A Defining Week for Congress

The final week before the August district work period is typically among the busiest of all for Congress - and usually one during which major legislation is passed in advance of the lengthy recess away from Washington. The pressure is on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Senators Harry Reid (D-NV) and Barack Obama (D-IL), and their colleagues in the Democratic leadership to carry on that tradition this week by bringing to the floor of each chamber comprehensive legislation that increases production of American energy to address the number one issue on the minds of the American people: the rising cost of gasoline.

Today begins a defining week for Congress. All year long, gas prices have soared as a result of misguided Washington policies. Even with the small recent dip since President Bush ended the executive ban on deepwater drilling far off our shores (a ban that Congress also needs to lift in order for critical energy production to take place in the oil-and gas-rich Outer Continental Shelf), families and small businesses know we will never see $2 or even $3 per gallon gasoline until the Democratic Majority signals real support for American-made energy to lower gas prices. Over the next five days, Congress has a chance to make this commitment - but only if Democratic leaders allow it.

Throughout the summer, Republicans have asked for a vote on an "all of the above" energy strategy built on increased exploration, conservation, and innovation - the reforms Americans solidly support in poll after poll. And throughout the summer, the Democratic leaders of Congress have made every excuse to block a vote - all at the behest of a tiny band of radical special-interest groups that support high gas prices and aim to keep...

Even though the jury is still out on the 'certainty' of Obama becoming president, the observations of the congressional race are somewhat more clear...
In Virginia, it seems certain that liberal Mark Warner will be joining liberal Jim Web as senator. Also many House seats in Va seem likely to change to Democrat as well.
Several other states seem inclined to send liberal Democrats to both houses of congress too.

Bottom line: an increase of liberals in both house and senate this fall despite their 9% approval rating.

Liberal Democrat policy on energy as I've heard many Reps in the House (Pelossi this morning) and Senators state:
"We can't drill our way out of this crisis"
"No drilling in ANWAR"
"No offshore drilling"
"No drilling for natural gas or oil in the lower 48 states."
"No new refineries"
"No new coal (even clean coal) power plants because of 'global warming'
"No new nuke plants unless/or until the matter of 1. safety, 2. fuel recycling and disposal-storage thoroughly and exhaustively researched and resolved.

Question to ask the Liberals in Congress should then be what is their answer?

The Liberals answer:
"We must reverse the failed economic policies of the Bush administration."
"We must invest [though they don't say it'll be your tax dollars] in research into new energy alternatives and new technologies."
"We must raise Federal taxes on oil and gas"
"We must tax the "Big Oil" industry and perhaps confiscate their profits"

The above may "sound" good to the ears of the LiberalLeft that are going to vote to return 'their Liberals' and to the others who are going to send new ones to Congress...

Alright then, let's say then for argument sake that I'm a died-in-the-wool-liberal home owner (or renter) living in a home in Michigan, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio or Iowa just to name a few...

My question (if I think or question at all) is: how will 'reversing the failed, hated Bush economic policies and investing my taxes into research in to new energy alternatives and technologies' fill my heating-oil tank this fall or provide more natural gas to heat my home, heat my water, cook my food...and power my appliances?

Some given facts:
All houses, that I know of, are heated by either fuel-oil, natural gas or base-board electric.
All houses, that I know of heat water by electric or natural gas water heaters.
All houses, that I know of cook with natural gas or electric.

So, with the given facts established, oil and natural gas are an immediate need, along with electricity. No way around that!

Also, with the given facts established, even if somewhere, sometime in the future 'alternative sources of energy' and 'new technologies' are discovered...then what?

Conclusion to the facts given and question asked:

1. Any new technology discovered would first have to be designed, engineered, manufactured, tested for safety and reliability, mass-produced and distributed. That is long-term even if it was discovered today. This is a known truth of any new technology or product (computer processors, LCD, plasma)

2. Because, houses as they are now would need to remove and replace the oil or natural gas furnaces, natural gas hot-water heaters, natural gas stoves at perhaps a prohibitive cost to most home-owners to replace them with the 'new technologies' at who knows what cost?

Imagine having to replace you house's entire heating system, hot-water system and cooking appliances for the 'new technologies'! We're talking many thousands of dollars per household.

In addition to that, all that research is going to take tax dollars. Businesses will suffer because they will be diverting their efforts to new technology, rather than their core business. This will cost money and maybe jobs. People have to work to pay taxes. It's pretty hard to get to work if you don't have gasoline to fill your tank. All the cars on the road will not magically be replaced with new technology cars. People will be spending more money on gas and less on buying products and services, not to mention the huge impact it is already having on the tourism industry.

This would have to hurt even Liberal-Lefties...

The Liberal-Left want 'change' (along with power). I wonder if they have even slightly thought it over the change they will be in for? Liberals have their minds made up and we can't change them. The problem I have is how it will affect me as an oil, gas and electric user. I know that neither I nor my brother can afford the new someday down the road alternative technologies that may or may not happen. We need fuel oil for this winter...not some winter in the future.

"Are Virginians stupid, or what? I can't imagine anyone voting for the do nothing Dems. Gas is more expensive back east than it is in the Midwest. It's incomprehensible!"

Virginia has moved from being a "Red state" to a "Blue state"

Virginia replaced a perfectly good, true conservative senator: George Allen (over some alleged use of the word 'makka' in college) and replaced him with ultra-liberal-left-wing: Jim Webb.

This November, they will replace the retiring RINO senator John Warner with liberal-left-wing Mark Warner. The Repubs nominated unpopular Jim Gilmor over a better more conservative nominee Bob Marshall. Gilmore has almost no chance to beat Warner.

One reason for the change from 'red' to 'blue' is the influx of "immigrants" from states like NY, NJ, OH, MI, WI and other states...moving here or retiring here.
They're stopping short now of moving to Florida (for various reasons like crowding and crime) and stopping in VA and NC. The cost of living is way more affordable too.
They bring their liberal political voting with them. Somehow, they don't seem to understand that the reason Virginia is desirable to live and work was the lack of the taxes and other liberal crap they moved away from in NY, MI & NJ et. al....

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