Serving Big Oil-- All The Republicans... And A Very Special Subset Of Corrupt, Reactionary Democrats

Boehner and Ryan's asinine 2-week budget continuing resolution passed yesterday 335-91, 85 Democrats, primarily, though not exclusively, conservatives and "non-confrontational" types, going along with it. More important, in terms of judging the politics behind it, was the Democrats' motion to recommit, which failed, but by a much narrower 249-176 vote. Democrats insisted that taxpayer subsidies to Big Oil end-- which would have saved taxpayers $53 billion. Defeat of the motion to recommit was like Christmas in March for the GOP's biggest donors, like the Koch Bros, which would have repealed oil and gas production tax breaks for major integrated oil companies (“Big 5”) for the period of the resolution (two weeks).

• Repealing these subsidies would save taxpayers tens of billions over the next decade.

• Even a former oil executive agrees: ex-Shell CEO John Hofmeister says, “with high oil prices, such subsidies are not necessary.”

• The Democratic Steering & Policy Committee held a hearing yesterday on the issue with Congressman Ed Markey noting that from 2005 to 2009, the largest oil companies have made $485 billion in profits.

As Think Progress put it so eloquently and with such clarity: "House Republicans voted in lockstep this afternoon to protect corporate welfare for Big Oil, even as they call for draconian cuts to programs that everyday Americans depend on each day." These same interests spent $19 million on candidates in 2010. $14.2 million went to Republicans, $4.8 million to Democrats-- a nearly 3 to 1 margin. Top contributors from the sector included Koch Industries ($1,911,212), Exxon ($1,331,258), Chief Oil & Gas ($1,193,361), Chevron ($931,314), and Marathon Oil ($664,790).

Now, which Democrats crossed the aisle to vote with Boehner for the big tax breaks for Big Oil-- tax breaks paid for by ripping apart the social safety net for regular American families. Oddly enough, when you look at the half dozen Democrats who took the biggest pay offs from Big Oil... they all voted against the motion-- every single one of them!

Dan Boren (Blue Dog-OK- $210,500)
Mike Ross (Blue Dog-AR- $138,850
Jim Matheson (Blue Dog-UT- $88,050)
Gene Green (TX- $87,600)
Jim Costa (Blue Dog- CA- $68,150)
John Barrow (Blue Dog- GA- $66,400)

Other Democrats who crossed the aisle to vote with Boehner and Big Oil-- and against American families: Jason Altmire (Blue Dog-PA), Dennis Cardoza (Blue Dog-CA), Ben Chandler (Blue Dog-KY), Bill Owens (NY), Henry Cuellar (Blue Dog-TX), and Collin Peterson (Blue Dog-MN), each of whom has spent the 2011 session roosting on the Republican side of the aisle. Each of the Democrats mentioned above has amassed a voting record significantly more Republican than Democrat. In fact, several of these creatures are voting more extreme right and anti-family than many Republicans! Dan Boren, for example-- even before today's votes-- had a 15.0 ProgressivePunch score, more reactionary than two dozen Republicans! Other Democrats voting to the right of mainstream GOP conservatives like Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA), Jimmy Duncan (R-TN), Michael Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Tim Johnson (R-IL), Charlie Bass (R-NH) Chris Gibson (R-NY), and even right wing libertarian-leaning sociopaths like Tom McClintock (R-CA), Justin Amash (R-MI) and Ron Paul (R-TX) include Chandler, Matheson, Cardoza, Owens, Barrow, Cuellar, Peterson, Altmire, Costa and Ross-- whose score of 20.0 showed he's more than twice as likely to vote with Boehner on key issues than Ron Paul (46.43) is!

I wonder if the DCCC will be sending around e-mails today begging donors to send them money to fight big oil-- so they can use it to bolster re-election campaign chests for Democrats like Altmire, Matheson, and Barrow who are despised by their own bases.

On Democrat you'll never catch with this disreputable pack of scum is Tucson's working class hero Raúl Grijalva. co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus. He voted for the motion to recommit and against the Boehner budget giveaway to the rich. At 1pm tomorrow afternoon (PT)-- 4pm in DC-- Rep. Grijalva will be joining us for a live blogging session at Crooks and Liars. He told me, right after yesterday's vote that “Reducing our national debt shouldn’t be about inflicting the most pain on the biggest number of people for no good reason. This is an ideological bill that slashes government programs Republicans don’t like-– there’s nothing thoughtful or considered about how they did the job. Southern Arizona, and the entire country, will be hurting badly if this bill becomes law, and voters should understand what’s being done in their name before this goes any further.”