Political expedition at its finest:
……what looks like intraparty tension on the surface is part of an intentional strategy in which Pelosi takes the heat on energy policy, while behind the scenes she’s encouraging vulnerable Democrats to express their independence if it helps them politically, according to Democratic aides on and off Capitol Hill.
http://dyn.politico.com/printstory.cfm?uuid=905193A8-3048-5C12-001B313DA2E91E44
Since the majority of Americans realize that drilling, while simultaneously developing alternative energy sources is the way to go, Pelosi has to change her tune, even if it’s not on the floor of the House.
The Republican fight continues:
The House Republicans sent a letter to every member of the Democratic caucus, requesting they join Republicans and the American people in calling for Speaker Nancy Pelosi to reconvene the House of Representatives and pass a comprehensive, “all of the above” energy plan.
http://michellemalkin.com/2008/08/07/calling-the-democrats-bluff-part-ii/
The full text of the letter is here:
Link: http://michellemalkin.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/votechallenge.pdf
Hat tip to Politico and Michelle Malkin.
Pelosi’s recent appearance on ABC’s “This Week” is indicative of a craven politician with no intention of meeting the crisis head on, or facing the American people from the House of Representatives.
You know it’s bad when George Stephanopoulos gets disgusted with a Democrat.
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS, HOST: You’ve been getting a lot of heat for not allowing a straight up or down vote expanding drilling off the coasts of the United States. Why won’t you permit a straight up or down vote?
NANCY PELOSI, SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: What we have presented are options that will really make a difference at the pump. Free our oil, Mr. President. We’re sitting on 700 million barrels of oil. That would have an immediate effect in ten days. What our colleagues are talking about is something that won’t have an effect for ten years and it will be 2 cents at the time. If they want to present something that’s part of an energy package, we’re talking about something. But to single shoot on something that won’t work and mislead the American people as to thinking it’s going to reduce the price at the pump, I’m just not going to be a part of it.
STEPHANOPOULOS: Except it’s not just Republicans that are calling for this. Members of your own caucus say we must have a vote. Congressman Jason Altmire, let me show our viewers right now, says, “There is going to be a vote. September 30 will not come and go without a vote on the opening the Outer Continental Shelf. The message has been delivered. The issue can’t be ignored any longer.” He says he speaks for a lot of Democrats. He’s talked to the leadership and a vote must happen.
PELOSI: Maybe it will, as part of a larger energy package. Let’s step back, call a halt and put this in perspective. What we have now is a failed energy policy by the Bush/Cheney, two oilmen in the White House. $4 a gallon gasoline at the pump. And what they’re saying is let’s have more of the same. Let’s have more of big oil making, record profits, historic profits. You see the quarterly reports that just came out, who want to be subsidized who don’t really want to compete. Let them use the subsidies to drill oil in protected areas. Instead we’re saying, free the oil. Use it, don’t lose it. There’s 68 million acres in lower 48 and 20 million more acres in Alaska where they’re permitted where they could drill anytime. This is a diversionary tactic from failed energy policies.
STEPHANOPOULOS: But if you feel you have the better arguments, why not give a straight up or down vote for drilling?
PELOSI: Because the misrepresentation is being made that this is going to reduce the price at the pump. This is again a decoy, it’s not a solution.
STEPHANOPOULOS: Well, if you’re right, why not let it be debated out and have the vote?
PELOSI: We have a debate every single day on this subject. What you saw in the Congress this week was the war dance of the hand maidens of the oil companies. That’s what you saw on the Republican side of the aisle. Democrats and Republicans are not right there on party lines on this issue. There are regional concerns, as well as some people concerned about what this means back home for them. But we have a planet to save. We have an economy to grow. And we can do that if we keep our balance in all of this and not just say but for drilling in unprotected and these protected areas offshore, we would have lower gas prices.
STEPHANOPOULOS: So what exactly are you trying to say? You say you might allow a vote as part of a comprehensive package, but you won’t allow a vote on —
PELOSI: We have put on the floor. Free our oil. Strong bipartisan support for that. Use it, don’t lose it. Strong bipartisan support for that. End undue speculation, strong bipartisan support for that. We’ve talked about these things. Invest in renewable energy resources so that we can increase the supply of energy for our country. Strong bipartisan support for that.
STEPHANOPOULOS: Yet you brought those measures to the floor in a way under the suspension of the rules so that it couldn’t be amended with a drilling proposal.
PELOSI: Well, we built consensus and have a strong bipartisan. This is what’s going to make a difference to reduce the dependence on foreign oil, to stop our dependence on fossil fuels in our own country. To increase the supply of energy immediately to reduce the price at the pump to protect the consumer. So this is a policy matter. This is very serious policy matter. It’s not to use a tactic of one — one tactic in order to undermine a comprehensive energy package to reduce our dependence on foreign oil which is a national security issue. To reduce our dependence on fossil fuels in our own country. Now, will we be talking about natural gas that’s cheaper, better for the environment —
STEPHANOPOULOS: But why not allow votes on all that? When you came in as Speaker you promised in your commitment book “A New Direction for America,” let me show our viewers, you said that “Bills should generally come to the floor under a procedure that allows open, full, fair debate consisting of full amendment process that grants the Minority the right to offer its alternatives.” If they want to offer a drilling proposal, why can’t they have a vote?……
Pelosi did a tapdance that made Fred Astaire look like an amateur. Stephanopoulos tried like hell to get a straight answer, but she went on and on about the Republicans…blah…blah…blah…George Bush…blah…blah…blah…big, bad oil companies…blah…blah…blah…
‘Popular Tech’ posting on the NewsBusters site provides a breakdown of Pelosi’s excuses:
Pelosi Myth #1 – More drilling will not reduce pump prices:
This violates the basic rules of supply and demand. Yet she offers a solution of releasing 700 Million Barrels of oil but 86 Billion in the OCS will have no effect? Imagine if we use all of this:
– 1.8 to 6 Trillion barrels of oil are estimated in the U.S. Oil-Shale Reserves (DOE)http://www.fossil.energy.gov/programs/reserves/npr/Oil_Shale_Resource_Fact_Sheet.pdf
– 175 to 315 Billion barrels of oil are estimated in the Oil Sands of Alberta, Canada (AGS)http://www.ags.gov.ab.ca/activities/CBM/alberta_oil_sands2.html
– 100 Billion barrels of heavy oil are estimated in the U.S. (DOE)http://www.ags.gov.ab.ca/activities/CBM/alberta_oil_sands2.html
– 90 Billion barrels of oil are estimated in the Arctic (USGS)http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080724115043.htm
– 89 Billion barrels of immobile oil are estimated recoverable using CO2 injection in the U.S. (DOE)http://www.fossil.energy.gov/programs/reserves/npr/CO2_EOR_Fact_Sheet.pdf
– 86 Billion barrels of oil are estimated in the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf (MMS)http://www.mms.gov/revaldiv/RedNatAssessment.htm
– 60 to 80 Billion barrels of oil are estimated in U.S. Tar Sands (DOE)http://www.fossil.energy.gov/programs/reserves/npr/Tar_Sands_Fact_Sheet.pdf
– 32 Billion barrels of oil are estimated in ANWR, NPRA and the Central North Slope in Alaska (USGS)http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2005/06/050619195534.htm
– 31.4 Billion barrels of oil are estimated in the East Greenland Rift Basins Province (USGS)http://www.usgs.gov/newsroom/article.asp?ID=1750
– 7.3 Billion barrels of oil are estimated in the West Greenland–East Canada Province (USGS)http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2008/3014/
– 4.3 Billion barrels of oil are estimated in the U.S. Bakken shale formation in North Dakota and Montana (USGS)
http://www.usgs.gov/newsroom/article.asp?ID=1911– 214 Million barrels of oil are estimated in the U.S. Illinois Basin (USGS)http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2007/3058/
Pelosi Myth #2 – Oil Leases:
The ‘Idle’ Oil Field Fallacy (The Wall Street Journal) http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121391719487790187.html
Pelosi Myth #3 – We can get rid of out dependance on foreign oil: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/10/AR2008011002452_pf.html
Myths About Breaking Our Foreign Oil Habit (The Washington Post) http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/10/AR2008011002452_pf.html
Pelosi Myth #4 – ANWR:
The Truth About ANWR Drilling (Canada Free Press) http://www.canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/3723
Pelosi Myth #5 – ‘Big Oil’ Record Profits:
Exxon’s Earnings: No Apology Necessary (Cato Institute)
http://www.cato.org/pub_display.php?pub_id=6250Exxon Posts Record $32.36 Billion Tax Payment (iStockAnalyst) http://www.istockanalyst.com/article/viewarticle+articleid_2459357&title=Exxon_Posts_Record.html
Pelosi Myth #6 – ‘Big Oil’ Subsidies:
“Big Oil” at the Public Trough? An Examination of Petroleum Subsidies (Cato Institute) http://www.cato.org/pubs/pas/pa390.pdf
I lost count of how many times this moonbat shrieked “I’m trying to save the planet!”
Gawd, this embarrassment is all the Democrats have to offer as Speaker….