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Is Congress leading the way in Environmentalism?


House Minority Whip Roy Blunt, of Missouri, said to reporters late Friday August 3, 2008, " I just saw one of the Democrats interviewed on television. The question was, if oil was $10 a gallon and you knew exactly where to get it in Alaska or on the coast, would you drill there and there was no answer,"

Blunt said, " We think we need to have more sources of energy, use energy more efficiently, and invest in the future. That's all. We want to have that debate. We think those are winning ideas in America today. But for whatever reason, the leaders of this Congress, the Democrat leaders of this Congress, are afraid of those ideas,"

As Congress departed for its 5 week vacation without taking action even though polls Friday said 73% of motorists are concerned, the average prices here in Colorado according to the AAA's Daily Fuel Gage Report were:

Regular

Mid

Premium

Diesel

$3.935

$4.108

$4.270

$4.716



Many motorists are beginning, including Police Departments, the Airline and Trucking industries who depend on these commodities are beginning to distress. However, many environmentalists are beside themselves with glee, believing that these high-gas prices will result in less driving and less greenhouse gas emissions.

In contradiction to Congress' vacation and environmentalist's glee the Democrats campaigned and won the November 2006 election in part because the Democrats promised to fix the fuel crisis over two years ago. Senator Ken Salazar's speech on the floor of the Senate, " President's Rhetoric Out of Touch with Oil and Gas Prices outlined an agenda for energy independence, 06/28/ 2006" and Representative Mark Udall in E-Newsletter April 28, 2006: PAIN AT THE PUMP Udall Spells Out Plan for Relief" defined the issue and what they would do about it with a Democratic Congress.


Today August 3, 1008 most Americans drive and feel the pinch of high gasoline prices - but the cost of fuel affects the whole economy in spite of the fact Nancy Pelosi is Speaker of the House Pelosi and Harry Reid is Majority Leader Harry of the Senate. With Nancy Pelosi's claim she is "going to save the planet" the very least Coloradoan's in our current situation can expect is for gas and diesel prices to drive up inflation and damage the economy. The implication of her "justification" for Congress to do nothing is that Americans are doing nothing about the Environment. Baloney!

Big bad environment-eating corporations like General Motors have invested billions into the development of alternative energy vehicles. GM is expected to launch the world's first hydrogen-powered, gas-free vehicles before the end of the decade. While it's widely believed among European-loving leftists that American giants such as Ford and GM are lagging behind companies such as BMW, Volkswagen and Volvo in environmentalist practices, the beliefs are not supported by the facts. European emissions standards (see EURO-5 Emissions Standard) are less stringent than their US counterpart EPA standards for new vehicles. In fact, many cars sold in European countries would not meet the requirements for sale in the US and Canada as they pertain to emissions control. FACT: The United States has the strictest environmental controls on automobiles in the world. BMW has been consistently ranked among the poorest in terms of environmental practice, such as the continued use of Polyvinyl Chloride in their construction process; a practice which American car companies ceased in the nineties.

General Motors ranks first among world automotive companies as it pertains to the use of recycled materials in new vehicle construction. According to the company, as much as 80% of plastic-material in their new car construction is recycled.

In general, American car companies win again in terms of their investment in research into alternative energy technologies with GM and Ford cumulatively spending over $10 billion US in fuel cell research. Despite the fact that the US thumbed their nose at Kyoto, and for very legitimate reasons, the US free market and specifically its automotive industry actually leads the way in terms of "clean air technologies".

The unsubstantiated belief that European countries are somehow "leading the way" in environmentalism is absurd. Believing that they are superior in their environmental laws and practice simply by virtue of signing the Kyoto Treaty on Global Warming is nonsensical. Because the European Union has admitted it will come no-where close to meeting its 2015 targets. Secondly, because they never had anything to lose; the treaty was designed around redistributing economic wealth from the US.

Article II, Section 3 of the Constitution states that the president " may, on extraordinary occasions, convene both houses" of Congress. On more than two dozen occasions in our history, presidents have done just that, forcing the Senate and House of Representatives to meet on extraordinary matters of defense or economic peril. Democrat President Truman convened the "80th do noting Republican Congress"; call President Bush Comments: 202-456-1111; or Comments: 202-456-6213 or FAX: 202-456-2461; or email comments@whitehouse.gov to reconvene the 110th do nothing Congress to remedy the National fuel crisis that is ruining the economy Congress promised to fix November 2006.

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Showing 1-6 of 6 comments

If Pelosi wants to save the planet, I think she should move to China after seeing the horrible pollution our athletes have to deal with in that country. We are head and shoulders over so many other countries when it comes to what we are doing in this country to save energy and have clean air and water. Seems to me the Democrats don't understand simple economics...supply and demand.

The posters 8/3 4:34PM & 8/4 8:21AM make my point! Congress is incorrigibly corrupt. That’s the reason this 110th Congress got nothing done. The President can spend no money unless Congress approves, the reason Ways and Means Committee exists. Posters are in denial using smoke and mirrors blaming everyone but those who refuse to let votes be taken on legislation that provides the ways and means to solve the economic crisis gripping the nation with out of control fuel prices caused by the Congressional mandated fuel shortage. Now in face of disaster they are paralyzed by strings from corrupt 527 contributions in their re-election coffers. The blame game fixes nothing. A dose of integrity and doing their jobs according to their sworn oaths is the only cure. HST style Presidential determination to avoid ruining the economy can prevail against the advice of experts & 527s just Truman opposed the 80th do nothing Congress with. Now is the time to stand up for America not corruption!

This Congress had its chance, 2 years worth, and have fairly blown it. When their own loons follow them around and harass them at home and on their book tours, that's gotta be a good feeling. They can't really go around and say what they DID, so their 527's and attack dogs will just say what the opposition MIGHT DO. Udall looked ridiculous in that debate on TV last night, btw. Couldn't answer a question without the word "Republican" in his answer, not feeling strongly about his OWN record? Does he ever get asked about his Norman Hsu connection?

Corruption in Congress has been there since the first Continental Congress before the Revolution right up to Democratic Senator Harry Reid using campaign money for Christmas bonuses - re The AP 10/17/2006 — Senate leader Harry Reid paid cash for a $750,000 condo at the Ritz-Carlton where he lives. Reid give the doorman and other support staff Christmas bonuses, with campaign donations. A Nevada law firm composed of four Reid sons represented a group of developers in smelly land deal between Senator Reid & Reed’s business assoc. that Reed failed to report to Ethics committee ... Denver Post notes Progressive groups remolding Colorado with 527s http://redmeatblog.com/archives/2006/10/harry_reids_lan.html House Republican Whip Roy Blunt on Omnibus Spending Bill http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLOA9VI8nYs exposes Democrat’s pork earmarks on Bill for troops Afghanistan secretly diverting funds to their home districts specifically denying un-earmarked funds to troops in Iraqi. So what’s new?

Roy Blunt is a criminal and a fool - it's so transparent that his wife and two kids are lobbyists, for crying out loud. Sure, he's relatively small-fry, but the GOP leadership has been winnowed down by an undending stream of indictments an sex scandals, so he and John Boehner (also a criminal and a fool) are all about the GOP has left. The best thing you can say about most of them is "not yet indicted."

8/3/2008 @ 4:34:18 PM admits Democrats buying elections; see Udall’s Dirty Money http://longmontadvocate.blogspot.com/search/label/Mark%20Udall “So, a 15-year Chinese fugitive from the law wants to " help" out the DNC, any takers? You bet, plenty. Names like Clinton (Hsu's a " Hillraiser"), Kerry, Kennedy, Boxer, Feinstein, Franken, and Obama lined up. And of course, Colorado's own Udall. On top of the $1,000 he's giving back, let's not forget the $5,000 he got from the Hsu funded "For A Change PAC", the $10,000 from the Hsu funded "Searchlight Leadership Fund" (Harry Reid's PAC), and $40,000 from the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and Democratic Congressional Campaign Committees, also recipients of large Hsu donations. Given recent history of Chinese contributors (more "Friends of Bill"), wouldn't you run for the hills if someone like this approached you? This speaks poorly of Congressman Udall and his staff's judgment at the very least.“
Showing 1-6 of 6 comments