Senate Republicans block windfall taxes on Big Oil
it’s hard to believe and just as hard to muster, but I loathe almost everyone named in this article.
“In the middle of what some are calling the biggest energy shock in a generation … they proposed as a solution, of all things, a windfall profits tax,” Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky chided the Democrats.
you know, he’s actually right. McConnell is actually right, that it’s pretty weak that this is the best the Democrats could come up with. but that doesn’t make him any less of a dick. fuck you, Mitch McConnell. $36 billion in the first quarter of this year.
$36 billion.
It’s like the Republicans want to lose in November. I don’t understand how a political party so good at politics just a few years ago could make such huge mistakes. They are really overestimating the amount of influence their hard core base has nowadays.
It is no surprise that the majority of politicians are completely separated and oblivious to the current public sentiment. Sure, they read polling data, listen to CNN; maybe talk to the occasional constituent, but in essence they do live in a bubble so to speak. It’s kind of hard not to when you’re wealthy and live in Washington D.C half of the year.
I do understand what the Republicans are doing, they’re trying to act the “fiscal conservative”, maybe win back the support of those fiscal hawks that have been disillusioned, and I will admit that there are many who are genuine in that belief, but they’re not realizing (or at the very least underestimating) that the public mood has shifted to a more progressive view point on a lot of major domestic and foreign policy issues. The majority of Americans now (thankfully) agree on a lot of the so called “leftist causes”. Global warming, abolishment of upper income tax breaks, gay marriage, renewable energy independence, foreign diplomacy with non-allies, THE WAR IN IRAQ!!!!
Granted it’s a little bit pathetic that it takes high gasoline prices to finally get the majority of people riled up, but at least people are starting to pay attention. Defending big oil? Blocking federal investment in renewable energy? If the Republicans actually think that this is an argument they can win, they’re more delusional than I originally thought. You might be able to get away with the argument that oil companies shouldn’t be subjected to wind-fall taxes due to unfairness, but I would love to see any Congressmen or Senator running for reelection in November try and tell the voters why we should continue giving tax breaks for oil companies. No please, do tell. Are they so detached from reality they actually think that we have to give oil companies tax breaks??? It’s 137 fucking dollars a barrel for Christ sake, what more incentive do they need!?
But hey, I don’t know why I’m complaining. I’ll gladly let conservatives dig their own grave. Have fun in November.
Just for fun, my election predictions. I think we should place some bets on these ponies…
House: 25+ seats
Senate: 6+ seats
President: Obama 55%+ popular vote
Shortly after the oil tax vote, Republicans blocked a second proposal that would extend tax breaks that have either expired or are scheduled to end this year for wind, solar and other alternative energy development, and for the promotion of energy efficiency and conservation…after that was blocked on the floor, all the lights suddenly cut out on Capital Hill and inexplicably a scene from Tecmo Bowel played where the Bears intercepted a touchdown pass at the end of the 4th qtr. from the Packers and ran it back all the way down field for a touch down winning the Super Bowl.
and the crowd went wild…
Oil takes 100 million years to make, we are running out of it, billions of people belong to industrializing economies, we have no energy policy and the liberal response is a windfall profits tax on oil companies? So we take away their profits to, what, make sure Billy Bob has enough money to fill up his pickup truck after all and vote for those nice Democrats in the fall, until the next big price shock and we’ll do it again for our hard workin’ American families and still not have a sustainable energy policy and whatthefuck Washington.