July 29, 2008
No Little Plans (John Feehery)
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) is quoted in the morning newspapers saying, “I am here to save the planet.” In other word, no drilling offshore. No drilling in ANWR. No drilling where the oil is.
Pelosi is doing a slew of media interviews to promote her new book, Know Your Power. Haven’t had a chance to read the book, but I am sure it will be an interesting read.
And it is good to know that her current political goal is something small, like saving the planet. No. 2 on her list is achieving world peace and No. 3 is curing the common cold. It should be pretty much all achievable for her. After all, she knows her power, as the book says.
Nancy Pelosi has done an impressive job of keeping her Democratic colleagues in line. Through charm, intimidation and old–fashioned power politics, Pelosi has imposed a level of discipline that makes Tom DeLay jealous.
It is not clear how successful these efforts have been, however. The approval ratings for Congress are at about 11 percent, much lower than President’s Bush’s, and at about the same level as Osama bin Laden’s.
Pelosi’s brand of intense partisanship, combined with a passionate liberal orthodoxy, makes compromise hard to her. When she does allow compromise to happen, as in many of the war-spending bills, she votes no as a way to signal her protest.
But it is her protest against energy production that could end up hurting her party in November. Even people in San Francisco are tired of $4-a-gallon gas. By refusing to move on domestic production, she is putting a lot of her more endangered colleagues in even more danger.
The Chicago architect Daniel Burnham once said, “Make no little plans, they have no magic to stir man’s blood.” Speaker Pelosi has taken that advice to heart. Make no little plans like increasing the domestic production of energy. Stick to the big plans like achieving world peace and saving the planet.
Let's see how the voters like those big plans this fall.
Visit www.thefeeherytheory.com.
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From one who has bathed in oil his whole life; this posting of John's is absolutely rediculous.
I can see some of the neocon loyalists falling for this type of rhetorical babble, but your average smoe ain't buying it John. With this type of crazed reasoning you can blame Pelosi for Cheney's secret energy policy. How politically expedient.
Comment by Lester — July 29, 2008 @ 10:20 am
Data Lester, data. You seem to be babbling with no data to support your position. Fact is, instead of allowing THE PEOPLE to determine policy, Pelosi determines it. SHE'S the one who blocked a vote on offshore drilling at the same time calling for release of strategic reserves. You're right. She doesn't have a secret energy policy since we see right through her.
Hell, a pig is bathed in mud, however it doesn't give the pig expertise on farming…
You must be the average smoe, as you call them…
Comment by Wayne Kulick — July 29, 2008 @ 11:21 am
Eighty four percent of the $8.6 million oil and gas companies have contributed to the 2006 elections has gone to Republicans, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.
http://www.rawstory.com/news/2006/Republicans_incumbents_receive_large_majority_of_0524.html
There is more Wayne, refer to the below:
http://www.opensecrets.org/industries/indus.php?ind=E01
Don't be afraid of "the Google" it is your friend
Comment by Theard — July 29, 2008 @ 11:41 am
Wayne #2, do you still believe in Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny?
Mr. Feehery, that was a lazy posting indeed. Is it Pelosi's fault that the Iraq invasion is a failure?
Comment by Lester — July 29, 2008 @ 12:37 pm
Theard, your point is? Read my post closely. My point is pretty clear and irrefutable. Pelosi blocked a vote on offshore drilling. Why so if she'd so concerned about gas prices? Your link supports the position that republicans would be more open to lifting the ban on offshore drilling. Again, what's your point? it's not even related to my post.
And Lester, nice comeback. So you want to deflect the point of John's blog entry to Iraq now? Stay on topic Lester. it'll do you more credibility in the long run. This discussion is about PELOSI and ENERGY. Now try again…
Comment by Wayne Kulick — July 29, 2008 @ 1:33 pm
Uh, Wayne, your comrade Jim Adkisson, the neocon who killed the people in the "liberal" Tennessee church, apparently subscribes to the same political gurus as you do; Hannity, Savage and Bill O'Really.
That goes for Misha, Metamucil, and Rosie too
Comment by Dwayne Mac — July 29, 2008 @ 2:47 pm
“I’m trying to save the planet; I’m trying to save the planet,” she says impatiently when questioned. “I will not have this debate trivialized by their excuse for their failed policy.”
So you love latitude (the stars) and longitude (the time). Me too. What I don't love is people who take themselves so seriously. Trilobite the trilobite, T-rex the Tyrannosaurus, Saber the Saber Tooth Tiger, Maddy the Mastodon along with Fred Flintstone all tried to save the planet. However, they didn't have anymore to do with it than Pelosi on the left, Al Gore or the rest of the loons out there buying in to global warming being man made. Another way of looking at it I guess is that we helped melt the ice cap miles deep over North America. Oh, I forgot we were not around, not to mention they came and went several times over 10s and 100s of thousand years. Get real. Check back in in a few years, few hundred years, few thousand years or maybe a few ten of thousands of years and what do you know. No Humans to be found. And it won't have one iota to do with anything man did or didn't do environmentally. The financial burden Pelosi, the House and Reid and the Senate have, and are, putting the average American through relating to the exorbitant energy prices is inexcusable. Supply, supply, supply is the answer and Pelosi and hers want to get it somewhere else (NIMBY) when we are sitting on huge vast amounts of petroleum we have found thanks to technology. And yes, Check back in 50 to 100 years and gas and oil will be a very small part of the energy use. Getting back to longitude, It Takes Time. Years and years. Drill Here. Drill Now. Pay Less. Had Pelosi and Reid and the liberal elitist left not blocked it these several years, we would not be in this fix now. Not Bush, but the Democratically controlled Congess put us here. I remember Pelosi's pious remarks on how she and the House were going to lower energy prices when they took over from the Republicans in the House and Senate. What went wrong? Pretty simple. They made us even more dependent on foreign oil as the world demand (perfectly predictable) has greatly increased and will continue to do so.
Come on up to Alaska with me to visit the Caribou. They love the pipeline. Incidentally (surely you know) Anwar, which is off limited for some strange reason, is about the size of South Carolina. The footprint to remove the oil would be about the size of O'Hare Airport in Chicago. Damage once finished? Zero!
Comment by JEdgarSwoop — July 29, 2008 @ 3:14 pm
My apologies for assuming that you would exercise some deductive reasoning to come to these obvious conclusions:
The GOP is in bed with the oil lobby who gives disproportionately to Repub candidates, including McBush..
The GOP's call for more drilling is a gimmick, it won't bring down prices in the near future. The high price of oil is mostly speculative (rem Enron?) and valuation of our dollar. Oil companies have open leases to 68 million acres, ready for drilling.
We currently are EXPORTING OIL:
A record 1.6 million barrels a day in U.S. refined petroleum products were exported during the first four months of this year, up 33 percent from 1.2 million barrels a day over the same period in 2007. Shipments this February topped 1.8 million barrels a day for the first time during any month, according to final numbers from the Energy Department.
Repubs are using arcane Senate rules to obstruct and filibuster any bills that would actually tackle our dependence on foreign oil. Pelosi is not the culprit here and come November, after you guys get your shirts handed to you, hopefully we will get some sensible energy laws in this country. It is laughable that you guys are blaming Dems for oil prices when the residents of the WH are oil men…LOL
Keep this up and Dems may reach the magic number for cloture
Comment by Theard — July 29, 2008 @ 3:17 pm
Fact is, instead of allowing THE PEOPLE to determine policy, Pelosi determines it LOL!!!!
By the PEOPLE–don't you mean GOP shills who are paid to parrot the daily talking points?
A bunch of mindless autobots who repeat the conservative memes in perfect unison, whose aim is to influence low info voters? Those mindless followers of Limbaugh, Oreilly, Hannity and their ilk.
Not this time buddy, it will not work
Comment by Theard — July 29, 2008 @ 3:28 pm
Thread. Not mindless. Rather educated in reality. Check it all. Production. Consumption. Export, Import. Most of what is exported from this country is to Puerto Rico, Latin America and South America. Yes it is a global economy and things move around. However, it is the bottom line which matters. Imports far and away exceed exports and more importantly it is refined petroleum which we export to keep the down and out neighboring country's in gasoline. They have trouble investing and building refineries which incidentally employ Americans. Oh those big mean Oil Companies giving to the GOP. A pittance which compared to the legal industry and the Dems.
http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/country/index.cfm
Comment by JEdgarSwoop — July 29, 2008 @ 5:20 pm
"To be a human means first and foremost to be a member of the human family. Instead of that, national education makes us narrow, national, planetarily irrelevant, often hostile and aggressive national beings." Robert Mueller, former U.N. Secretary
It is unintelligent to think that we are not interdependent and that what goes on in one part of the world, effects us All! Nancy Pelosi like Barack are servants of the human family or the planet. Barack generated a lot of powerful and healing energy throughout the world during his trip abroad and especially in his speech in Germany. We must not loose it because critics say he is not yet President. However, he is a servant of the world, and because he loves America and Peace, these things had to be said to stimulate the vision that we can have peace here, right here on earth!
“We who work for peace must not falter. We must continue to pray for peace and to act for peace in whatever way we can, we must continue to speak for peace and to live the way of peace; to inspire others, we must continue to think of peace and to know that peace is possible.” Peace Pilgrim
Comment by Angellight — July 29, 2008 @ 5:40 pm
J Edgar -I am familiar with our oil production and the supply side economic model being used to explain away the astronomical rise in prices. Not buying it, though..
Eron-CA rolling blackouts..???
The price of oil affected by unscrupulous speculators, the devaluation of our dollar and ME instability. Reign in these forces and we will get oil well under 100 dollars
Don't worry, once a Dem admin gets in power, there will be a free fall in prices. Opec will be scared that America will actually enact a renewable energy policy.
Comment by Theard — July 29, 2008 @ 6:03 pm
Theard, just Bush's stating he'll lift the ban on offshore drilling lowered crude prices. So much for your theory. As for your accusation the GOP is hindering legislation, you better take a look at your queen Pelosi blocking even a vote on it. 0 for 2, you're done.
Dwayne I see you subscribe to the same tactics as Jim. Muddle the discussion with pointless diatribe that is so far off the topic as make one go "huh?" You go from Pelosi to Jim Adkisson? Yeah, you're a bright one.
Comment by Wayne Kulick — July 29, 2008 @ 8:42 pm
Oh and Theard, if you believe one party is in "bed" with the oil companies over another you're just plain naive.
"The oil and gas industry has contributed more than $17 million to federal candidates and parties this election cycle and has ramped up donations to Democrats, according to the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics.
Republicans still receive the bulk of the contributions, but Democrats, many from energy-producing regions, have received 26%, up from 18% in the last election cycle."
Democrats would be much more credible if they declined oil lobby contributions. They have a price just like every other politician.
Comment by Wayne Kulick — July 30, 2008 @ 8:42 am
The GOP receiving 82%(2006) and 76% (2008) of total contributions confirms it for me.
You mean the recent peace overtures to Iran didnt play a role?
Comment by Theard — July 30, 2008 @ 10:21 am