As Congress Recesses, Republicans Protest

GOP Representatives Stage Talk-In To Protest Democratic Energy Policies

(AP)  The last House vote before a vacation usually sparks a stampede toward the doors and waiting planes. Not so on Friday, when Republicans occupied the House floor for a rare, and at times bizarre, protest against Democratic energy policies.

The microphones were off, the House had stopped TV feeds to C-Span and the lights dimmed after the pre-noon vote to adjourn for the August recess. That didn't deter Republicans, who one after another rose to demand that Congress stay in session until it does something about high gas prices.

Unlike a normal session where the rules of decorum are strictly enforced, GOP lawmakers and their aides who filled the chamber clapped, chanted, gave standing ovations and booed the Democrats.

"Madame Speaker, where art thou?" shouted out Rep. Ted Poe, R-Texas, in a glancing rhetorical shot at House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. "Where oh where has Congress gone?"

It was a rare treat for tourists. Republicans invited many, in their shorts and sandals, into the chamber, usually strictly off-limits, to better hear the revivalist-like speeches.

The talkathon finally ended around 5:00 p.m. EDT, more than five hours after it began and 30 minutes after police escorted tourists out of the chamber. The Capitol closes to tourists at 4:30 p.m. In a grand finale, lawmakers led a roomful of aides in a rendition of "God Bless America" and walked off to chants of "USA, USA."

The event, said Rep. John Shadegg of Arizona, one of the organizers with Reps. Mike Pence of Indiana and Tom Price of Georgia, was "the equivalent of the Boston Tea Party over the energy issue."

Republicans are angry that Democrats blocked them from a vote on allowing more offshore oil drilling and increasing domestic oil supplies.

Democrats have faulted Republicans for obstructing their efforts to stop market speculation, press oil companies to develop the leases they have and force the president to release oil from the strategic petroleum reserve. The result is that Congress is leaving town without a comprehensive energy bill.

[intheburgfan]

I find the Republicans grandstanding in Washington while the Congress is in recess to be an abysmal, and utterly hypocritical and disgusting display of political shenanigans. These are the same Republicans that held complete control of Washington and power for the first six years of the Bush presidency. They could have initiated or forced through any offshore oil drilling legislation that they wished during this period.

Instead, they did absolutely nothing constructive about the American addiction to oil, and now, with a presidential election on the horizon, they seek to display that they are now ready to do something about America%u2019s addiction to oil. What a load of asinine political tomfoolery; I hope that Americans will not accept this as nothing but what it is, mere political grandstanding by a bunch of buffoons!

Throw the bums out and send a clear message to McCain by voting for Senator Obama, and let the Republicans and big oil know, that we are not going to take it anymore!

WHAT DO WE DO THEN?

Senator Barack Obama is for a $1000 tax cut, plus a stimulus check for average Americans to help offset the price of gas.

Senator McCain is for keeping the 3.4 trillion dollars in tax cuts for the rich, while not being able to afford anything much for the average American.

* McCain is for big oil and Wall Street!

* Senator Obama is for the average American and main street!

[ragnar30066]

Pelosi is not a ***. She is leading a retreat. The proper response to a retreat is to pursue and destroy.

Each and every one of you needs to determine if you have a Congressman who listens to Pelosi instead of you. If so, find 20 friends who will each find 20 friends to replace that Congressman this November.

If you don''t have a Pelosi puppet, then support yours and find someone''s to hammer with emails, letters and phone calls.

We need to turn these people out of office, turn this boat around, or we''ll end up being a Third World country.

Drill Here, Drill Now, Pay Less

[voltaire333]

Why is it that the first to lie, cheat, steal and play dirty politics, are also the first to cry "foul." Republicans make my stomach turn.

[liberty_1776]

Why does the Democrat Party refuse to vote on expanding offshore oil drilling to reduce US dependency on foreign oil?

Everyone knows that 70% of Americans favor expanding US offshore drilling. Why are the Democrats ignoring the will of the people who put them in office???

We must vote out the Democrats in November!

[dnsallday]

by standlee5 .................................

Standlee5, You shoud educated yourself before posting on any blog. All you do is expose your ignorance here.
It''s embarrasing really, to see somebody who knows so little about any situation, insist on pretending she has a clue.

[dnsallday]

If the Republicons were so worried about not getting enough work done, then why have the blocked more legislation than any other body of Congress in the history of the United States?
Just the same BS from them that we have all come to expect.

[liberty_1776]

We must punish the Democrats by kicking them out of office this year. They fought tooth and nail to keep us from voting on drilling for more domestic oil. Every time you squeeze the handle and watch those numbers race up on the pump, think about getting rid of the incumbent Democrats. They could have instantly lowered gas prices in the US by allowing new drilling. Remember in November!

[boatdocster]

Hmm, drill offshore and maybe lower gas prices in 5-10 years. No extra refinery capability in the US to process the gas. Even if Oil companies drill it at 10.00 a barrel, they will sell it to us at 130.00. Sitting on large land leases now (but still do not have enough refinery bandwidth to process the extra oil) Not liked by the Democrats.

Pass a law to end oil speculation, which most experts agree is driving up the price now, adding perhaps 30% to oil prices. Strong possibility to lower gas prices now, not 5-10 years in the future. Blocked by the Republicans (along with heating oil for low income families).

7 years of total mismanagement but the GOP and Bush, and blame on the folks that have been in charge for the last 8 months.

Pelosi and Reid need to pass real legislation that will help America get off oil, and in few more months they should be able to do so.

Tell me again why we are going to pay an annual pension of 1.2 million to a President who has broken laws, ignored the Constitution and screwed everything he has touched...

[minnick8-2009]

Thirty years ago, it was apparent that the lefty''s and the Dems wanted us to freeze to death in the dark. I hope it for them. Unfortunately, they will take us all with them.

[minnick8-2009]

It wasn''''t the Denocrats and left wingers.

Posted by Rafterman1

You didn''t bother to read about the 40 years of attempts to develop resources. If you had, you wouldn''t have come back with your retort.

[deacon20081]

Don''t blame the Democrats for the Gas nightmare brought to you by George Bush and Pals. The first thing to do is cut the "feeding off" the public lands and abandoning producing wells that have been capped by the oil companies.

[ladyesq1]

I agree with the posts here.......Pelosi is a ****. Get rid of her. Her and Howard Dean can go on a vacation and never come back.

[standlee5]

What do the Democrats want to do with the country''s oil. If they want to nationalize it why don''t they make that argument. They want to hold it hostage to make a market for greeen tech but we still have oil. Are they saving it for future generations. Wht do they want to do with our oil?

[standlee5]

Couldn''t they have at least given us a gas tax holiday. What do they do with all those taxes anyway. They don''t spend it on what it was intended. The Democrats left and could have easily said you know what give the peons an $.18 a gallon break.

[payasyougo]

This behavior by Pelosi is disgusting.

I see no policies coming from the democratic side. I see only democratic opposition to anything coming from the republican side unless it has significant government spending associated with it.

[rafterman1]

Now read the information and then come back and tell me it wasn''''t the Democrats and left wingers.




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by minnick8

It wasn''t the Denocrats and left wingers. It was the oil compnaies thet keep insisting on drilling in national parks and dangerous offshore sites instead of on the 70 million acres of land they have leased now. Why won''t you neocons question the oil companies and their refusal to use the 70 million acres?

[minnick8-2009]

Posted by sbbm

I loved your post

Posted by likeitis5050

I loved yours too.

I have been in here trying to share information about how the Libs and Dems have accomplished stopping fossil fuel development in this state. I have said it was for the past 30 years, but I was working on my memory, and I finally pulled up a web site about energy development on the Kapairowitz Plateau by Googling those two words and found a site by Northern Arizona U which tells all about it for the past 40 years, and how it was finally put to bed by Bill Clinton when he signed legislation creating the Grand Staircase National Monument locking up the resources on 1.9 million acres of land in Utah permanently.

Now read the information and then come back and tell me it wasn''t the Democrats and left wingers.

[no_to_obama]

IMPEACH PELOSI !!! I hope she is enjoying her vacation. The Democrats in have done nothing, absolutely nothing for this country while they have controlled Congress. No wonder they had a low of 9% approval rating, and everybody comments on Pres Bush''s low approvel rating. He is one person that can''t do a lot without the Approval of Congress, but Congress is a collective of many that can''t do anything good for the country because of the Dem Leadership.

[dnsallday]

Did anybody mention that the Republicons have obstructed and blocked more legislation than any other body of Congress in History?

[likeitis5050]

The Dems have the ball and if you don''t play by their rules they take their ball and go play else where...would be fine if this wasn''t a critical time in our lives and one that calls for all of Congress to work together. Pelosi led this playground show down. She needs to be impeached for obstructing business all of them were elected to conduct. She is toxic and she is determined to keep things divided and contentious....she gets her jollies this way. Sickening excuse of a woman and inexcusable as a politician..