Big Oil Uses The Money They Stole From Us To Bribe Our Reps To Defeat A Bill To Curb Their Avarice

Big Oil spends a great deal of money-- of course, thanks to Republican policies they have more money than God-- on lobbying and bribing politicians. That's why they get what they want. The electoral season has barely begun and they've already poured $18,374,942 into their favorite candidates (74% of whom are Republicans). Since these figured were disclosed, they've spent in even more money but, as I pointed out earlier, their biggest congressional shills-- the ones who take the big bucks and then always vote for Big Oil's very special interests, regardless of how badly in effects the folks back home-- have been John Cornyn (R-TX-$803,200), James Inhofe (R-OK-$301,800), Steve Pearce (R-NM-$201,434), Mitch McConnell (R-KY-$230,900), Mary Landrieu (D-LA-$247,200), and Pat Roberts (R-KS-$156,100)-- and those figures are for this year alone!

One of the demands on their lackeys this year-- and at the height of this gasoline crisis, with gas prices sending the entire economy into an inflationary spiral-- was the defeat of the Drill Responsibly in Leased Lands Act of 2008, the so-called "use-it-or-lose-it" law, that would force oil companies to drill for oil on leased federal lands or else allow the government to lease the lands to some other company that wants to drill. The big companies fought that bill because they are delighted to see prices rise before they drill. Meanwhile, they and their Republican allies are demanding more leases for more land, including fragile off shore land that would damage fishing industries and tourist industries.

And, despite Nancy Pelosi bending over backwards to accommodate reactionary Blue Dogs who have taken Republican-sized bribes from Big Oil, the bill was defeated in the House today. All but 26 Republicans voted with Big Oil. That would have allowed the bill to pass except for the 11 Democratic traitors who crossed the aisle, their pockets bulging with Big Oil cash, to vote with the Republicans. Who? Here's who, here's who to blame-- along with Bush, McCain and the GOP, every time you fill up your car:

Neil Abercrombie (D-HI-$11,250)
Dan Boren (D-OK-$127,400)- third biggest oil bribe taker in the House
Jim Costa (D-CA-$17,500)
Henry Cuellar (D-TX-$26,500)
Charlie Gonzalez (D-TX-$31,250)
Gene Green (D-TX-$54,000)
Ruben Hinojosa (D-TX-$6,000)
Nick Lampson (D-TX-$30,000)
Solomon Ortiz (D-TX-$23,000)
Silvestre Reyes (D-TX-$11,000)
Ciro Rodriguez (D-TX-$11,750)

Even huge Oil Industry stalwarts like Charlie Melancon (D-LA), Jim Matheson (D-UT), Chet Edwards (D-TX), John Dingell (D-MI), Rick Boucher (D-VA), Steny Hoyer (D-MD) and Ellen Tauscher (D-CA) just couldn't make themselves vote with Big Oil on this outrage-- or maybe these were the ones who are smart enough to know that the voters care about the price of gasoline these days.

Like Larry Kissell said earlier, "This election in 2008 is not about Democrats and Republicans. It's about putting the interests of the common people, the regular people, the working people ahead of the special interests of corporate America that is controlling this country." The Republicans are useless-- and the Democrats... very split. Some of them are looking out for working families but a sizable minority-- led by Steny Hoyer and Rahm Emanuel-- are no better than Republicans.