Republican Senators Lindsey Graham, John Thune, Saxby Chambliss, Bob Corker and Johnny Isakson along with five Democratic Senators have formed a new “Gang of 10“.
This “Gang of 10? announced a “sweeping” and “bipartisan” energy plan to break Washington’s energy “stalemate.” What they did was throw every vulnerable Democrat, and Mr. Obama, a life preserver.
That’s because the plan is a Democratic giveaway. New production on offshore federal lands is left to state legislatures, and then in only four coastal states. The regulatory hurdles are huge. And the bill bars drilling within 50 miles of the coast — putting off limits some of the most productive areas. Alaska’s oil-rich Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is still a no-go.
The highlight is instead $84 billion in tax credits, subsidies and federal handouts for alternative fuels and renewables. The Gang of 10 intends to pay for all this in part by raising taxes on . . . oil companies! The Sierra Club couldn’t have penned it better. And so the Republican Five has potentially given antidrilling Democrats the political cover they need to neutralize energy through November.
They have thrown Republicans fighting for offshore drilling under the bus, and gained nothing, NOTHING that will help lower prices, increase energy independence or American energy security. They are not asking for offshore drilling where the resources really are, and are not trying to open up ANWR. All they are doing is giving out handouts by raising taxes on oil companies. What a crock.
When are these peckerheads in the Senate going to learn that you compromising with Democrats wins nothing? Chuck Hagel tried to throw in with the anti-war caucus eighteen months ago and he’s become a punchline. Graham has turned every Republican in the country against him for the capitulation to the pro-illegal-immigrant clowns. And now, they’re recommending the same failed policies of the last forty years as an energy solution.
This isn’t a compromise – it’s a Democrat victory. And the five Republicans who’ve pretended to hammer out this surrender package (when all they really did was let the Democrats dictate the terms of the new programs) need to explain to the American workers why they think $4/gallon gasoline is reasonable. And then resign…or run for their seats as Democrats and see if their constituents want to be represented by turncoat, traitorous, backstabbing, two-faced, cowards.
Hey McCain… how about some action on this? How about you take a page out of Barack Obama’s book and disavow Lindsey Graham? This isn’t the Lindsey Graham you knew… or something like that.
House Republicans are LEADING on this issue. Actually LEADING. And these 5 jerks are trying to pull the rug out from under them.
[...] are leading on this issue. The majority of Americans now want us to drill at home, even in ANWR. Senator Graham, Senator Chambliss and others… if you aren’t going to lead, then get the hell out of the way. Greater energy [...]
[...] not be precluded from criticism or reflection. Lest we forget, Saxby Chambliss was one of the Gang of 10 who stabbed all of us Conservatives in the back when Domestic Drilling was a rallying cry for [...]