[TomGuy]

After holding on to the House for 12 years, the Pubbies are learning again what it really means to be the minority.

They are in Nancy's House, and she has turned the lights out.

The Pubbies would do well to ponder why they are in this situation, and why they didn't create a comprehensive, long-range energy policy during their 12-year majority tenure. After all, the energy crisis has been growing and building since Nixon was president.

[NonValueAdded]

The Pubbies would do well to ponder why they are in this situation, and why they didn't create a comprehensive, long-range energy policy during their 12-year majority tenure. After all, the energy crisis has been growing and building since Nixon was president.

Tom ... put up a thread about the squandered opportunities and I'd be the first to join you and let it rip. BUT here is a spark, tiny as it might be, and it needs encouragement. This is neither the time or place to be peeing on that spark if you catch my drift.

Respectfully, NVA

[netmilsmom]

Good thought! But we can’t change history and they are doing something NOW!

[PSYCHO-FREEP]

Well said!

Reality is a bitter pill to swallow when it has been allowed to become the size of a pillow.

[saveliberty]

IIRC, it was a serious oil spill in SF Bay that served as impetus to give envirowackos leverage to block efforts to drill and to make it easier for refineries to be built (for profit).

Sadly, the opportunity to leverage domestic drilling wasn’t leveraged as it could have been when the Exxon Valdez oil spill occurred. The risks due to tankers is much greater than due to offshore drilling.

Reagan asked for offshore drilling.

Denied.

Republicans in the 90s asked for offshore drilling.

Denied.

President Bush asked for offshore drilling.

Denied.

Now at $4 per gallon, public opinion has turned in favor of drilling. The environmental wackos are losing their grasp over their members of Congress and LaPelosi knows it.

They’ve even lost the support of Obama, who is flip flopping yet again.

This is a great opportunity for Republicans in Congress to do the right thing. It’s a point of vulnerability the Dems did not account for in their CW about Dem strength in November.

[Arthur Wildfire! March]

"After all, the energy crisis has been growing and building since Nixon was president."

In the here-and-now, the majority of republicans want to DRILL; the majority of the rats don't.

But yes, if the GOP had taken immigration seriously, as well as stopping all the 'bridge to nowhere' projects. Last but not least, the rats got tons of foreign campaign support through 527s. It's really simple. And it was mainly senators who caused the problems-- not the House leadership.

Now, let's kick Queen Pelosi in the butt! [verbally, that is]

[ctdonath2]

Agreed. By proper electoral and parlementary process, Pelosi ended up in charge, and a majority approved the recess. Yes, she pulled strings to prevent a vote on drilling, but them's the rules, and the Repubs have other ways of forcing the issue (including Bush calling a special session). This "occupation" strategy does highlight the fact that little was done when the opportunity was optimal; as some note, only in politics/beaurocracy are people recognized and lauded for fixing a problem that existed only because they caused it thru neglect.

Unless Bush calls a special session, or some other established parlementary rule is used to force the vote, this can't end well. Just standing in the dark yammering on won't help; it MIGHT have worked had they not killed the momentum by conveniently wrapping up & going home at 5PM on Friday like everyone else. Occupying your own office from 9-5 during your own vacation is just odd.