Obey (D-Wis) Shields Democrats From Embarrassment

On June 26th. 2008, with Oil prices approaching $140.00 a Barrel, the lead Congressional Appropriations Committee Chairman, Congressman David Obey, D-Wis, shut down the Appropriations process in a move designed to shield Democrats from the embarrassment of voting against expanded Oil & Gas Drilling.

Jerry Lewis, the panels ranking Republican tried to add an energy amendment to the Interior-Environment appropriations bill designed to ease prices at the pump. Apparently, the move infuriated Obey, commenting: "We can spend time on real things, or in a playpen with Jerry Lewis. The latter doesn't interest me" Lewis later responded by saying, “I believe that it would be unconscionable for Congress to leave for the Fourth of July recess without doing anything substantive to address the difficulties facing all of our constituents due to the skyrocketing rise in gas prices”.

Earlier in the week, Obey ridiculed the idea that holding a markup of the Interior bill before recess would lead to lower prices at the pump, but regardless of when it's done, the Democrats seem to have an obsession with saying things like, "Well that's not going to help prices right now" While true that prices won't go down immediately, many of these provisions will help to lower prices in the future, and since most commodities are traded on "Futures Contracts", even things that will help in a year, would have shorter term benefits. The point is, the faster we get these provisions passed, the faster we will start to see some relief.

I've written previously on how Republicans face an uphill battle when it comes to trying to get congress to vote on expanded Oil drilling, Coal Gasification and Shale to Oil development, which most Democrats have been opposed to. You would think with new polls out, showing many more Americans are giving higher priority to more energy exploration, rather than more conservation, this would have changed the Democrats minds, but no they are still blocking all efforts to expand our nations energy supply.

Democrats insist that Oil companies already have leases on Millions of Acres, that they're not currently exploiting, but that doesn't really make any sense. Exxon, the largest energy company in the U.S. for example only pumps 2.5 Million of the 5.6 Million a day (as of 2007) that it refines. That means that Exxon must pay full market price for the 3.1 Million Barrels a day that it refines, but doesn't pump itself, or $434,000,000.00 a day. The most expensive oil out there, on Federal Public Lands, would only cost Mobile a third of that or less, so I seriously doubt that Exxon would be willing to leave over $100 Billion a year on the table. If they could drill it themselves, a 100 Billion Dollar a year incentive is all that they would need. My suspicion is that the Oil that Congress is talking about either doesn't exist, or is not economically recoverable, since these guys usually obtain the leases first, then drill to see if there's anything there afterwards.

The truth is that despite the Publics outrage over Gas prices, Democrats feel that the high prices at the pump will be good for them in November, because they feel that the public will blame this on the Administration, and by proxy on John McCain. They're counting on the fact that most Americans are informed via the Liberal Media, that doesn't report things like why there have been 31 Republican introduces bills from Jan, 2005 through then end of 2007 that have been killed by the Democrats, each one seeking to expand energy development. They also don't report things like how during that same time period, Democrats have introduces 18 pieces of legislation, with most passing that have effectively increased the regulations on the Oil and Gas industry, along with Moratoriums on Shale and Coal Gasification.

Another problem is that many Democrats read Articles like Time's "10 Things You Can Like About $4 Gas" and think that most Americans agree with them on keeping fossil fuel prices high. So they're thinking we actually like high gas prices! We want Starbucks closing 600 stores, we want the Airlines eliminating flights, we want truckers losing their jobs. Is it just me, or are the Democrats sorely out of touch?

2008 has been no different with the Democrats in congress blocking all attempts at expanding production, Shale to Oil has been stopped, and so has Coal Gasification, all while Americans are suffering more than ever.

Some of my readers have accused me of writing "Partisan Tripe", giving preference to Republicans over Democrats, but the truth is, that Democrats are Opposed to drilling, they are opposed to Shale to Oil, they are opposed to Coal Gasification. They instead want us to rely on some future, yet undiscovered energy source that we can't yet afford to power our future, and I'm afraid that we're going to end up like California did a few years ago with Rolling Blackouts, and like the 70's with long lines at the gas stations.

I, like most Americans just don't have the $50,000.00 that it would take to convert HALF my home to Solar, I just don't have the $60,000.00 that it would take to get an all electric Sedan to replace my VW W8, or hell, even just the $25,000.00 it would take to trade it in for a Hybrid Camry. I also don't have the $50,000.00 that it would take to replace my Sequoia with a Hybrid Tahoe. So I, like most Americans have to reduce what I'm spending on everything else, costing jobs all across the economy.

If you want lower gas prices and plenty of energy available for you and your children, then I encourage you to contact Congressman David Obey and ask him why is he blocking votes on lifting moratoriums on Oil and Gas explorations, and why he's opposed to Coal to Oil Gasification, and why he's opposed to Shale to Oil development. You can also call him at (715) 842-5606, or send him a nice little fax at (715) 842-4488. If you want to write him a letter, you can contact him at:
Congressman Dave Obey
First Star Plaza
401 5th Street,
Suite 406A
Wausau, Wisconsin 54403-5468

You can also help out by signing Newt's Drill Here, Drill Now, Pay Less initiative, and participate in Operation Drill Bit, to Flood Washington with Drill Bits. These initiatives will help remind Congress that they are in Washington to represent "We The People" and should follow our directives.