White House Slams Senate Dems on Gas Prices, Nominations

04.01304 | Jeff Gannon

[kcvl]

White House Slams Senate Dems on Gas Prices, Nominations

By Jeff Gannon Talon News April 1, 2004

WASHINGTON (Talon News) -- The White House lashed out against Senate Democrats who last year filibustered President Bush's energy bill and now have declared that none of his nominees will get confirmation votes.

As gasoline prices reached record levels to become an issue in this year's campaign, the White House pointed a finger of blame at Capitol Hill.

White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan said, "We wouldn't be in this situation today if Senate Democrats were not holding up the national energy plan that the President proposed back in May of 2001."

He added, "We need a comprehensive national energy policy so that we don't keep going from one crisis to the next. We had a unique opportunity last year after the blackouts in the Northeast and Midwest to pass a comprehensive energy plan that would take us out of these annual situations that we're now in."

The energy bill died in the Senate in the final days of last year's session when Minority Leader Sen. Tom Daschle (D-SD) failed to rally his Democratic colleagues for passage. An important provision for increased ethanol production was killed off along with improvements to the electrical grid.

In a comment that suggested Bush rival Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) was AWOL from the energy debate, McClellan said, "Senate Democrats didn't even show up to vote on this energy policy last summer."

McClellan pointed out that the energy bill still being held up in the Senate through procedural moves exacerbates the effect that Wednesday's OPEC decision to cut production would have on gasoline prices.

"Today's decision underscores the importance of Congress acting to pass a comprehensive national energy policy that will reduce our dependence on foreign sources of energy," McClellan said. "It is time for Congress to act and for Senate Democrats to stop holding up action on this important legislation."

The White House also criticized Senate Democrats for their blockade of the president's nominees. Last Friday, Daschle vowed that all of President Bush's nominees would be held up in retaliation for the recess appointments of Judges Pickering and Pryor. McClellan indicated that President Bush would be unwilling to give up his constitutional prerogative and bow to the will of the minority.

He told Talon News, "This is unfortunate that a minority of Senate Democrats continue to play politics with our nation's judicial system and with the judicial nominees of the president of the United States."

The White House press secretary said, "A majority of senators support these highly-qualified nominees that are being held up. And the president acted in a couple of instances to fill judicial emergencies, seats that needed judges in place so that they could rule on important matters for the American people."

He charged that the Daschle-led Democrats were "not adhering to their constitutional responsibility to give these highly-qualified individuals an up or down vote."

McClellan also noted that is was not only judges who have been blocked. More than two dozen other nominees languish while the minority party brings Congress to a standstill.

[kcvl]

"We wouldn't be in this situation today if Senate Democrats were not holding up the national energy plan that the President proposed back in May of 2001."

[JustPlainJoe]

What a bunch of childish boobs. They care NOTHING about
the good of this nation - only about their own power struggle. What a sad reflection of our country. No wonder a whole bunch of the rest of the world hate us.

Those idiot Dems should just go start their own country to ruin somewhere else.

[MamaLucci]

Democrat obstruction is a target rich environment ripe and ready for maximum exposure.

[The Other Harry]

... and now have declared that none of his nominees will get confirmation votes.

I think it's time for a Supreme Court case on Senate filibustering of nominations. See if Bush has any cajones. (He doesn't.)

[jamaksin]

President Ford, during the Nation's bi-centenarian celebration in 1976, gave a speech at the bridge in Concord, MA ... to paraphrase ... "I pledge that the United States will be energy independent by the year 2000."

Seems we are a tad late. So it goes ...

[wjcsux]

I am glad to see that the Pubbies are in the process of raising their Testerone levels. It gives me a nice warm fuzzy when they pound the crap out of the RATS.

[DeFault User]

See if Bush has any cajones.

These are cajones:

[Arrowhead1952]

In a comment that suggested Bush rival Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) was AWOL from the energy debate, McClellan said, "Senate Democrats didn't even show up to vote on this energy policy last summer."

This would make a great campaign ad. Figure out how many votes John F'ing Kerry missed in the senate and hammer him.

[liberty03]

Once again the White House misses an opportunity to score some points. McClellan's comments regarding the actions of the Senate Dems- " stop holding up action", "unfortunate", "not adhering to constitutional responsibility"- while accurate, are much too weak. The same can be said of previous comments made by Rep. senators.
McClellan, and other Republicans, should take a much more forceful approach with comments centered on how the will of the MAJORITY OF AMERICANS, as reflected in the House, Senate, AND the White House is being ignored and actively resisted by these Senate Dems. Their loyalty to party outweighs the oath everyone one of them took to uphold the Constitution. The fact that they are clearly standing in the way of the will of the MAJORITY OF AMERICANS should be stressed repeatedly by Republicans. Senate Dems' actions are UNCONSTITUTIONAL, UNDEMOCRATIC, AND UN-AMERICAN. In America, the WILL OF THE MAJORITY prevails, so long as its not trampling on the rights of the minority, which is not the case here. That should be the tone of the comments being made. Republican leaders just don't know how to play the game. Heck, this isn't even playing the game, its just the truth.

[GailA]

benefits of drilling ANWR

[kcvl]

Thanks!

I know and it makes me sick that the Democrats are opposing it. They complain about EVERYTHING and don't have any answers to how THEY WOULD FIX problems. They only complain about what President Bush is trying to do, as usual.

[wjcsux]

I agree 100%. The Pubbies need to go a lot further on these issues. I am glad to see that they have at least acknowledged the problem instead of putting their collective heads in the sand.