Posted on 05/25/2006 12:46:14 PM PDT by Recovering_Democrat
SHEPARD SMITH JUST ANNOUNCED: HOUSE APPROVES ANWR DRILLING!!
Last year it was the other way around. The votes are there in the both Houses to pass this. It got through the Senate by attaching it to the budget, but the Democrats that voted for ANWR as a stand alone in the House opposed other items in the budget, so they were not there to offset the House RINOs as they normally do. It's a mess. What you do to get it through one House keeps it from passing in the other. Without attaching it to the budget, it is subject to Senate filibuster.
FYI -- In the last session of Congress it DID pass in the Senate but surprisingly did NOT pass in the House - for the 1st time. And yes due to wimpy RINOs worried about the stoo-pid Caribou.Ergo if Leader Frist can keep the RINOs in line again - and with his patented strong leadership that should be easy -- it should pass again in the Senate.
you know I'm kidding about Frist, right?
What we are watching -- on a national, cultural scale -- is tantamount to the Captain of the Titanic refusing to allow anyone to board the lifeboats, because it just wouldn't be right to allow anyone into them prior to their scheduled safety inspection.
Think "forest/trees", "strain at gnat/swallow camel", etc.
Then, seal it with the realization that if those with real political clout really wanted to develop those resources now, it'd happen.
IMO it is increasingly difficult to maintain a sufficiently cynical perspective.
Simple math -- there's more money to be made today, and in the long run, by NOT developing those resources until the price of oil is much higher than it is today. Until then, there's more money to be made maintaining the status quo, and keeping stuff like ANWR, the offshore reserves, and so forth for "a rainy day", when there's no more foreign oil to buy at reasonable prices (China, India, et al will be consuming mass quantities and not looking back). When that happens, and there's big money to be made drilling and selling "our" oil, it'll happen. But for now, that stuff is worth more in the ground than it would be in the pipeline. Follow the money.
The answer is pretty simple when you think about it: "Because he doesn't want to."
We could either expand the existing House, or perhaps establish a "co-House" of Representatives, also elected to 2-year terms to be more responsive to the voters.
The Senate has become an _impediment_ to the Republic. Time to get rid of it, and replace it with a better institution.
Or, just get rid of it, period!
Better idea would be to restore it to its original mission, as intended by the founders.
Originally, Senators were appointed by the State legislatures.
The Senateors represented the STATES. The Senate was the "house" for the STATES, and The House was "the house" for the PEOPLE.
As it stands now, the system is broken. The gears have been monkeywrenched. Think about it. The plan was to have the States be essentially clients of The People, subject to We, The People. The Federal gov't was likewise to be a client of the STATES -- answerable to the states, and, as a "check" and safeguard, also accountable to We The People.
But, that was BEFORE the system was broken.
Now, the "client" of The States is NOT answerable to The States. In fact, The States no longer even have a VOICE, since they no longer have their legislative house in D.C. THEIR voice has been taken from them, and made into a cheap knockoff of the other legislative body.
The "ship of state" was given two left oars, and NO right oar.
The result of this coup (and that's what it is, if you view it in clinical terms) is that the "client" of the states has now become their defacto MASTER.
If the same thing were to happen on a ship at sea, it would be termed "mutiny", i.e., the crew overtaking the Captain, making him subject to their will.
But, thanks to the miracle of Bread and Circuses (or beer and TV, weed and porn, etc., and etc.), "We The People" have been lulled into a catatonic state, in which we are happy as clams so long as we get our daily fix. Anything else is "politics", and thus, "boring." *Yawn*, etc.
The Romans really had a hit on their hands when they came up with the "bread and circuses" concept. How sad that it only forestalls the inevitable. Hey, don't take my word for it -- ask any Roman! LOL!
I make this prediction:
The Senate will kill the ANWR drilling bill.
Everyone Senator who votes against the bill will be re-elected.
And there is nothing you personally can do about it.
This explains why the Sauds were claiming the price of oil was about to crash. They were trying to influence this vote.
Smith had some much make-up on the other day he looked like a clown.
OMG... I was begining to doubt the power... This is awesome... Finally COMMON SENSE reigns supreme.
Unfortunately, you are correct about DeWhiner and Cryin'Bitch. I am absolutely ashamed to admit that these 2 represent our Great State of Ohio.
You do realize that there's another House in the Congress, don't you?
Yes
"Isn't it too cold for mosquitos up there?"
Fair question. I once heard or read that the largest loss of life in the ANWR would be to the mosquito population. Either my source was wrong or perhaps they have them during the summer? Don't know. Regardless, my statement was intended as sarcasm. And don'tcha just know 'the animal people' (interesting phrase) would rather save a varmint than work towards a solution to our oil dependency? Seems pretty clear to me.
Welcome aboard, by the way.
McVey
The President should give a prime time Oval Office speech pushing ANWR. Given the economic, geopolitical and miliary repercussions of our dependence on foreign oil--it is absolutely UNCONSCIONABLE that we are not drilling up there yet.
Shame on the President if he doesn't push this through--when we are 'this close' to getting approval (only a couple of votes--which could be turned by his using the 'bully pulpit', given the fact that the majority of people DO support drilling ANWR).
Drill it,,,,drill it,,,,,and then,,,,DRILL IT AGAIN!
Maria Cantwell and all the other energy obstructionists in the Senate will do everything to kill it.
She is up for reelction... and she wants higher gas prices?
How will this play with the scoop jackson dems, militant union workers and such?
"A guy like Teddy Kennedy doesn't care if he pays $100 a gallon for gasoline. That would still be a drop in the bucket for him."
You really think Ted Kennedy pays for his own gas?
Hopefully we'll see some leadership from the White House on this. I'd like to see Bush and Tony Snow all over this today. Put the DEMS/RINO's feet to the fire.
Who knows, if McCain really want to covet favor with conservatives he may come out in favor of this. It'd be nice to see some Senate Republicans take this on. Its a golden opportunity with the price of oil where its at to press this issue into the mid-terms.
I wonder how many eco-terrorists and greenpeaceniks will travel to ANWR to protest. My guess is not too many. I doubt they want to freeze their buns off.
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