Big Oil Delivers Its To-Do List-- And It's Not To Dare Do List-- To The Congressmembers It Has Bought

Joe Barton, Congress' worst Big Oil whore over the course of his career

Yesterday we happened to take a little look at which congressmembers seem most in thrall to Big Oil, something to do with Kansas Big Oil shill and Koch-owned Mike Pompeo's opposition to a suggestion by Peter Welch that Big Oil be made accountable for all the taxpayer money the Republicans (and Blue Dogs) give them in return for campaign contributions.

So far this year, Big Oil has pumped $14,603,634 into federal elections, $12,792,986 to Republicans and the scraps to a pack of salivating Blue Dogs who vote with the Republicans on energy matters, John Barrow being the top recipient of Big Oil bribes among Democrats for 2011-'12. Since 1989 bribes from Big Oil to Members of Congress (and candidates) has come to $175,262,390-- $131,577,484 of that to Republicans.

If you look at the chart of all the Members of the House who have gotten six-figure bribes from Big Oil so far this year, you will notice a lot of strategy. Obviously a great deal of money is going into bolster the GOP leadership that backs Big Oil's taxpayer subsidies and anti-environmental agenda: Speaker John Boehner ($218,850), Whip Kevin McCarthy ($172,200), Ways & Means Committee Chairman Dave Camp ($140,000), Energy Committee Chairman Fred Upton ($127,000) and Majority Leader Eric Cantor ($121,800). And Big Oil is heavily pushing two of their most slavish supporters, Rick Berg (ND- $245,450) and Denny Rehberg (MT- $190,070), for Senate seats.


Just coincidental, but yesterday was also an announcement by the big Oil Industry lobbying outfit, the American Petroleum Institute (API) that their to-do list for the congressional shills is ready, "the latest signal that the oil industry will play a major role in the upcoming election."

Basically what they want is everyone to just shut up about subsidies and taxes and just get rid of more regulations.

Some of API’s key recommendations: dramatically expand offshore leasing to include the eastern Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic and Pacific coasts; streamline the rulemaking process for energy regulations; and immediately approve the Keystone XL oil pipeline.

The report also rails against efforts by liberal Democrats to repeal billions of dollars in tax breaks for the largest integrated oil companies.

“Misguided proposals to further increase taxes on the industry would have the unintended and negative effect of actually reducing government revenues, jeopardizing hundreds of thousands of jobs and reducing domestic energy production."

The Oil barons are pissed off that Independent Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, along with Congressional Progressive Caucus co-chair Keith Ellison would have the gumption to offer more legislation to repeal oil and gas subsidies. The bill "would end tax breaks, relief from royalty payments, and direct federal spending on fossil-fuel research and development valued at about $113 billion over 10 years." Sanders reminded the media-- which was busy gossiping among themselves about nothing of any substance whatsoever-- that paying subsidies to hugely profitable fossil-fuel companies is an absurdity.

Meanwhile Republican Oil Industry whore Jim Inhofe-- who has taken $1,372,746 in bribes from Big Oil, the 4th largest amount of any sitting senator-- is urging the Oil industry to coordinate their attacks against Democrats with the GOP. It probably breaks several laws. Here's the text of an e-mail one of Inhofe's staffers sent out to Oil Industry operatives last month:

Senate Republicans, who led a successful fight this spring against Obama’s proposal to repeal billions of dollars in tax subsidies enjoyed by major oil companies, felt betrayed by the industry’s collaboration with the White House on fracking regulations. The e-mail to top oil and gas lobbyists made that unhappiness clear, and it suggested that the industry was being duped.

“Moving forward, we-- your partners-- would kindly ask for better coordination and communication from you to prevent the Obama administration from pulling similar stunts in the future,” wrote Inhofe aide David Banks in the 800-word e-mail to two dozen lobbyists.