GOP: Lift drilling ban or risk government shutdown

[babylonsister]

Pelosi was right this time. This is “the war dance of the handmaidens of the oil companies.”
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=3724304&mesg_id=3724304



GOP: Lift drilling ban or risk shutdown
Democrats eye budget tie
Sean Lengell (Contact)
Monday, August 4, 2008


The showdown on Capitol Hill over expanding offshore drilling could lead to a threatened government shutdown when Congress returns from its five-week summer break in early September.

Some Republicans say they are prepared to vote against a resolution to fund the federal government for the 2009 fiscal year unless Democrats agree to lift an offshore drilling moratorium. If the budget resolution fails, many agencies and departments would be denied money to operate and would be forced to close.

"We don't want the government shutdown to be an issue, but the fact is the Democrats are so overconfident that they're willing to talk about a ban and they're willing to talk about raising taxes on gasoline, so this is just pretty incredible," said Sen. Jim DeMint, a South Carolina Republican who is circulating a letter encouraging colleagues to demand that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Nevada Democrat, strike the drilling moratorium from the budget resolution.

"But I think that once Americans realize that this {drilling} ban will expire unless we pass something, I think there is going to be just an outcry to not vote for anything that had a ban in it."


more...

http://www.washtimes.com/news/2008/aug/04/lift-drilling-ban-or-risk-shutdown-gop-warns/

[Triana]

1. offshore drilling will do ONE thing: make MORE PROFIT for oil companies.

...and that's ALL.

[ThomWV]

2. Good, let them shut it down, its not working anyway and besides, look what happened last time

If the Republican Party wants to commit suicide its not something that will bother me much.

[angrycarpenter]

3. call their bluff

shut that sucker down.

[babylonsister]

5. They're damned if they do... Should they call the rethugs' bluff,

guess who'd get blamed for the shutdown?

[angrycarpenter]

8. I live on the gulf coast of florida

I know this is NIMBY but I am really against drilling off our beaches.

[babylonsister]

9. I am, too.

I live in Houston now, but lived in Corpus Christi for 6 years. I never went to the beach where I didn't have to get the WD-40 out upon returning home because I had to get the tar off my feet. Every time. Not to mention, those rigs are hideous-looking.

[wildbilln864]

4. Shut er down! nt

[angrycarpenter]

6. If this scares them into approving drilling

they are a bunch of spineless jellyfish who deserve to be voted out with the rest of the republicans.

[SteelPenguin]

7. I need to read more but....

Are they trying to leverage this at all?

for instance say "Oh we'll let them drill offshore...If we can also double cafe standards over the next decade, and reinvest every nickel of profit out of those rigs to wind and solar power, as well as an additional 100 billion (or whatever) investment on renewable energy, as well as a tax cut on electricity generated by renewable sources."

It seems that, aside from the obvious environmental issues, that this issue comes down to the fact that this simple doesn't answer our problems in the short, or the long term, yet the republicans are trying to sell it that it does. If we sell it as just one part of a solution, a backup plan if you will, then don't we pull the rug out from underneath the republicans?

Or are the environmental aspects too large a negative consideration to even use this as a political bargaining chip?

[KharmaTrain]

10. Think Of The Money We'll Save...

I'm all in favor of shutting things down...hell, the GOOP is only gonna throw shitfits anyway. You've got a Senate that has voted against health care for the elderly, veterans and children...hell they even voted against Mother's Day.

So the GOOP is gonna play shadow government, eh? Yep, let 'em knock themselves out.

I wouldn't be surprised if booosh attempts to call a "Special Session" to keep Democrats from campaigning...a desparation move as their corrupt leadership needs to pull stunts rather than run on their record...hell they're constantly running from it.

Here's a newsflash...while people may "favor" drilling, wanna bet when it's shown where the drilling will be, those numbers drastically change...NIMBY, baby.

If they want to "drill" (their heads would be a great place to start), then lets get $5,000 per American from the oil companies...$1,000? That's pocket change.

[CanonRay]

11. Another bluff

Remember what happened the last time they tried that crap?

[TheCowsCameHome]

12. Last one out please turn out the lights. Thank you.

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

13. I'm sure this will work just as well as the last time they tried it.

Which is to say it will backfire horribly.

[spanone]

14. so, they have enough votes to do this? fuck them

[malaise]

15. Bring it on Pukes n/t

[sarge43]

16. Shut down the gov't (Social Security, Medicare, military pay checks, etc) two months

before a critical election?

Do it. Please, make our day.

[gratuitous]

17. The obvious question

When they held total control of Congress and the White House, why didn't the Republicans do this then? Or were they too busy starting elective wars and meddling in the affairs of the Schiavo family to help out Exxon?

[spanone]

18. shut er down

[DemoTex]

19. Hold your breath. Stamp your feet. Have a Newtonian hissy-fit!

What a collection of puling, caterwauling, petulant little bastards. This totally failed GOP is full of Shakespeare's poor players, strutting and fretting their final hours upon the stage until the hook from stage Left snatches them into oblivion.

[Ganja Ninja]

20. Shut it down.

We can't get anything done with Bush around. Shut it down until the new congress is sworn in, in January. Then start impeachment as the first order of business.

[ccharles000]

21. ...