flooding, rising sea levels, melting glaciers and the rapid spread of life-threatening disease.
These projected effects are usually viewed as environmental challenges, but now the Military Advisory Board has looked at them from the perspective of national security assessments.
They are serious risk factors for massive migrations, increased border tensions, greater demands for rescue and evacuation efforts, and conflicts over essential resources, including food and water, the board said, saying such developments could lead to direct U.S. military involvement.
"Climate change can provide the conditions that will extend the war on terror," said retired Admiral T. Joseph Lopez, former commander-in-chief, U.S. Naval Forces Europe and of Allied Forces, Southern Europe.
"Rising ocean water levels, droughts, violent weather, ruined national economies-those are the kinds of stresses we'll see more of under climate change," he said.
"In the long term, we want to address the underlying conditions that terrorists seek to exploit," Admiral Lopez said. "But climate change will prolong those conditions. It makes them worse."
I guess a rightwing, 101st Fighting Keyboardist might know more about national security issues than those 11 retired three and four star generals and admirals...but I have my doubts. I'd bet they know a bit more about national defense than him.
Copyright 2009 West Virginia Blue
Site content may be used for any purpose without explicit permission unless otherwise specified.
This site exists thanks to financial support from BlogPAC, the tireless efforts of volunteer contributors and continued participation from this community. The views expressed at West Virginia Blue belong soley to their respective authors.
