The Left Likes High Oil Prices

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An interesting pattern has emerged in the current debate over offshore and ANWR (Arctic National Wildlife Reserve) oil exploration and drilling proposals. The Democrat Left are fighting tooth-and-nail against any proposals to get this country off foreign oil. Why is that?

For one thing, environmental extremists have been advocating high prices so that people would drive less. They've gotten their wish on that. They've fought any expansion of existing or the building of new refineries. The last new refinery was built in 1976, during the Gerald Ford Administration.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Sen. Charles Schumer have been leading the no-drill Democrats in preventing the opening of offshore oil reserves and at ANWR. Pelosi refuses to even allow a debate or vote on the issue and the Democrats, by one vote, recessed the House for five weeks. President Bush may call the congress back to debate this issue.

The Left claims they want to develop alternative energy sources. That's all well and good, but those are decades away from fruition. Republicans argue that our economy can't handle the current oil prices without major damage. This is falling on deaf ears. Republicans argue that alternatives can still be recearched and developed, but we should increase our own oil supplies and refining capabilities in the meantime.

The Democrats always claim that they are the "party of compassion," but where's the compassion when the average American is financially strapped due to high gasoline prices and are having difficulty making ends meet? The Democrats claim that they are the champions for the poor, but these fuel prices hits especially hard on low income wage earners. Where's the "compassion" there?

I frequent many message boards and forums on the Internet, and the Leftist liberals on those venues are fighting just as hard as the Democrats in Washington, D.C. They come up with same bogus arguments and statistics to support their "no-drill" mantra.

This campaign will be determined on economic issues. It is also a referendum on Barack Obama. This should be a blow-out election year for the Democrats. But the cat was let out of the bag on who's responsible for high gas prices, and it isn't the oil companies or speculators. It is the no-drill Democrat Left who's responsible.

Last week, when the Democrats recessed congress, the GOP finally got the courage and righteous indignation to fight back. As C-Span is under contract to cover congress while people are speaking, Nancy Pelosi shut off the microphones and lights, but later relented. This received big airplay. It didn't make the Democrats look good.

I recall that when Pelosi was selected as Speaker of the House, she promised open debates and bi-partisan cooperation. Those never materialized. Her refusal to allow a debate and a vote shows that she's more interested in screwing the American people and her opponents. Small wonder recent polls show a 9% favorable rating for the do-nothing congress.

Don't be surprised if the Democrats lose big in November. It it does happen, the Democrats could only blame themselves. This is their election to lose and they seem to be on a course to do so. I say let them keep on fighting, they'll be tightening their own noose!