Flying Under the Radar: "We are OUT OF GAS"

My friend Bruce Carroll, the award winning blogger over at Gay Patriot, is begging the national media to get off their butts and cover the widening Gasoline Crisis moving through the south and Midwest. Bruce writes this morning:

As of Saturday morning, most of Charlotte-area gas stations still have plastic bags over their pumps and gas hunting cars zipping in, around, and out of their parking lots. WBT-AM reports than only 7 of 80 gas stations surveyed in the Charlotte metro area have gasoline this morning. Many parts of the Southeast are in a Gas Shortage Crisis, and the National Mainstream Media continues to ignore it. Anderson Cooper…. where are you, man?

Charlotte, North Carolina isn’t the only place suffering with gasoline outages, although it might be the most visible. Stations were also running out of fuel this week in Florida, Tennessee, Virginia and elsewhere, with the Atlanta area feeling particular pressure, according to Associated Press reports.

While I know you expect me to be blogging about last night's debate, you all already watched the festivities and have, undoubtedly, all decided on the winner. Let me guess, Progressives and Democrats thought Obama won. Conservatives and Republicans thought McCain won. I thought it was one of the best and most substantive debates ever. I don't need to rehash the debate because everyone else is.

But I do really need to mention again (and again and again) the Nancy Pelosi has absolutely betrayed the public, all Democrats and her office with her sham of an energy bill. Carefully written without one single word of Republican input and designed from the ground up to completely fail and die in Congress, the Pelosi bill was nothing more than a joke.

Had Pelosi simply shepherded through the bill that could have easily passed with huge bipartisan support...... well, Charlotte would still be out of gas this morning. But the country would finally be on the road to true energy independence. We would have begun serious examination of alternative energy sources. We would have cleared the road to more energy exploration and helped start the process toward building additional gasoline refineries.

And here is the very worst part of Pelosi's betrayal. Instead of passing a bill that would have provided strict environmental standards on drilling, Pelosi's instead allowed the Congressional Ban of off-shore drilling to simply expire. So, under Pelosi's non-leadership, Republicans got what they wanted and Democrats got nothing in exchange.

But Pelosi frankly doesn't care about any of that. She is a partisan troll. And it's long past time for her to step down as Speaker of the House. And, if she fails to do that, it's long past time for Democrats to vote her out of office.

The people in Charlotte, North Carolina know it. They feel the pain.

Nancy Pelosi Betrays America.... Again

Nancy Pelosi must think she is a genius. She must believe she is the modern day heir to the genius of Machiavelli with the power to deceive everyone and never get caught. And, just like Machiavelli she loves the game and loves to win. Her duty to her constituents and to America mean absolutely nothing to her. It's all about the game. And it's all about power.

But she isn't really very good. She is, in fact, the worst Speaker of the House in History. Sadly, she is just barely good enough to deceive a few frightened Red State Democrats who see the McCain surge and the public's overwhelming demand we move toward energy independence as a threat to their potential re-election.

With gasoline prices surging toward $4.00 a gallon, the demand that Pelosi at least allow a vote on an intelligent and comprehensive Energy Plan was exploding with the public. Well over 70% of Americans demanded Pelosi allow a vote. Pelosi held on until a planned summer recess and prohibited any type of vote. She bought her Red State Democrats 4 weeks.

Pelosi got a book tour and America got nothing.

Unfortunately for Pelosi, Republicans kept up the pressure. Even as Pelosi turned off the lights and disconnected the cable television cameras, Republicans met every day, Every day for over a month. And the Democrats who went home seeking a hiding place from the monstrous failure of Congress, found the public was certainly not going to forget, let alone forgive.

The worst, least effective and most incompetent Congress in the entire history of the republic resumed session with a real opportunity to accomplish at least one thing for the good of the people. Pelosi promised she would allow a comprehensive bipartisan energy plan to come to a vote.

Pelosi lied.

Working carefully and in total hiding with a small group of co-conspirators, Pelosi crafted one of the most disingenuous, misleading and destructive pieces of legislation every written. Far from being bipartisan, she not only kept all Republicans out of the negotiations, she even refused to allow Republicans to view the bill until it was brought up for a vote. Naturally, no amendments were allowed.

Pelosi's goal in crafting this legislation was three fold. First, an by far the most important, Pelosi wanted to make absolutely certain that no legislation would actually pass. None. No type of energy bill. She wants nothing to help America. The bill had to be designed so that the only outcome would be failure.

Second, the bill had to provide cover for her freshman Red State Democrats. It had to have the illusion of a comprehensive energy plan, including additional oil exploration. The Red Stater's had to be able to go home and say, "I voted for more oil. I voted for lower gas prices. I voted for alternative energy research, I voted for a comprehensive energy plan. See. I'm a good guy."

Lastly, she wanted total failure of the bill to allow her to have an additional Election Issue. She needs to be able to say "See, we Democrats compromised and passed an oil drilling bill. Drill, Baby, Drill. But those mean old Republicans stopped it."

But everything about her bill is a total lie. It's a hoax or as Republicans call it, a sham.

By eliminating revenue sharing for the states in royalties for offshore oil and gas drilling while requiring states to approve the drilling leases, Pelosi knew it would be unlikely the states would ever give their approval. Why should they? They take all the risk, get one of the reward.

The bill prohibits drilling less than 50 miles offshore when Pelosi knew that, to give an example, 95% of the known reserves off the coast of California are less than 50 miles from the coast.

The American people are demanding we change our bankrupt energy policy which has prevented the U.S. from utilizing our own resources and outsources our money and our jobs and our security to very unfriendly countries.

What needs to concern Americans most is that, faced with the greatest energy crisis in our country's history, Nancy Pelosi purposefully drafted a bill she knew would fail. She designed it purposefully to fail. She decided to give billions of American dollars to other countries. She decided to keep jobs away from Americans and give those jobs to the despots in Russia, Saudi Arabia, Iran and Venezuela. She decided to deprive America's innovators who might invent the solutions to future energy needs from any funding that could fuel the future.

Pelosi wanted and demanded failure. She succeeded.

How will America reward her and the Democrats who conspired with her? I, for one, am demanding her resignation. I, for one, will not vote for any Democrat candidate for the House of Representatives who doesn't promise to work against her re-election as Speaker.

There is no room for Nancy Pelosi in our leadership.

The Lesson We Need to Learn

Like almost everyone on Earth, I'm both sickened and frightened by the unfolding events in Georgia and Russia. While Georgian President Saakashvili has proved himself to be a fool, Russia's twins Putin and Medvedev have proven to be opportunistic aggressors who will topple the fledgling democracy and reclaim their satellite state.

But these events simply accentuate the urgent need for America to IMMEDIATELY begin the development of OIL and ENERGY RESOURCES within the United States.

As Russia has bombed near the ONLY OIL PIPELINE carrying oil from the Caspian to the West not under direct Russian control, America runs the risk of having over 80% of the world's oil under the control of tyrants hostile to the United States.

Nancy Pelosi's blockade of all compromise legislation on oil drilling and the development of alternative energy resources (especially nuclear energy) grows more foolish and more dangerous by the minute.

I genuinely believe it is time for Nancy Pelosi to step down as the Speaker of the House. It's time for the "blue dog democrats" to not only campaign for additional oil drilling and energy independence, but to campaign on a promise to vote against Pelosi's continued control of Congress.

I TOLD You I Wanted Paris Hilton for President!

I told you I wanted Paris Hilton for President!!

She has the ENERGY POLICY that actually makes the most sense.

And the best ad!!

See more Paris Hilton videos at Funny or Die

Barack Obama: Two Steps Forward... One Gigantic Leap Backwards

TWO STEPS FORWARD

A "Tip o' the Wizard's Pointy Cap" to Barack Obama's bold yet totally logical move to forge a compromise with Republicans and allow some limited additional oil drilling in exchange for a major advance in conservation and alternative energy legislation.

This isn't a "flip-flop" and it certainly isn't "caving in to the Republicans." It's doing what every great leader must do to build consensus and lead the country through a crisis and into the future.

From the AFP story (like all good bloggers I avoid the AP whenever possible): With oil prices hitting voters, Obama budges on offshore drilling

Obama told reporters in Florida that the bill, proposed by a group of Republican and Democratic senators on Friday, "has some of the very aggressive elements that I've outlined in my plan to move us in the direction of genuine energy independence." "If we have a plan on the table that I think meets the goals that America has to set, and there are some things in there that I don't like ... I would consider it because that's the nature of how we govern in a democracy."

Brilliant!


A GIGANTIC LEAP BACKWARDS:

This is a most disturbing development. Barack Obama is getting really horrible advice from his campaign. File this under how to lose an election.

From CQ Politics: Obama, McCain Set Debates, But "Town Hall" Idea Is Dead

Barack Obama and John McCain will debate head-to-head three times - and almost certainly only three times - according to an acceptance letter Obama's campaign manager sent to the Commission on Presidential Debates Saturday afternoon. The presidential debates are scheduled for Sept. 26 in Oxford, Mississippi, Oct. 7 in Nashville, Tenn., and Oct. 15 on Long Island, N.Y. The Obama campaign also agreed to the standard vice presidential debate, which is slated for Oct. 2 in St. Louis. The letter, written by David Plouffe, appears to bring to an end discussion of additional joint appearances, a point of contention between the two camps since McCain formally proposed a series of free-wheeling town-hall forums in early June.

While I continue to attempt to avoid linking to or even quoting stories from the Associated Press because of their amazingly hostle attitude toward blogs and bloggers, I'll paraphrase the AP report in saying that Obama's reversal on town hall debates is part of a play-it-safe strategy.

Douglass K Daniel, writing for the Associated Press broke the story. Daniel told his readers that unnamed advisers to the Obama, speaking on condition of strict and absolute anonymity, said that Obama is reluctant to take chances or give McCain a high-profile stage now that Obama's the front-runner.

This "play it safe" strategy is astonishingly stupid. Obama is acting like he is afraid of McCain.

It looks even worse because, at one point, the Obama camp was not only endorsing McCain's debate proposal, they were demanding it! From the CQ story linked above:

Obama's chief strategist, David Axelrod, had suggested after McCain first raised the prospect of town-hall debates in May that Obama would be interested in having more debates than just the typical three post-convention meetings and would favor a more open format. "We're at war. Our economy is in turmoil. And we've got so many challenges that the people of this country deserve a serious discourse, and it shouldn't be limited necessarily to three kind of very regimented debates in the fall," Axelrod said on FOX News Sunday May 11. "We ought to begin sooner, and we ought to have a free-flowing conversation about where we want to take this country." Under McCain's plan, the candidates would have met once a week between June and the Democratic National Convention at the tail end of August. Though it left room for negotiation of details, the McCain camp suggested that the candidates appear together for 60 to 90 minutes at each meeting and take "blind questions" from members of an audience ranging from 200 to 400 people.

Obama's stand hurts the American public and they will see it that way. And it adds to the Obama elitist image. McCain is carefully crafting himself as a populist. Obama is sipping his half decaf mochachino latte right into John McCain's trap.

Not that McCain will let us miss the image. Here's the McCain camp reply:

"John McCain looks forward to debating Barack Obama as often as possible, but it's disappointing that Sen. Obama has refused his offer to do joint town hall meetings," McCain spokesman Brian Rogers said. "We understand it might be beneath a worldwide celebrity of Barack Obama's magnitude to appear at town hall meetings alongside John McCain and directly answer questions from the American people, but we hope he'll reconsider."

I hope Barack Obama will reconsider, too.

Floor revolt: No vacation for House Republicans; GOP calls for special session on gas prices

Great News from The House of Representatives! Courtesy of Michelle Malkin: Floor revolt: No vacation for House Republicans; GOP calls for special session on gas prices

Republicans are on the floor right now!! No cameras. No C-SPAN. But plenty of action.

Malkin (you've just got to love her) just couldn't resist getting in a dig at Nancy Pelosi: "Nancy Pelosi, meanwhile, is busy hawking her miserably performing book–currently 1,726 on Amazon.com"

And, yes, The Wizard has fallen to the dark side. I've officially adopted Malkin's really scary photo of Pelosi. And, yes, I have no respect for Pelosi at all. I'll be glad to send a contribution to Cindy Sheehan (not that Pelosi is in any danger, it's just a matter of principle).

Racing the Play Card

I'm waiting for a real Presidential Election Campaign. I'd do almost anything to have one. You know, a campaign where candidates discuss the real issues and make genuine proposals on how to address the problems facing Americans.

I'm not expecting to see any such campaign. Not now or ever. And the thing about low expectations is that you are rarely disappointed.

Over the last two weeks I've watched the Barack Obama campaign self destruct. Not the kind of train wreck that leaves your eyes glued to the television, but, instead a slow and painful disintegration of a candidate who over reaches, plays to the camera, and puts his ego in front of the voters.

I was one of the few who said the media circus of Barack's foreign trip was a huge mistake that would never play well at home.

Indeed, it seemed that Obama learned nothing on his "fact finding" journey. Worse, he boldly telegraphed his intention to "learn nothing" by announcing his Iraq Strategy before leaving the shores of the United States.

Except for the brilliant Katie Couric (attention CBS, give that woman a lifetime contract) the vacuous press coverage only added to the feeling that Obama knew very little and learned even less. The trip wasn't about Iraq, or Afghanistan or Germany, or France, it was all about Obama.

The absolute low point was Obama's speech to what used to be 200,000 European fans. The whole idea of the speech was a huge mistake to begin with. It was never going to play well here in the United States. It diminished Obama, turning him from a leader into a rock star. But Obama made it much worse be delivering a stock speech that said virtually nothing. Europe was disapponted. America was mystified.

Attention Barack, what you say matters. And when you have nothing to say, you'll never hide the fact by saying it beautifully.

Because I was one of only a handful that realized the trip was going so badly, Barack Obama returned basking in the glow of a press corp so in love with Obama they'll tell him anything he wants to hear.

"Yes dear, your speech was brilliant."

"No honey, you don't look fat in that suit."

So, returning to his home country, where we really are in trouble and we really need his leadership, Obama went on the stump with new speeches and tag lines that were all about Obama. He told us how absolutely brilliant his campaign was. He actually begged us at one campaign stop not to blame him for campaigning so brilliantly.

As 80% of Americans want us to reduce our dependency on foreign oil, Obama told us to check the air pressure in our tires.

We no longer had a candidate for President, we had Marie-Antoinette. And Obama's poll rating plummeted. Suddenly he was tied or actually below McCain.

Here's the real punch line. If McCain's campaign wasn't so horribly run, McCain would actually be up by 10% and the pundits would be talking about the "unelectable Barack Obama."

Attention John McCain, when your opponent is self destructing, get out of the way.

In case we somehow missed the fact that Obama's campaign had become all about Obama, McCain issued the now famous Paris Hilton ad.

VIntage McCain. I believed this ad was so horrible and mean spirited that it would single handedly put Obama back in the race.

But no..... This should teach me not to raise my expectations too high. Barack Obama simply cannot get passed the concept that the entire campaign isn't all about Obama.

So out Obama trots the continuous chant about how his mysterious and unnamed opponents will try to scare voters by saying the Obama "doesn't look like all those other presidents on the dollar bills." What the hell is Obama looking for? The sympathy vote?

McCain's camp finally erupted. Not on any real or important issue like energy independence, the economy, the war on terror or anything like that, but on the underlying tones or racism in Obama's self centered mantra.

Wow! Boy, am I gald this all consuming issue is out on the table!

And Obama's campaign was at first totally caught off guard by the McCain attack. They actually apologized and clarified Obama's remark.

"Barack Obama never called John McCain a racist," Obama senior strategist David Axelrod said.

So, as public enemies number one and two (Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid) sneak out of town without doing a single damned thing to begin to solve the energy crisis, the morning news shows and The New York Times and most bloggers and radio talk fests can all obsess over the injection of race into this already tawdry political campaign.

Right now, I'm ready to write in Paris Hilton for President.

The Looming Energy Crisis

The enemy is at the gates. And yet it is the internal posturing and deception by politicians that will prove to be our undoing.

The video report below is fascinating. In addition to T. Boone Picken's testimony before Congress, it contains many facts on oil production that might come as a complete surprise to most Americans.

All these things are just more facts to consider while Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi continue to block every single move to begin even the smallest effort to reduce or energy dependency.

Republicans have offered more compromise than on any issue... perhaps ever. Republicans are fully endorsing T. Boone Pickens comprehensive approach to energy alternatives and logical oil drilling.



Rank and file Democrats are rightfully afraid that the brain dead Pelosi and the puppet Reid will actually grab defeat from the jaws of victory. The Democrat Party's intransigence on this issue could greatly reduce the Democrat's potential House and Senate victories in November and might.... might... even cost Barack Obama the election.

Never in my experience have I seen a political party take such an indefensible position on an issue without any logical reason except the desire to "win."

Here we have Nancy (Nero) Pelosi fiddling while Rome (America) burns.

Nancy Pelosi's War on America

America is really being betrayed by the current political posturing in Washington. And Nancy Pelosi is leading a bizarre and very destructive campaign against the best interests of the American people.

It simply isn't possible to make any sense out of the current Democrat's posturing on energy EXCEPT that they have a genetic knee jerk opposition to any plan or any idea supported by Republicans. Is it possible that the Democrats feel forced to oppose the Republicans even if it actually means America is thrown into a full blown recession? What's happening is very disturbing.

Pelosi lacks the support of a significant number of Democrat members of Congress. If Pelosi wasn't using every procedural trick in the book to prevent members of her own party from crafting an amazing compromise energy bill, it would have passed the House today.

The Republicans compromise legislation would include conservation, alternative energy research, use of oil from the Strategic Oil Reserves (as horrifically bad an idea as that might be), and increased drilling for new oil reserves in offshore wells and possibly other areas. It would sail through the Senate and Bush has signalled he would sign a bipartisan compromise.

Over 70% of the public favors increased drilling and even more would support the compromise proposed by Republicans and many Democrats. But Pelosi won't allow any proposal to come before the Congress. Republicans vow to press for a vote every day until Pelosi relents. Good luck with that.

Nancy Pelosi is beyond any doubt unfit to be the Speaker of the House of Representatives. Let's hope other leaders in the House can persuade her to back off and help America become energy self sufficient.

I continue to encourage you to contact your Member of Congress and ask them to support a compromise that would move us toward energy independence.

We have eight days until the August recess.

Here is a link to the most recent news from the Hill: Congressional attempt to release oil from reserves fails

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ADDENDUM:

Since I wrote this post at midnight last night the call for action has increased from both the Main Stream Media and the blogosphere. The Washington Post has an EDITORIAL today that says, in part,

"Instead of dealing with the issue on the merits, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi(D-Calif.), a staunch opponent of offshore drilling, has simply decreed that she will not allow a drilling vote to take place on the House floor. If there is an explanation buried in there about why that makes offshore drilling off-limits for a vote, we missed it."

Michelle Malkin has a great post about the drilling non debate orchestrated by Pelosi. Malkin notes that "The only place Democrats want to drill is your wallet."

Nancy Pelosi, You Know You're in Trouble When Ann Coulter is 100% Right

The Democrat's strategy on the Oil and Energy crisis is so bankrupt that Ann Coulter's column this week is spot on correct. When Ann Coulter can parody your position and be 100% right, you are in deep trouble.

Coulter's entire column can be read here: THIS IS NOT A DRILL Key excerpts are below.

Oh, and Nancy, the part about you being "the worst speaker in the history of Congress," that part is right, too.

Announcing the Democrats' bold new "plan" on energy last week, Pelosi said breaking into the Strategic Petroleum Reserve "is one alternative." That's not an energy plan. It's using what we already have -- much like "conservation," which is also part of the Democrats' plan.

Conservation, efficiency and using oil we hold in reserve for emergencies does not get us more energy. It's as if we were running out of food and the Democrats were telling us: "Just eat a little less every day." Great! We'll die a little more slowly. That's not what we call a "plan." We need more energy, not a plan for a slower death.

But there's more! Pelosi announced that the Democrats also plan to push for "an historic investment in biofuels, efficiency, conservation and the rest." The "rest" is apparently what she called our "important and essential" investment in alternative energy.

That certainly would be historic: We would make history by throwing our money away on unproven energy boondoggles that have eaten up untold billions since the 1960s without producing a single net kilowatt of power while we all starve to death.

That's the Democrats' plan to run cars on biofuels, solar and wind power: Then a miracle happens. The current Democratic mantra on energy is: "We can't drill our way out of this problem." Apparently their plan is to talk our way out of this problem.

Democrats are also alleging that the oil companies are sitting on millions of acres of oil but are refusing to drill -- presumably because oil company executives hate the American people and perversely don't want to make money. Manifestly, those acres are being explored for oil or have already come up dry.

If the Democrats really wanted oil companies to find more oil, they'd allow oil companies to drill offshore and to drill in ANWR, which we happen to know is bursting with oil.

It's time for the Democrats to develop a comprehensive plan to actually help the middle and lower income people they claim to care so very much about. And claim is all they do. They actually want to force all lower income Americans into a hopeless economic stranglehold.

So, while the Russians have claimed the entire North Pole for oil exploration and the Chinese are perfecting deep water exploration just outside the United States waters, Nancy Pelosi wants us to raid our meager oil reserves to pretend she really cares about, you know, the little people.

It's time for all the little people to call their Congresspersons and tell them to drill for a new Majority Leader.

John McCain, You Missed It by Thaaaaat Much

No sooner than the virtual ink had dried on my cyber essay this morning, than John McCain proved my point exactly. He simply cannot or will not focus on the issue that is the most important issue in this election.

Hello John? Anybody home?

It's the energy inflated economy stupid!!

Now I need to digress for just a moment to give John McCain the credit he so rightfully deserves. He showed courage and grace today in addressing the NAACP convention. By all accounts he acquitted himself very well. He was gracious, warm and genuine, even while knowing he is unlikely to pick up a single vote from the group's members.

But Ken Blackwell, the African American Republican, pointed out in the elephant in the room, if you'll pardon the pun. McCain failed to address the number one, most important topic on the minds of every American, including every African American. Raging gasoline prices are destroying everything lower income Americans have been working to achieve. People cannot drive to work. They cannot afford groceries or clothing. This a real and personal crisis.

You can listen to Blackwell's obvious advice to McCain on NPR: Black Republican Has Message For McCain If only McCain will tune in and listen.

But John, if you and your handlers and advisers are way to busy to listen to one of the few black Republicans, why not just read today's New York Times: More Poll Findings: The Economy Trumps the War, by Far

And here's the worst part of this political disaster. McCain has a genuine advantage. Barack Obama is an empty suit when it comes to the energy crisis. The man's got nothing. No plan and few ideas. He is clueless and vulnerable. Energy is his Achilles heel. At least it is today.

But Barack is smart. He will read the New York Times. And his advisers are listening to NPR. And while McCain will call his new plan a "flip-flop on energy," he'll regain the advantage.

When and if Barack Obama finally realizes that vague (and 15 billion dollars worth of stupid) corporate welfare plans for imaginary alternative energy ideas will not solve this crisis, he'll create a new plan and earn every one's respect.

America must be 100% energy independent by 2016. McCain has the plan, but no voice or message. Obama could inspire a nation, but he has no plan.

Will somebody please wake up and smell the gasoline.

It's dark in here... and smells kinda funny, too...

I remain stunned by the ongoing Presidential campaigns by both Barack Obama and John McCain. As Obama and McCain debate nearly meaningless differences in their strategies in Iraq and Afghanistan, both are simply missing in action on the disintegrating economy and the looming energy disaster.

While McCain does have a good plan and has articulated strong goals for energy self sufficiency, Obama has virtually nothing on his plate what-so-ever beyond mind numbingly silly alternative energy subsidies.

But McCain, who should be driving home his plan and the urgency of the crisis, is lost in the war zone of Iraq gotcha quotes.

Polls released today show that the economy is the most important issue according to 53% of the public, while concern about Iraq is down to a near term low of just 16%.

If any of you, dear readers, haven't figured out what will happen in Iraq and Afghanistan, let me illuminate you. We will withdraw many troops from Iraq and add troops to Afghanistan, regardless of who is elected President.

The real question needs to be will the United States emerge from the world wide energy crisis as a world leader or an aging, empty shell of a country.

We are importing 70% of our energy needs. 70%. And Democrats have STUPIDLY stopped 100% of all legislation that might produce domestic energy sources and avert this disaster.

The only proposal from the Democrats is to raid the Strategic Oil Reserve, a move all experts agree would have no impact on either supply or prices, but would seriously weaken the United States faced with a real supply disaster.

Why Obama, who has proven himself both nimble and bright on a dozen other issues, has allowed himself to be painted into a "let's do nothing to help today" mentality is puzzling. He has deftly moved to more reasonable and even pro-active positions on other issues.

We want Barack to be a John Kennedy style leader - visionary and brave, inspiring us to become a greater nation. He should rise to the occasion before him and develop a plan to move the United States to 100% ENERGY SUFFICIENCY by the end of his (second) term.

I'd like to issue a similar challenge to McCain, but, while he actually has a plan, I don't think he can focus on the issue, let alone inspire a nation.

So here we have our leaders with their heads in the sand.... or perhaps up their ..... while America slips into an energy driven recession.

Looking for a Financial Wizard

I've been blogging for some time about the real issue in the fall campaign, THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF OIL and the looming world wide crisis that could easily devolve into a world wide depression.

Both John McCain and Barack Obama have been terribly slow to pick up on this crisis. The winner this fall will be the candidate who first identifies with this issue and proposes the most intelligent, fast acting and complete economic plan, concentrating on the absolute need for energy independence.

So I was especially pleased to read Thomas Friedman's excellent op-ed piece in yesterday's New York Times, Anxious in America.

Come August, though, I predict both men will be looking for a financial wizard as their running mates to help them steer America out of what could become a serious economic tailspin. I do not believe nation-building in Iraq is going to be the issue come November — whether things get better there or worse. If they get better, we’ll ignore Iraq more; if they get worse, the next president will be under pressure to get out quicker. I think nation-building in America is going to be the issue. It’s the state of America now that is the most gripping source of anxiety for Americans, not Al Qaeda or Iraq. Anyone who thinks they are going to win this election playing the Iraq or the terrorism card — one way or another — is, in my view, seriously deluded. Things have changed. Up to now, the economic crisis we’ve been in has been largely a credit crisis in the capital markets, while consumer spending has kept reasonably steady, as have manufacturing and exports. But with banks still reluctant to lend even to healthy businesses, fuel and food prices soaring and home prices declining, this is starting to affect consumers, shrinking their wallets and crimping spending. Unemployment is already creeping up and manufacturing creeping down.

At this point John McCain is substantially ahead in proposing the clearest and fastest energy independence plan. I urge you to read McCain's Lexington Project. It will be tough to implement, but we must begin now. This cannot wait.

Barack Obama is a little like a deer caught in the headlights. Obama's really poor and ill conceived attack on McCain's (belated) oil drilling strategy, i.e. "It will be at least 5 years until we seen any significant oil" sounds especially hollow when all Obama has proposed is an alternative energy strategy that produces only minor results after 25 years.

I've written extensively about the expanding impact of the oil crisis on all parts of society. This problem is really severe. Thomas Friedman is so very right and the candidates need to wake up. The future of our economy dwarfs all the other issues.

The Poor Suffer Most from Continuing Oil Crisis

I'm now very hesitant to call the current economic crisis in the United States and the world just an "oil crisis." The skyrocketing cost of oil may well be the engine that is propelling the economy toward the abyss, but virtually every person around the world in on board and strapped in for the ride.

I have been writing about the oil crisis and especially the virtually complete lack of action by Congress to begin to solve this problem. Now Congress has recessed for the "holiday" without taking any action beyond holding what may be the stupidest hearings I've ever witnessed.

Trust me when I tell you it will be a cold day in hell when Congress members actually take any action against their largest benefactors. Of course, a cold day in hell is exactly where we are headed.

I am working on a comparison of the Obama and McCain strategies for handling the oil crisis. But you already know my position: Let's implement BOTH sets of strategies and work for genuine energy independence in our lifetime.

What Congress has so far refused to acknowledge is the great extent the current crisis has spread beyond the pump. Sure we see that $4.09 price per gallon on the pump, but we are so far ignoring the massive increases in collateral costs.


Sadly, some of our nations most important charitable organizations cannot ignore their real cost increases. One that is simply being devastated is Meals on Wheels. Talk about getting hit from every direction!

First the number of people who volunteer to deliver the meals is dropping at an alarming rate. Estimates indicate a drop as high as 38%. Volunteers must pay their own gasoline costs and it is often fellow seniors on a fixed income who deliver the meals. They simply can no longer afford to volunteer.

Second food costs are skyrocketing. Meals on Wheels admits it is being forced to dramatically reduce the use of fresh foods, fruits and vegetables and substitute frozen meals. Part of the problem is the reduced deliveries outlined in the first point above.... fewer deliveries and fewer volunteers mean seniors cannot get daily meals.

Third, obviously, is that donations are greatly reduced. This is affecting virtually all charities. People are spending their money on food and fuel. They do not have the disposable income to donate to any charity. The New York City Meals on Wheels is facing a $3 Million Dollar shortfall this year. Smaller towns and cities are even harder hit.

How about this 4th if July we all cancel our road trips and create some real fireworks by contacting our Senators and Representatives (who are no doubt home for the holiday) and demanding real bipartisan action to begin to take the steps needed to permanently solve this problem.

And take the money you would spend on gasoline and donate it to your local Meals on Wheels.

Democrats Don't Believe in the Future

I've just had a breakthrough revelation. Democrats don't believe in the future!

Now I'm not saying that Democrats aren't the party of hope. No, what I'm saying is far more specific and fundamental. I'm saying that the Democrats don't actually believe the future exists. To the Democrats, the future is some sort of science fiction.

The year 2017? Nope, that one doesn't exist. Or 2030? Ha Ha, tell us another joke. 2053? Well that's certainly never going to happen.

It's just like the folks who used to deny the world was round. Or people who refused to believe that the earth revolved around the sun. These concepts were simply too absurd to even consider.

To the Democrats, the future need not be planed for, because it simply doesn't exist.

Barack Obama was just the latest Democrat to leap onto the future doesn't exist platform this week. Faced with the greatest world wide crisis in the last 100 years, the growing Energy and Food Price Crisis, Obama made it perfectly clear that his plan was to do absolutely nothing except to demagogue the issue, ridicule anyone who made any proposal to resolve the crisis and to absolutely refuse to acknowledge any plan that involved the science fiction concept of the future.

Speaking in Florida and then at the governor's conference Obama practiced the now perfected Democrat technique of proposing nothing and opposing everything.

Obama has already learned that only politicians who actually are brave enough to make a proposal ever get criticized. And he watched John McCain make the classic Republican error of actually making a series of concrete proposals that might solve the energy and food crisis or lessen it's impact on the American people.

Obama leapt to the attack, careful to never propose anything himself. The closest Obama came to actually saying anything was to pontificate that IF he actually thought something might work (and he most certainly didn't think anything would work) then he might study it.

For example, faced with John McCain's actual proposal to build nuclear power plants, Obama said he might study it, but "I don't think that nuclear power is a panacea."

Don't ever actually propose anything. It's a winning strategy. An the press cannot ever question anything you don't actually say. Propose nothing and you're home free.

Well, here is another exact quote: "I would consider off shore drilling if there were any evidence it would reduce prices. But it won't and John McCain knows that."

Actually John McCain doesn't know that, but that little white lie is the least of Obama's problems.

The really big problem is what Obama does know (in his own words) but refuses to acknowledge. That would be that pesky concept of the future. Here's the money quote: "Offshore drilling would not lower gas prices today; it would not lower prices tomorrow; it would not lower gas prices this year; it would not lower gas prices five years from now. In fact, President Bush's own Energy Department says we would not see a drop of [offshore] oil until 2017."

Please explain to me why we wouldn't start working today toward energy independence in 2017 (or even later)? That also would give us time to develop improved energy conservation methods and alternatives to oil and natural gas.

Sadly, we've been hearing this "ignore the future" mantra from Democrats for the last eight years. They have effectively stopped all oil exploration, all new offshore drilling, all development of the ANWR (Arctic National Wildlife Refuge) resource using the denial of any existence of the future excuse. "We just can't do that because it won't help until sometime in the future."

Haven't Democrats ever heard the saying that "every journey starts with a single step?" We can only presume that Barack Obama doesn't believe in the year 2017. Or, at the very least, he realizes he will be out of office by then and it will be somebody else's problem.

This is the exact approach the Democrats took in 2005 with Social Security. As President Bush foolishly made a series of proposals to actually save Social Security, Democrats steadfastly held together and REFUSED to make any proposals of their own. As George Bush went on television and literally BEGGED the Democrats to come to the table and join in a truly bipartisan effort to save the system before it's failure in 2053, Democrats made it clear that they would make absolutely no counter proposals. See articles here and here.

You see, to the Democrats 2053 doesn't exist, so no action is necessary.

Democrats simply denied the existence of the year 2053.

I, for one, am looking for change I can believe in. And that change would be our two political parties to actually come together and solve the issues we face today, even if the solutions require years to achieve.

2017 is just around the corner, whether Barack Obama believes it or not.

Things are Proceeding Exactly As I Predicted

"So, as fast as you can, think of something to do. We have to get rid of Thing One and Thing Two..."

Dr. Seuss, The Cat in The Hat

Just keep reminding yourself - America could easily be oil and energy independent today. We could supply 100% of our own energy needs. We could actually be in control of our own fate. One two little Things stand in our way - The Republican and the Democrat Party.

Sadly, the last twenty four hours have gone exactly as I predicted in my column yesterday. In fact, you would think I was writing a script and the country's leaders were Hollywood actors, really, really bad actors.

President Bush gave a good speech outlining the immediate steps needed to begin to increase nation's own supply of oil and natural gas. The President's proposals were spot on and every single proposed step should be implemented by Congress without exception and without delay. Each proposed action was logical and intelligent.

Unfortunately, the President was partisan in his delivery, never missing a chance to blame the Democrats for our energy woes. While, sadly I must admit as an aside that President Bush was correct, I wish he had omitted the histrionics and instead held out an olive branch and a pledge of cooperation to the Democrats.

The Democrat response was completely predictable and, unfortunately, bordered on a level of stupidity seldom seen in modern man. The demagoguery, insults, flights of fantasy and hyperbole were simply awesome to behold.

But the bottom line was exactly as predicted, the Democrats promised, vowed and swore that they would do absolutely nothing what-so-ever to increase energy supplies or reduce demand. They would not take even a single step toward energy independence.

But the Democrats did promise they would find somebody to blame. Big oil companies were a likely target. They might investigate Wall Street, I guess because they hope to find hidden supplies of oil there. Oh, and they promised to make it a "campaign issue."

And they did promise to repeal the laws of supply and demand. And, even if they did allow more exploration and drilling, they guaranteed it wouldn't affect oil prices for at least five years. Unfortunately, most of us remember that they told us that five years ago. Planning ahead is just something the Democrats don't do. I guess if they did it might eliminate the sacred "campaign issue."

I know the Democrats have a raft of good ideas, too. We must increase the mileage standards on automobiles. And we must fund research and development of alternative energy resources. Certainly we must protect the environment and prevent windfall profiteering.

All day yesterday and today I have been waiting for a single lone Democrat or Republican to wake up and say, "The American People are hurting. The economy is in serious trouble and we are facing a personal and an economic disaster. Let us end the attacks and stop the blame game, combine our best ideas, compromise and solve this problem."

I could end up waiting forever.

Paul Richter wrote a really excellent and even handed article just a few hours ago in the LA Times. "Runaway oil prices have set off a furious new blame game in which political leaders and key economic players are scrambling to deflect responsibility for the deepening crisis."

"With outraged consumers protesting in the streets of many countries, oil producers are blaming speculators, speculators are blaming consumers and politicians are blaming one another. Consequences could entail not just a tarnished image but real damage to economic interests and political fortunes."

Follow the link above and read every word of Richter's article.

At our regular breakfast this morning I sat with our usual group of laborers, lawyers, bankers and small businessmen and women. The restaurant owner, a good friend, was reworking her menu prices because her food costs have nearly tripled in the last few weeks. Raw cost and undoubtedly increased, but the transportation costs are really driving up prices. This is the hidden danger of inaction by the gridlocked U.S. Congress.

Call Thing One and Thing Two in Congress today and tell them a thing or two. Let them know they simply must compromise and show some real leadership in bringing the USA toward energy self sufficiency. This is not a "campaign issue." It's a real problem and we need and deserve real leadership.

McCain, Bush and Hundreds of Lemmings Change Position in Offshore Drilling, Thank God

"The sun did not shine. It was too wet to play. So we sat in the house All that cold, cold, wet day..."

Dr. Seuss, The Cat in The Hat

It's just damned frustrating to realize that America could easily be oil and energy independent today. We could easily be free of the influence and control of the Saudis, Iran, and Sean Penn's close personal friend Hugo Chavez.

The only THINGS that have prevented energy independence are Thing One and Thing Two, aka the Republican and Democrat Parties.

Thing One and Thing Two have long preferred demagoguery to actually serving the American Public. I hope you all have followed the antics of Thing One and Thing Two over the last eight years. Never Compromise. Always stake out opposite sides of all Energy issues. Never Compromise. Never actually pass any legislation. Blame the other Thing for the stalemate.

Steps needed for lower energy prices and energy independence have already been thoroughly outlined. Expand drilling in the United States, including off shore and in what is perhaps the single most environmentally safe area in the nation, the Arctic refuge (ANWR).

Increase Automobile Fuel Standards. Provide Tax Support for development of Alternative Energy Sources.

Clear the road for increased Nuclear Power. It's simply stunning that Iran is smarter than the United States. Hell, let's let Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad run the US Nuclear Energy Program. At least he actually believes in energy independence. O.K., that's a joke, but you get the idea.

End the incredibly stupid tariffs on Brazilian sugar based ethanol imports. Brazil, in case you hadn't noticed, is our friend.

In short, implement all the good energy policies from both Thing One and Thing Two.

John McCain, President Bush, most Republicans and many, many Democrats did prove they can read the POLLS today and suddenly switched sides to support off shore drilling. Good for them.

But can we actually get Thing One and Thing Two to compromise and pass legislation?

Well, remember The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss? Thing One and Thing Two only created a mess. It took the children (i.e., the American Public) to actually clean up the mess.

A "tip o' the Wizard's pointy cap" to Senator Harry Reid, who first used Dr. Seuss' Cat in the Hat to illustrate the log jam in the US Congress (courtesy of Wikipedia).