Big Oil, The Price of Gas, And The Republican Party

Shadegg's pal McCain on the new Boston Tea Party-- mixing oil & water

We made such a fuss over the VECO money that Ted Stevens was laundering into the NRSC and into the campaigns of dozens of Republicans senators and Senate candidates (and a handful of corrupt House members like Scott Garrett in New Jersey). Most of them-- although not including Wyoming's crooked Republican John Barrasso, and certainly not the NRSC-- have donated the tainted bribe money to charities. Of course senators like Pat Roberts (R-KS), Susan Collins (R-ME), James Inhofe (R-OK), Norm Coleman (R-MN), John Sununu (R-NH), Miss McConnell (R-KY), John Cornyn (R-TX), and, of course, Gordon Smith (R-OR) had already voted over and over for the agenda Stevens and his VECO paymasters had demanded. But Gordon Smith and the rest of these corrupt Republicans don't need to depend on Ted Stevens to collect their bribes from Big Oil for them. Here's what Big Oil & Gas have paid out to some of the most corrupt Republican senators:

John Cornyn (R-TX)- $1,313,825
John McCain (R-AZ)- $1,259,645
James Inhofe (R-OK)- $1,076,573, his #1 source of funds
Mitch McConnell (R-KY)- $649,011
Ted Stevens (R-AK)- $469,440
Lamar Alexander (R-TN)- $364,675
Pat Roberts (R-KS)- $324,900
Gordon Smith (R-OR)- $293,325
Elizabeth Dole (R-NC)- $266,456
Norm Coleman (R-MN)- $244,900
John Sununu (R-NH)- $232,030
Saxby Chambliss (R-GA)- $199,242
Susan Collins (R-ME)- $124,943
John Barrasso (R-WY)- $104,150

And they're not writing those kinds of checks out of civic duty. They are buying the votes they need to achieve exactly what they have achieved: a massive transfer of wealth from the middle and working class to the very rich-- and the politicians who enable them.

There's a new 30-second TV ad from the DSCC that I want to ask you to take a look at. The only thing that's wrong with it is that it isn't being run every day on every channel in every state-- only the names need to be changed to expose the guilty:



Apparently House Republicans think Big Oil is paying them by the hour because after Congress adjourned they staged another gimmick to try to take the onus off their party for giving Big Oil every single thing it has ever asked for-- which of course, led directly to the current price of gas. So they're on the floor with no lights, trying to provoke the Capitol police to arrest them. Big Oil stooge John Shadegg (R-AZ- $119,495) was giggling like a little girl and declared that this prank is a "new Boston Tea Party." Another Big Oil butt-boy, Mike Pence (R-IN- $150,950) swore he was "not leaving until we call this Congress back into session and vote for energy independence." Another promise he will be breaking.


HOWDY DOODY'S OPPONENT DID NOT APPROVE OF HIS STUNT TODAY

Unless Mike Pence chained himself to his desk and is panting for water in a darkened House chamber, he broke his promise-- surprise!!!!-- and left for vacation after get his 5 minutes of fame on Fox TV. Adam Putnam, one of the two dozen imbeciles who thought this clownish approach would trick voters into thinking Republicans fight for ordinary Americans instead of Big Oil and the other special interests that pay them off, also left. He might not be too happy with what he finds waiting for him back in Florida. His progressive Democratic opponent, Doug Tudor, issued this statement to supporters in Hillsborough and Polk Counties:

As they do every August, the House of Representatives adjourned today for a five-week period. This allows the members to go home to reconnect with their constituents and to campaign. The House does this every August, including each of the eight Augusts that Adam Putnam has been in office, including the six years he was in the majority.

To try to make a political point, Congressman Putnam and 24 other Republicans stayed in the Chamber after adjournment making speeches to an empty chamber. In his own words, he said "This band of brothers here is staying late to make a point to the American people: We want to work.”

Maybe I'm just too close to this campaign right now, but I take issue with this non-veteran using military terms-- Band of Brothers-- while pulling a political stunt. As I said in my previous post, the Republicans were the majority in the House for 12 years, and Congressman Putnam was in office for 6 of those years. They did not have an energy policy during that period, with the exception of ensuring billions of dollars in tax give-aways was routed to Big Oil. Big Oil returned the favor, though, having given Mr. Putnam $70,000 throughout his career.

Band of Brothers??? Hardly! Instead of that misnomer, I believe a better name is "Gallery of Rogues." 

Hurry home, Congressman!  You're in the race of your career, and you don't even realize it!