Posted by
Stefano on Friday, July 25, 2008 3:08:25 PM
At 9:18 AM this morning, the US Senate Republicans set in place their promised blockade of any Senate legislation that did not include lifting of the congressional moratorium on oil drilling off shore and in other areas. President George W. Bush led the drive for more drilling on July 14, 2008 by lifting the executive order that had established a similar moratorium. A blockade in international relations is considered an act of war and this legislative blockade led by Mitch McConnell, the Senate minority leader may be considered a legislative act of war. It is a welcome response to the numerous blockades that have been established by Senators Pinky (his real nickname) Reid, Dick Durbin, and other co-conspirators against administration nominees and initiatives. This is a development that has the potential to change the tide of power in the halls of Congress, because the Republican caucus is on the right side of the issue, and on the same side as an overwhelming majority of the American people. This is a majority of people whose composition crosses party lines lines, cultural lines, and economic lines. We must take a no compromise position. We must demand that the Republicans hold their ground because of the importance of drilling to the security of our nation, our families, our jobs and our way of life.
It has been ten days since President Bush provided the leadership on this issue and the two branches of Congress led by the Democrats, Senator Reid and Congressperson Pelosi have done absolutely nothing in a practical sense to lift the ban on drilling and give the people of this nation relief from skyrocketing energy prices. President Bush's action caused futures market speculators to reassess their risk and reduce their long positions in energy, resulting in a drop in energy prices. If and when the congressional Democrats bend to the desires of the majority of Americans and lift the drilling ban we will see another drop in prices because investors will again reassess risk and reduce their long positions. Longer term when more oil and gas enters the energy supply lines, prices will be further reduced. What is it that is more important for Congress to do than lift the drilling ban? How can it be more important for Congress to go on their August recess than to lift the drilling ban? The Democrat leaders love to tell us how they feel our pain. I see no evidence of that from the Democrats when they plan to go on vacation before lifting the drilling ban. Tomorrow will be eleven days that Congress has not acted. How many more days will it take. Every day that the Democrats fail to act is another day of money hemorrhaging from our wallets and from our national treasury. It is a day closer to when another American will lose his job, a day closer to a winter when an American will be unable to pay his heating bill. Don't give us this garbage about throwing out everyone in Congress if no action is taken. The ball is in the Democrat court and their power is on the line. Act or be acted upon.
See how your Senator voted at this link. A yea vote was a vote against lifting the drilling ban. In my state of Missouri, Bond voted for lifting the ban, and McCaskill voted against lifting the ban.