Posted on 06/25/2009 10:34:11 AM PDT by Sub-Driver
Al Gore Too Toxic for Dem Leaders Targeting Heartland Democrats on National Energy Tax Key Democrat Recalls Last Time Vice President Lobbied for a Major Energy Tax Hike: "No One Wants to Get BTU'd"
Washington, Jun 25 - Scrambling for votes to pass Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-CA) national energy tax, former Vice President Al Gore was slated to come to Capitol Hill today to make the case for increasing electricity bills, raising gasoline prices, and shipping more American jobs overseas to places like China and India. But Democratic leaders have had some second thoughts, according to Roll Call:
“Former Vice President Al Gore had been scheduled to deliver a final pitch to the House Democratic Caucus for the global warming bill on Thursday alongside Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), but Pelosi’s spokesman said Thursday morning that Gore will stay in Tennessee.”
Wondering what the real reason is for the Democrats’ last minute change of heart? Here’s a clue:
This is the map of the 2000 electoral college, reminding Democrats that former Vice President Gore lost many of the same states that will be crushed by higher energy costs and job losses under Speaker Pelosi’s national energy tax. As the Speaker and her colleagues in the Democratic leadership seek to corral the votes of rural Democrats, they made the calculation that bringing in the former Vice President to lobby for the national energy tax was undoubtedly the wrong strategy. In addition, bringing in Mr. Gore may have brought back some bad memories for House Democrats, who were famously “BTU’d” by the former Vice President and House Democratic leaders during another major energy tax vote 16 years ago. The Washington Examiner explains:
“For some House Democrats, the situation is reminiscent of at 1993, when Democrats passed a bill, pushed by then-Vice President Al Gore, that would have taxed the amount of energy used by measuring British Thermal Units, or BTUs.”
“Many House Democrats at the time went out on a political limb to support the bill, which was pushed by then-Vice President Al Gore.”
“It passed by just three votes by the Democratically led Congress, only to die in the Senate, where Democrats there refused to even vote on it.”
“The bill that Democrats plan to vote on as early as Friday appears headed for a similar fate.”
“‘That is the fear of most House members,’ said Rep. Gene Green, D-Texas, who is planning to vote on the bill. ‘No one wants to get BTU’d. A lot of members took a lot of heat back home over that bill.’”
Family farmers and rural small businesses have much at stake as tomorrow’s vote on Speaker Pelosi’s national energy tax draws closer. After all, Americans are registering their opposition to a national energy tax that would raise their electricity bills by as little as $25 per month, according to a Washington Post poll. And don’t forget, President Obama has already said that electricity bills will “skyrocket” under this legislation. Speaker Pelosi’s national energy tax will hit rural Americans even harder since they travel 25 percent farther than urban residents to go to work and run errands. They spend 58 percent more on fuel than urban residents as a percentage of their income, and electricity is far more costly to deliver to rural households than to urban homes across America. No wonder an increasing number of rural organizations are demanding that heartland Democrats oppose this harmful legislation.
So, in spite of the Vice President’s last-minute change of schedule, the question remains: On one of the defining votes of the 111th Congress, will moderate Democrats stand with their constituents who would be punished by the national energy tax, or will they stand with Al Gore, Speaker Pelosi, and left-wing special interests?
After a failed post-White House career as politician, teacher, slumlord, he's found tremendous WEALTH exploiting liberals doomsday fears.
If he appears before Congress to lobby for change, his own profiteering in the War On Global Warming, would become fair game (he could also be questioned in public by The Opposition).
He’s radioactive! Gotta love it
In my best Gandalf voice...
Energy cap and tax? YOU....SHALL NOT PASS!
Oboombacare?? YOU....SHALL NOT PASS!!!
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