An open letter to the Democrats in power in Washington D.C.

November 2, 2010 — the most important election in my lifetime!

“I’m trying to save the planet; I’m trying to save the planet” Nancy Pelosi gives her planet-savin’ rhetoric a rest, at least in private, at least when it’s politically expedient to do so — so much for the we-gotta-save-Gaia-NOW alarmism, huh? Maybe she needs to just flip a coin. From Politico:

California Democrat Nancy Pelosi may be trying to save the planet — but the rank and file in her party increasingly are just trying to save their political hides when it comes to gas prices as Republicans apply more and more rhetorical muscle.

But what looks like intraparty tension on the surface is part of an intentional strategy in which Pelosi takes the heat on energy policy, while behind the scenes she’s encouraging vulnerable Democrats to express their independence if it helps them politically, according to Democratic aides on and off Capitol Hill.

The Dems are smellin’ a killin’ in Congress and plan on picking up veto and filibuster proof majorities in both houses. If that happens and Obama wins, look out for that $12 a gallon gas much sooner than later.

They don’t care if you can fill up your tank. They don’t care if you can heat your house. They don’t care . . . period. All they want is a win in November — damn the cost, and damn your hide.

Technorati Tags: Nancy Pelosi

[Updated:] Welcome! While you’re here, be sure and see what Bozo the Clown, Spongebob Squarepants and ol’ Barack Obama have in common.

[h/t: The Anchoress]

Dems turn out the lights but GOP won’t go home Part II — From Politico’s The Crypt:

Here are the latest updates on the continuing GOP protest on the House floor:

The House adjourned about three hours ago, but GOP lawmakers — outraged that Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and the Democrats went home for five weeks without allowing a vote on offshore drilling — have refused to leave the floor. Even though C-SPAN can’t show you what’s going on (C-SPAN is prevented from showing what’s happening on the floor when the House is out of session), Republicans are holding an unprecedented session on the House floor. They have brought in dozens of their members, who are walking up and down the aisles making speeches. They have packed the floors and galleries with staffers. When Capitol Police tried to remove reporters from the gallery, Republicans stopped it from happening. The crowd has repeatedly broken out in chants of “Vote, vote, vote!” There are several dozen Cub Scouts sitting on the House floor in seats normally occupied by members.

Update: A GOP staffer just informed me that post-adjournment protests by the minority party are not unprecedented. The Democrats did it back in 1995, when the Republicans were in control. Democrats placed a big photo in the speaker’s chair of then-Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) wearing a diaper. Republicans note they are being more respectful this time.

Rep. Kevin Brady (R-Texas), who was on a plane headed home, went back to the Capitol, walking on to the floor dragging his luggage. He got a standing ovation.

Rep. John Shadegg (R-Ariz.) called it a “new Boston Tea Party!”

Rep. Mike Pence (R-Ind.) said he was “not leaving until we call this Congress back into session and vote for energy independence.”

Rep. Tom Cole (Okla.), chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee, said the dimly lit chamber is a “vision of the future by the Democrat Party: The lights are out, there’s no power, and the air conditioning is gonna go off soon.”

Keep checking in – this could get to be real good!

[Update:]

Evidently the party had to end when the Capital Police came in and escorted those representatives and visitors that hadn’t left out of the building right at 5PM. As one commentor at Hot Air puts it:

So, if the Capitol Police had strict orders to vacate the place, is this the police state that the libs said the GOP would bring? looks like Nancy done brought it.

[Update #2:] Michelle Malkin reports that Examiner editorial page editor Mark Tapscott is saying:

“Why aren’t all House GOPers on the floor? Here they have a golden media moment to frame the energy issue and capture the public’s attention in an unexpected way. We should be carrying kerosene lamps to them for lighting, getting video cameras to them and they should be demanding that Democrats come back.”

Also, looks like there are calls for Bush to convene a special session of Congress over the drilling issue. The Pres can’t make ‘em do anything while they are there, but he can interrupt their little 5 weeks of vacation (sheesh, even in France they don’t get that!) and make them come back to the D.C. Go get ‘em, “W”!

Technorati Tags: GOP protest on the House floor, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Rep. Kevin Brady, Rep. John Shadegg, Rep. Mike Pence, Rep. Tom Cole

Were it that all debates could go this way . . .

I spend a lot of time dreading this fall’s elections, mostly because I see so much hand wringing on the GOP side as they look with trepidation at almost definite losses in the House and Senate races. It’s frustrating, and according to Dafydd over at Big Lizards fixable, if the Grand Old Party would get together and actually stand for something again, like for a real, sparkling, accept-no-excuses American Future.

Boldness is what we need now: Instead of accepting our political dhimmitude at the hands of Majority Leader Harry “Pinky” Reid (D-Caesar’s Palace, 85%) and Squeaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Haight-Ashbury, 93%, not counting missed votes), we must risk everything on a real campaign to take back the Congress.

The GOP needs a new national strategy, similar in some ways to the Contract With America in 1994; but that contract was entirely procedural and inside-baseball. What we need today is a substantive national strategy.

Obama has his “American Moment” speech; fine. But for those of us who want America to last more than a moment, let’s have a strategy based around the theme, Vote For an American Future:

1 – Vote for American energy for America and our friends

America is an energy nation: We use a lot, but we have a lot more reserves than we’re allowed by law to tap.

We need to drill for oil everywhere on American territory where oil is to be found, as well as in international waters; but we’ll use American high-technology to drill in an environmentally safe and sound way.

{…}

2 – Vote for an economy of wealth, not illth

A simple rule that applies universally: You cannot tax yourself into prosperity. We need some form of taxation to pay for things we need; but we don’t need taxes to “level the playing field” by crippling successful people so that life’s losers don’t feel so bad.

{…}

3 – Vote for security, not surrender

We stand at a tipping point of history: We have it in our power to destroy the Iran/al-Qaeda axis and secure not just America but the West for decades. But we need to mobilize more than just our military, brilliant as it is. This existential struggle cannot be won by bullets and bombs alone.

We need to bring together defense, diplomacy, intelligence, and the ideology of freedom in this world-wide conflict. Americans instinctively distrust “nation building;” but that makes us ideal stewards to help failed states in the “non-integrated gap” to rebuild their own nations — with our support and know-how.

We must completely rebuild our intelligence agencies from the ground up.

{…}

4 – Vote for the ownership society

So-called “entitlements” are bleeding us dry. Out of the $3 trillion budget, Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security alone account for nearly 50% of spending. This is completely unsustainable; either we find a long-term solution to out of control entitlement programs, or else we give up on America.

The problem is right in the name: “Entitlement” programs are services and money that we’ve told citizens they’re “entitled” to extract from the government, no matter how fiscally catastrophic that is. The amount we pay each recipient increases by more than inflation every year, while the number of recipients grow as we all live longer, due to better medical care, and lead healthier lives. Add those together, and you have a prescription for disaster.

{…}

5 – Vote for Capitalism, not crony liberalism and corruption

Earmarks are the corruption of ruling elite; they’re personal budget items stuffed into legislation in the dead of night, often without any other senator or representative even seeing them. They pour money into the pockets of special interests, to the tune of hundreds of thousands, millions, and sometimes even tens of millions of dollars.

The recipient then kicks back some of that money to the reelection campaign of the member who pushed through the earmark. Earmarks as close as you can get to out and out bribery without being arrested.

{…}

E pluribus unum

Democrats have controlled Congress for the past two years, and they had significant veto power even before the 2006 elections.

{…}

The only plan the Democrats have for growing the economy is to tax us all to death.
It shouldn’t be too hard to show voters that we Republicans have a better plan than “taxicide.”

Sure sounds better than sitting in the corner doin’ the lip diddle and thinkin’ “Woe is me!” — which is what I see far too much of going on with our GOP “leaders”.

As I often say, there’s lot’s o’ good thinkin’ within those ellipses — so get, go and read it all!

Technorati Tags: American Moment

As usual, The Anchoress is saying it better than I would:

Especially now that Nancy Pelosi – as incompetent a House Speaker as has ever held the post – has decided that Congress does not even have to send the president whole and complete bills (staggering arrogance!), if the GOP does not find the gumption to first DEMAND a revote and then do a 180 and represent the will of the people over their own fat, they deserve to lose everything, for the foreseeable future.
{…}
I really believe in my heart that Americans are dying for someone – anyone -to stop accepting media storylines, PC framings and a status-quo of illusion, mediocrity and feckless double-talk, and just be straight and firm on these issues.
{…}
When the congress is out of control – and it seems not only out of control but out of its mind – do not the other two branches of government have a basis to step in? I’m no scholar, so it’s a serious question.

There’s lots o’ good stuff inside those ellipses — go and read it all.

What got her so hot and bothered was the machinations of the Pelosi folks, who managed to send the farm bill to President Bush for signing, but conveniently left out parts of it. Gee, that’s real open and honest democratic government for ya! Ed Morrissey at Hot Air was the spark:

The balance of power in American government counts on an open process on legislation between Congress and the executive branch. That requires Congress to provide the President with a complete copy of bills to determine whether to sign or veto them. Any hidden provisions not submitted to the executive should render the entire legislation invalid.

Democrats had Republicans in trouble with their base for their votes on this bill. Instead of just taking their time and letting the GOP twist in the wind, they managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory with underhanded and potentially unconstitutional maneuvering.

Gotta luv them Dems — they sure like to step in their own mess. The Anchoress is right though — time for the Republicans in Congress to grow some hair!

Technorati Tags: Nancy Pelosi, Congress

Over at Mitch McConnell’s site there’s an online “thank you” card where you can show your support for General David Petraeus as he makes his report to Congress this week. The last time, the wacky Left, led by MoveOn.org ads made fools of themselves and attacked the General. This time around he deserves much better.

Sign the card!

Technorati Tags: General David Petraeus

Blogging will be even lighter than it has been the last few days as we have family and hospital issues to deal with. However, a few items of note.

If you want a good chuckle over the latest way Nancy Pelosi is impacting the Congress, check out SeeDubya’s take on her revamp of the “the once dreary congressional cafeterias“. Oh my . . .

Mitt won in Michigan, so we got ourselves a horse race big time on the GOP side. Check out my buddies over at Article VI Blog and their comments on the decline of religious-identity politics in this hotly-contested GOP race — finally!

Just in case you think the Right is the fascist element of thought control in the world, (Okie readers wouldn’t think that!), think again. The Anchoress points us to this LGF post featuring videos of the hearings in Canada as a Canadian publisher is persecuted for “Mindcrime”. What did he do that is so very wrong? Published the Danish anti-Islamic cartoons of course. How could he?

And finally for now, to go along with his penchant for clemency, the Huckster puts his big foot in it during his closing arguments in Michigan with this statement:

“[Some of my opponents] do not want to change the Constitution, but I believe it’s a lot easier to change the constitution than it would be to change the word of the living God, and that’s what we need to do is to amend the Constitution so it’s in God’s standards rather than try to change God’s standards[.]“

Hey — I agree with him about being pro-life and pro-traditional-marriage, but come on dude, “amend the Constitution so it’s in God’s standards” is some scary language. If you want to see what talk like that could mean some day, read Robert Ferrigno’s novel Prayers for the Assassin. Adjusting our founding/governing document to reflect the standards of anyone’s God isn’t what this country was all about. It is there, in subtext and intent of the Founders — however, it’s up to us via public discourse and persuasion to keep that intent alive and well. It has to be in us, the people, ’cause if you try to do it via legislation or the courts, it will become perverted and would eventually entirely disappear. That’s the nature of man throughout time. We aren’t a different species — we just have been lucky enough to have had a brace of extremely brilliant individuals, (shall we dare say it . . . MEN), that had the foresight to pattern a form of government that allows for an extraordinary level of diversity among its governed, via the wants, wishes and needs of said governed — up to a point.

Let’s not screw this up people! We’re voting for a political leader, not a nanny or a pastor-in-chief . . .

Technorati Tags: Nancy Pelosi, congressional cafeterias, Robert Ferrigno, Prayers for the Assassin

Let’s see, — losers, defeatists, Democrats? — as Monty Python was always saying, “Run away!”

[h/t to Paul over at Prying 1 blog]

Heh!

There’s a title that would already have prejudiced a Lefty from even being able to read, not to mention comprehend, what ever came after that. Obviously, if you have anything to do with the “energy” industry, your opinion about the Global Warming hysteria is suspect, if not downright dangerous and/or criminal. If you also happen to be the CEO of an industry company, you must be shilling for that industry. If your company is in the “coal” business, you’re the lowest of the low. Coal is EVIL, don’t ya know? So, what’s up with Bob Murray, founder and CEO of Murray Energy Corporation, who recently spoke at the 94th annual banquet and meeting of the New York Coal Trade Association in NYC? Alicia Colon at the New York Sun has the skinny.

One of the guest speakers was Bob Murray, founder and CEO of Murray Energy Corporation and probably one of the few CEOs brave enough to challenge the militant climate control movement that threatens the future of America’s economy. In his speech, he dared to say that he regards Al Gore as the shaman of global doom and gloom. He is not joking when he says, “He is more dangerous than his global warming.”

Unlike many heads of corporations who are taking their companies on that long green mile and caving in to the demands of environmental militants, Mr. Murray is fighting tooth and nail for what he says is, “the little guy that nobody cares about.”

“Some wealthy elitists in our country,” he told the audience, “who cannot tell fact from fiction, can afford an Olympian detachment from the impacts of draconian climate change policy. For them, the jobs and dreams destroyed as a result will be nothing more than statistics and the cares of other people. These consequences are abstractions to them, but they are not to me, as I can name many of the thousands of the American citizens whose lives will be destroyed by these elitists’ ill-conceived ‘global goofiness’ campaigns.”

She goes on to tell that Murray was a coal miner himself, survived two mining accidents, and scraped up the money to buy a mining company that now employees 3,000. Still going into the mines, he also works to try and stop the environmentalists and government concerns from strangling coal out of existence here in the U.S. — not an easy job, that!

Mr. Murray told me that he had seen the effect of the drastic reductions in coal production, and the wrenching impact on hundreds of communities, as a result of that legislation. In Ohio alone, from 1990 to 2005, about 118 mines were shut down, costing more than 36,000 primary and secondary jobs. These impacted areas have spent years recovering, and some never will. He spoke of the families that broke up, many lost homes, and some were impoverished, because of legislation that the environmentalists call a “success.”

And, just in case you have the proclivity to believe that the Democrats that now control Congress are at all interested in hearing both sides of this issue, consider this.

Mr. Murray told me that the Democrats had tried to stop his scheduled testimony on March 20 before the House Energy and Mineral Resources Subcommittee, titled “Toward a Clean Energy Future: Energy Policy and Climate Change on Public Lands.” But after Mr. Murray was interviewed by Bloomberg News and by the Wall Street Journal, they relented. The chairman refused to hear his testimony and left Rep. Patrick Kennedy, a Democrat of Rhode Island, in charge.

“The chairman refused to hear his testimony[.]” Telling. Kinda like putting hands over ears and caterwauling, “La la la la, I can’t hear you!” Juvenile. Stupid. Democrats. At the hearings, Murray explained the benefits of coal in helping reduce our dependence upon the energy resources in hostile parts of the globe. Coupled with the FACT that the developing world, including CHINA!!! is not gonna go along with any of the Kyoto Treaty provisions (they’re undeveloped, but not STUPID!), our self-denial of the usage of our most abundant source of energy doesn’t make a whole lot of sense — unless you actually have bought into the “We’re All Gonna Die From Global Warming” nonsense. Colon wraps with:

The irony is that these caps and controls will do little to affect climate. Timothy Ball, a renowned environmental consultant, testified before the committee that global warming is more likely to be caused by sun spots rather than human activity. Mr. Murray’s passion for saving the “little guy” is truly admirable. Too bad that fervor is completely absent in Congress.

No kidding, it’s too, freakin’ bad, that’s for sure. BTW — the LA Times is one of those entities that has bought into the “We’re All Gonna Die From Global Warming” nonsense. For the last two days they have misconstrued the Supreme Courts ruling earlier this week with these two articles: Justices push EPA to act on car emissions and Bush agrees with greenhouse gas ruling, sort of. In both they assert that the Supreme Court has mandated “that the Environmental Protection Agency must regulate greenhouse gas emissions from automobiles as pollution.”

I don’t think so. What the Court did was say that “greenhouse gas emissions” should be considered as pollutants and that CO2 (carbon dioxide) is a suspected agent of man-caused climate change and that regulation of CO2 “does” come under the authority of the EPA and that the EPA is obligated either to set standards to control CO2 emissions or provide the rationale for not doing so if it believes that CO2 is not harmful.

“Under the clear terms of the [law], EPA can avoid taking further action only if it determines that greenhouse gases do not contribute to climate change or it provides some reasonable explanation” why regulations are not needed, Stevens said.

Arguing against CO2 regulations is a tough order in this hysterical climate of the Global Warming screaming meemies. One wonders what the Liberal members of the Court think about “water vapor”, which is the most abundant of the greenhouse gases? Maybe they think that the EPA should be working to eliminate “clouds” in the atmosphere? How about posterior-mounted catalytic converters for cows to control bovine flatulence, a renowned source of greenhouse gas? How about some of them for the Democrats in Congress? In that application you might need one on both ends, though.

Making the economic case against draconian global warming legislation and regulation will fall on deaf ears in the new Democrat Congress. The leadership, committed Lefties all, see benefit in strangling our domestic businesses — and that benefit is all theirs in the opportunities to regulate, regulate, regulate and tax, tax, tax! The only GREEN that really means anything is “your” GREEN going into the national coffers so that they can spend, spend spend!

Tax & spend — a Democrat’s wet dream. If they have to scare the bejesus out of ya with the Global Warming horror show to convince you to give them a whole lot more of your hard earned moolah, hey, why not? After all, they know what’s good for ya, they know better how to spend your money — after all, you might just invest it in something that would benefit the nation’s economy — like a coal mine for instance. Can’t have that now, can we?