Posted on 08/01/2008 7:48:37 AM PDT by SmithL
For weeks, pressure has been mounting in Congress to approve more domestic oil drilling, but House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has held the line, using her power to block a vote on offshore drilling.
President Bush has made almost daily calls for Democratic leaders to take action. House GOP leaders, citing a new poll showing that a slim majority of Californians now favor offshore drilling, issued a release Thursday saying "even (Pelosi's) own California neighbors oppose her efforts to block new drilling far off American coasts." GOP lawmakers are so disgruntled they're urging Bush to deny Congress its August break by calling a special session on energy.
Even some Democrats are getting antsy, fearing the party's stance could hurt them in the fall elections. But Pelosi, who has opposed offshore drilling throughout her two decades in Congress, insists opening new areas to drilling won't lower gas prices in the short term. She believes a vote would only help the GOP blame Democrats for high gas prices.
"I will not ... give the administration an excuse for its failure," Pelosi said at an end-of-session roundtable interview Thursday.
Republicans have put a bull's-eye on the federal moratorium on coastal drilling, which has kept most of the East and West coasts off limits to new oil rigs since 1982. Bush announced earlier this month that he would lift the presidential moratorium on drilling, and the GOP is now seeking to lift the congressional ban.
Pelosi drew derision from her critics for telling the Web site Politico this week that she was blocking a vote on offshore drilling because "I'm trying to save the planet." But she elaborated on that theme Thursday, saying she sees energy independence and fighting global warming as "my flagship issue." She said she will use her power to resist...
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
How about if he calls a special session for the week prior to the Dem convention, and then tells them they can't leave without passing an energy bill?
It has since dropped more than $20 per barrel and its still falling.
Imagine what the price would do if we openly committed to developing our own oil resources.
Can you imagine what would happen when the first off shore rig struck oil, the first rig in ANWR hit pay dirt or we complete the first new refinery in 32 years?
That would deeply sadden Nancy because it would effect our billfolds, our national financial markets and our national security.
She wants to play politics with all of the above for her party's gain.
This is a great headline. It assigns blame for gas prices to the democrats, right where it belongs. My concern is they will make some sort of bogus gesture toward drilling just before Congress adjourns, in hopes of further confusing the electorate about democrat policies.
When the price of gas goes up, blame the democrats.
Nancy Pelosi is a failed hoax.”
Pelosi also hires illegals at her family restaurants.
They sit on top of Nob and Russian Hills, sipping their lattes and pontificating ...””
Do the math:
If you are paying $3 for an 8 ounce cup of fancy coffee, that is a cost of $48 per gallon. If the cup of coffee costs $4, then the gallon price is $64/gallon.
Guess if you can pay $48/gallon for coffee, the $5 gasoline isn’t a problem?????
Pelosi has the right to do that. She owns all the oil off the coast doesn’t she? Or do the people of this country own the oil? Who is she that she can tell anyone they can’t drill? That oil belongs to us..........or, she can let China drill for it.
She wants to play politics with all of the above for her party’s gain.”
I think her party is the Communist Party.
But she's totally IN TOUCH with her constituency.
If Nancy were to allow a vote on off-shore drilling, she would be un-elected, with certainty, this November.
It's only a matter of time before she is over-ridden by "moderate" dims and I am certain there is conspiracy afoot in the dim ranks right now.
When they come back from recess, there will be enuff dim votes to join with the GOP to FORCE a vote.
Excellent observation.
Yes, she is. Here's a comment to the article on SFGate.com that epitomizes liberal thinking on the issue:
Previous comment: "Wow! This is why the regular "flyover states" don't identify with liberals at all! They need their cars to get to work because they don't live in NY or LA and, believe me, they don't want to."
sf_liberal: They chose not to develop sustainable communities. Again, not my fault. Why should I have to suffer for their lack of vision? If they want to drill, then drill on their own crappy land, not on my beautiful coasts.
I had just dialed the White House comment line (202-456-1111) when I heard on the top of the hour newscast that the House had recessed for its Summer vacation.
In that second, the news altered my message. I pressed “1” twice, and after a single ring was talking to a very polite gentleman.
I told him that with all due respect, I demanded that the President call the House back into emergency session to address the issue of domestic oil exploration and extraction - and if they fail to bring it to a vote and recess again, to repeat the process until they do vote, even if it keeps them in Washington until election day.
He told me that I should deliver the same message to my Senators and Congressman - I replied that I already had contacted them earlier today with the same demand, although not then with the knowledge of the recess. I also had delivered the same message to the offices of Pelosi and Reid.
I hope that more of you can be inspired to do the same, and to keep doing it until we get action.
12 games out now in the East?
;^)
{ducking}
It’s a nice thought but our Dear President is too busy calling Rush.
It’s not going to happen. I pray I’m wrong but the only balls that GWB seems to have anymore are on the golf course.
Your phone call, and all of ours mean nothing.
I’m not trying to be mean, but why would you complain here on FR instead of voicing your complaint with the White House?
One thing my children consisitently heard from me was that excuses could be instructive, but in every case an excuse is only why you failed.
I’ve voiced my complaint. Did my writing as I should.
In the long run, it does nothing but make me feel like I did something.
Now, if it’s true that the Republicans are hold up in the House and they have turned the lights off, I will be calling and sending Pizza to the lot of them.
Less a substantial handling fee, of course...
Pelosi just like Barbara Boxer are not even from California.
Their east coast products.
It’s all political theater at this point because both sides know nothing is going to get done, and W has never been persuasive with Congress even when the GOP was in charge.
“Every Republican running for any office in the US needs to stop referring to Obama and start consistently referring to “Pelosi, Reid & Obama” as if they were one amorphous blob of liberal slime.”
What do you mean “as if”
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.