Bush and GOP Rubber Stamps Defeat Plan To Lower The Price Of Gas

Florida Rep. Adam Putnam willing to fight to keep gas prices high

Unless you're brand new to DWT-- in which case, welcome!-- you already know about the powerful and pernicious relationship between Big Oil bribery and the Republican Party (and the Republican wing of the Democratic Party). Short catch-up: Since 1990 Big Oil has spent over $220,000,000 on so-called political "contributions" (75% to Republicans and the rest to Democrats like Dan Boren and Nick Lampson who vote like Republicans) in order to get politicians to ignore the needs of the nation and of their own constituents and just focus on the oil industry's bottom line. They have-- and if you've filled up your gas tank lately-- or even gone to the grocery store-- you are feeling the brunt of the sweet little deal the politicians have with Big Oil.

Today when a bipartisan majority of congressmen (268 of them) tried easing prices at the pump by releasing some of the strategic petroleum reserve, Bush threatened to veto and 157 Republicans (and not a single Democrats, not even Boren or Lampson) voted no, in effect blocking the bill. The bill mandates that 70 million barrels of the reserve's oil be put into retail circulation within six months. Backers say this will help lower oil and gas prices. Speaker Pelosi pointed out that a reduction in gasoline prices that occurred the three previous times oil from the reserve was sold, including once by President Bush in 2005. Boehner called it "a joke," although 37 Republicans crossed the aisle and voted with the Democrats.

Among the radical right extremists who have worked so hard-- and been paid so well-- to drive gasoline prices up and who voted no were (the figures represent the Big Oil donations/bribes offered and taken this year only):

Michele Bachmann (R-MN-$13,500)
Joe Barton (R-TX-$127,541)
Roy Blunt (R-MO-$98,900)
Mary Bono Mack (R-CA-$15,750)
John Culberson (R-TX-$67,750)
Charlie Dent (R-PA-$10,600)
Dave Dreier (R-CA-$20,000)
Scott Garrett (R-NJ-$12,000)
Steve Kirk (R-IL-$4,000)
John Kline (R-MN-$15,300)
Randy Kuhl (R-NY-$9,500)
Michael McCaul (R-TX-$37,284)
Patrick McHenry (R-NC-$5,750)
Steve Pearce (R-NM-$204,234)
Mike Pence (R-IN-$12,000)
Adam Putnam (R-FL-$20,000)
Dave Reichert (R-WA-$3,000)
Mean "Cheap Date" Jean Schmidt (R-OH-$1,000)
John Shadegg (R-AZ-$22,000)
Tim Walberg (R-MI-$13,050)
Frank Wolf (R-VA-$9,899)
Don Young (R-AK-$19,000)

Doug Tudor is putting up an incredible uphill battle against the #3 goon in the Republican House hierarchy, Adam Putnam (R-FL). I called him today to see if he could make any sense of Putnam's vote against lowering gas prices. I mean FL-12 is mostly exurban Polk County and there is very little mass transit; everybody drives-- and everybody is hurting (although Putnam's wealthy supporters are hurting a lot less than the rest of us). Doug, a 20 year Navy vet, has been dismayed over the systematic dismantlement of the middle class by the Republican Party's ideologically-driven agenda. He reminded me that there is nothing surprising about Putnam's vote and that the surprise would be if he voted otherwise. "Once again he's chosen Big Oil cronies over working-class constituents. The Police Departments of our district are patrolling less due to gas prices over $4.00 a gallon, yet he’s taken over $70,000.00 from Big Oil. It’s obvious to all of us whose side he’s on. His vote on this bill is absolutely despicable. You wouldn’t think a multimillionaire could be bought off for some campaign contributions.”

Yes, imagine that! According to a new poll out today, "the American public is not buying the arguments of President Bush and the oil industry that new drilling will lower gas prices... [and] a significant majority of Americans (63%) said that the President's proposal to open up public lands to oil and gas drilling is more likely to enrich oil companies than to lower gas prices for American consumers."

America will never be free from the grip of Big Oil until we replace their bought-off shills and puppets, like Adam Putnam, with legislators willing to put the welfare of American families first. That's why helping a stand-up guy like Doug beat a miserable lowlife like Putnam is in all of our best interests.


UPDATE: AND IN TEXAS...

Yes, even in Texas, people are hurtin' from the gargantuan transfer of wealth from American working families to the well-protected Republican campaign contributors. As I mentioned above, Mike McCaul has been a recipient of a great deal of money from Big Oil-- and he has never voted against them on anything they ever wanted. His opponent this year, Larry Joe Doherty, is adamant that "The people living in Texas' 10th Congressional District deserve independent leadership that listens, not a Washington politician who is out of touch with our daily lives."

"This is just one more example of McCaul's failure of leadership. My opponent says one thing, but then turns around and votes against his constituents. Twenty-four hours ago he claimed the was going to fix our nation's energy crisis, yet today he votes against immediate relief at the pump for hard hit families while refusing to stand up to the speculators."

This kind of attitude from McCaul that Texas voters are finally seeing-- and the inspiring alternative that Larry Joe is offering, have caused CQPolitics to change its rating of the district, which it no longer considers "Safe Republican." This is a race that can be won.