This is John McCain expounding on offshore drilling at a campaign stop the end of May in Greensdale, Wisconsin.... "with those resources, which would take years to develop, you would only postpone or temporarily relieve our dependency on fossil fuels." (Huff Post)
Now, Exxon John is gushing enthusiasm for offshore drilling while visiting a Chevron-Exxon owned oil platform in the Gulf of Mexico on Tuesday, declaring.... "Now as we prepare for the winter, it's time for us to be more serious about our home heating oil needs.... And that means we need to start drilling offshore, at advanced oil rigs like this one." (WaPo)
There's nothing like scare tactics combined with false hope as a campaign ploy. Which is offshore drilling John, a temporary fix that will take years, or an imperative to fix our energy woes?
Mild-mannered former Iowa governor, Tom Vilsack, compared McCain's new stance on offshore drilling to the "Beverly Hillbillies" and their stumbled-on gusher, calling it "a Jed Clampett energy policy."
Which might be funny if the comparison stopped at McCain's energy policy. But sadly, there is a much more sobering comparison.... the payoff. The nouveau riche oil-baron Hillbillies living the high life in Beverly Hills, and Exxon John riding big oil's money gusher on the campaign trail.
"Campaign contributions from oil industry executives to Sen. John McCain rose dramatically in the last half of June... Oil and gas industry executives and employees donated $1.1. million to McCain last month -- three-quarters of which came after his June 16 speech calling for an end to the ban [on offshore drilling] compared with $116,000 in March... " (WaPo)
In light of this unmaverick-like toadying to big oil, maybe the Straight Talk Express should be renamed the rolling Drilling for Dollars Rig.
But Exxon John's cozying up to oil should come as no surprise. After all, he's the presidential candidate of the GOP.... Grand Oil Party.
Wayne Berman, McCain's national finance co-chairman, is the managing director of a firm that has lobbied for Chevron since 2004, and John Green, McCain's chief Congressional liaison has lobbied for Chevron with the same firm since 2005. (ThinkProgress)
It's not just his new championing of offshore drilling that has unleashed the McCain oil money pipeline, it's also his proposal to cut the corporate tax rate.... a $480 million per-year tax break for Chevron, and a $1.2 billion per-year tax break for Exxon.
This is nothing less than GOP trickle-down economics in action.... McCain promises big oil lucrative drilling rights and more tax breaks, and the anticipated $$ benefits trickle down to Exxon John's campaign.
Last Tuesday Exxon John bellowed to an appreciative audience on his new platform.... Exxon and Chevron's Genesis oil platform that is.... "We need to drill offshore and we need to do it now."
Pass the hardhat.
2 comments:
hi TH,
McSame chose to wage a dirty Rove-ian campaign, telling lies & ad hominem attacks on Obama.
When is Obama gonna fight back? McSame has so much dirt, off hand adultery to his 1st wife, Keating 5/corporate welfare, Vicky Iseman favors from a lobbyist, repeated foreign policy gaffs, association with racist crazy preachers like Hagee, lying about his past re Mother Teresa told him & Cindy to adopt the Bangladeshi girl, they never met M Teresa, getting by in the Navy despite incompetence of crashing 5 planes & being in the bottom 1% of the class because of his dad/nepotism, etc.
Obama doesn't need to lie, just tell the truth on McSame.
If Obama stays going to John Kerry route of not fighting the ReThug Dirt Machine, I'm punching a whole thru the wall! If Obama can't/won't do this, pick a VP that can.
I recall ur a Joe Biden stan. Compared to Byah or Kaine, at least Biden can be a decent attack dog, altho he does stay making gaffs.
I want Wes Clark or Feingold for VP, but I'll be happy with Biden compared to this generic Byah dude.
elridgecolombiano, Very hopeful that Obama chose Biden. It's the first real test of Obama's judgement, and in my opinion he passed with flying colors.
Besides Biden's solid foreign relations experience and first-name basis with many foreign leaders, I like Biden because he's honest.... he's been in Congress for over 30 years and hasn't enriched himself.
He's highly thought of in the Senate on both sides of the aisle and will be an effective broker.
His wife is a school teacher. He is strong on women's issues and has the common touch.
Biden has always commuted from DC to Delaware instead of living in the DC rarified air. He can help Obama with the DC minefield.
He's a fighter and can stiffen Obama's backbone....
Biden's reputation for being talkative is over-blown. He'll be effective the way Bill Clinton was effective in his enthusiasm... and knowledge... of the issues.
All in all, the best choice in a world where Russia is saber rattling, the Middle East simmers, the economy teeters and a steady hand is needed.
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