Monday, August 11, 2008

Why the GOP Will Keep Losing

Last week was one of the better weeks for the Grand old Party. With the Democrats out of town in a vain effort to avoid a vote on drilling for oil, Republican congressman (my own among them) took to the floor of the House to make speeches and rally support for more drilling. President Bush was putting pressure on Nanacy Pelosi to reconvene the House (although calling a special session would be better). Even DIRC #1,John McCain, was running with this (becayse it ain't a flip-flop when you get it right). And anyone except for the liberals, who are invested in high gas prices, could see this was the one, single, winning issue that the GOP needed to get some traction. There's no way they could mess this up.

Enter Saxby Chambliss, R-Georgia; John Thune, R-South Dakota; Lindsey Graham, R-South Carolina; Johnny Isakson, R-Georgia; Bob Corker, R-Tennessee. This is the Republican half of the "Gang of 10," reminding us again that compromise can take an issue and effectively destroy it, and as an added bonus, delay action on an issue that actually matters.

These halfwits created a bill that pleases none and pisses off all. Besides selling out principle for hand jobs from Democrats, the bill gives us the following:

  • Expanding drilling opportunities off the East coast and Gulf of Mexico, which pleases Republicans
  • Keeping a ban on drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska, a concession to Democrats
  • Repealing a tax break for oil companies that Democrats have long called for
  • Putting billions toward producing more alternative-fuel vehicles, in part paid for by the oil and gas industry

  • Now whether you're for or against drilling, this idea of compromising by saying we'll drill a little, then tax the oil companies to fund a whole bunch of government programs is not compromise, but capitulation. It's a half-ass measure that can be vetoed, booted around until a compromise comes out, then gets vetoed by the "oilman" Bush. See the problem for the GOP here?

    Fuck compromise! I understand it's sometimes a necessity in the legislative process, but when you sacrifice a principle for political expediency, you hand your political enemies weapons with which to crush you. You piss off your base by not doing what they put you in Washington to do. And you easily ensure that the swing voters will not see anything significant to differentiate you from your opponent the next time your worthless ass comes up for election. Come to think of it, I have a GOP Senator that needs to not let the door hit him in the ass on the way out.

    Now, as for the master of compromise, John McCain, there's at least a slight chance he won't make the mistake of embracing this "compromise" offered by Republicans who want to lose. Personally, I think he should have said something along the lines of: "Well, I've read the basics of this bipartisan compromise bill. It's a load of horseshit."

    In the end, it's the endless need to compromise in the direction of the liberal Democrats that is killing the GOP. Strangely, I won't be upset if it dies a beautiful sick death.

    12 comments:

    Beth said...

    And when it does die, there are those of us who can help it rise again from the ashes, with the principles of conservatism firmly at the helm.

    Name: Soapboxgod said...

    Patrick, you are Right...and yet, you are humble.

    It just makes so much sense that it's almost sick.

    No wait...it is sick.

    Satyavati devi dasi said...

    OK. I have a question and you will have to take this as a question that is actually seeking your answer and not looking to start a fight. So far no one has given me an answer to this question, so you're up.

    The oil companies have and have had permits on millions of acres they haven't touched. These are already negotiated, permitted, legal, OK'd by the EPA and all that hooah.

    They can drill on this land any time they want to. Some of these permits have been in place for years.

    Why haven't they drilled there? Why are they all hot for getting permits to drill in more places when they aren't even utilizing what they have? This is sort of like this:

    me: I need $85 for a new pair of black shoes.

    him: No.

    me: Why?

    him: You have three pairs of black shoes you haven't worn yet.

    So seriously, I'm asking. The companies wouldn't go to all the trouble of paying for the surveys and the permits and the legalese of it all on all those acres for no reason at all. They must have had some reason to believe that all that money is an investment that will pay off once they drill. So why do they need permission to drill elsewhere, when they haven't even utilized what they have?

    Seriously. I would like an answer on this.

    Thanks.

    Patrick M said...

    Beth: Amen.

    Soap: Amen?

    Saty: Easy answer. There's not easily recoverable oil there. If it was worth it to drill, they'd be drilling.

    Part of that is the actual costs to drill (including the lease they paid an assload for), but a lot of that is an incessant pile of regulations, red tape, and general governmental bullshit. Some of that serves a purpose of course, but so much of it is designed with no other purpose than to buy votes somewhere.

    Think of it as one of those stoves with the flat surface. Parts of it heat, some parts don't. Now think of the parts they have currently leased as a spot sitting on the edge of the warmer-only part of the stove. There's heat, but not enough to really do anything with.

    Hope that clears it up.

    Dionne said...

    If you asked me to name the biggest reason I despise John McCain it would be his leadership and participation in the Gang of 14. These "gang compromises" tick me off because whenever there is a compromise in D.C. it means that the Dems get 70% of what they want and Republicans get 30%.

    If this gang of 10 survives and McCain endorses it he can officially kiss the election good-bye. This is a HUGE issue that is really important and the base won't be accepting any "gang compromises".

    Patrick M said...

    Dee: I think I said something like that, only more colorfully.

    Come to think of it, let's just rename the base betrayals the gyrating GOP perpetrates (with a Larry Craig toe tap) as the "Gangbang of 14" and the "Gangbang of 10", collectively known as the Gangbang of America. Thank you maverick Senators all.

    Toad734 said...

    The only ones invested in high gas prices are the oil companies and the middle east.

    Patrick M said...

    Toad: By the oil companies, do you mean the people who own the company, as in stockholders. If so, then they should benefit, as there are millions of those people around America.

    Toad734 said...

    And you think those profits all get distributed to the stock holders?

    Don't get me wrong, if you bought exxon stock in 2003 for $.36 per share you could retire now. And now you see how the Iraq war benefitted the oil industry and those who are vested in the oil industry.

    Patrick M said...

    No, most of the profits get reinvested to grow the company more. Then everybody wins.

    Toad734 said...

    But I thought that's what their subsidies and tax breaks were for??? If they have so many profits to invest back into the company, why are they taking money out of my pocket?

    Patrick M said...

    No, those are to offset the fact that foreign oil is cheaper because we can't drill our own.