House Democrats Come to the House GOP’s Rescue
July 31st, 2008 at 06:21am Mark Noonan
We were wondering just how we were going to get some traction for the House races this fall:
Do-Nothing Democrats Vote to Adjourn House of Representatives Without Taking Action to Lower Gas Prices
Putnam: “It’s Time Democrats Put Their Boarding Passes Back in Their Pockets”
WASHINGTON – Rep. Adam Putnam (R-FL), Chairman of the House Republican Conference, issued the following statement shortly after the House of Representatives voted 213-212 – with no Republicans voting in the affirmative – to adjourn for five weeks in August and September without taking action to lower gas prices and break our dependence on foreign oil:
“The Democratic Congress should be held in contempt for voting to skip town without dealing with America’s energy crisis.
“Democrats are out of touch, out of excuses, out of support and out of time. Americans are hurting. Independent polls show they overwhelmingly support House Republicans’ all-of-the-above energy solutions.
“It’s time Democrats put their boarding passes back in their pockets and get to work by voting on the American Energy Act.”
As NRO points out, this is a Godsend to the GOP - its the perfect “kitchen table” issue and the GOP is entirely on the side of Joe and Jane Average on this issue. As with the Obama campaign, the only thing I can figure is that Pelosi and Co figure they’ve got their House majority sewn up and there’s no worry about what might happen in November. Of course, just as with the Obama campaign, we have to rate the Democrats as having the advantage in keeping their majority in November’s election…but there’s nothing for sure, and the GOP only needs a net of 19 to take an absolute majority…but even a GOP gain of 10 would give the GOP de-facto control over the House (with the remaining conservative and centrist Democrats scared to death of crossing the GOP). Meanwhile, if there was ever a year for Democrats to expand a majority, 2008 is it…so even a one seat gain by the GOP would be a crushing loss for the Democrats, given the political circumstances at the dawn of Campaign ‘08.
I’ve been observing politics for a long time now, and I’ve never seen a party so sure of themselves as the Democrats are. We’ll find out in November if its well-founded, or whether hubris and arrogance turned likely victory into defeat.
Entry Filed under: Campaign 2008, Congress, Democrats, Republicans
8 Comments
1. Henry Rice | July 31st, 2008 at 7:37 am
I’ve been concerned that there are too many rumors going around about John McCain and I wanted to help set the facts straight. Please forward this email to everyone you know.
THE LIE: Combined, the McCain family has has a credit card balance that is more than $750,000 and their interest rate is 24.49%.
THE TRUTH: The McCains pay off their credit card bills on a monthly basis. The $750,000 figure is also wrong, though it is true that between January 2007 and May 2008, one of the credit cards did reach $500,000 and another reached $250,000.
Also, with a combined net worth over $100 million, most of the credit cards did not have any interest payments at all. Only their Visa, Mastercard, and Saks Fifth Avenue cards (monthly balances ranging between $15,000 and $50,000) charged interest.
::: :::
THE LIE: McCain purchased two separate $4.7 million dollar condos in San Diego for their own enjoyment.
THE TRUTH: The combined cost of the two condos was $4.7 millon, and one of them was for the kids.
::: :::
THE LIE: The McCains spent over $500,000 in 2007 on household staff, such as maids and butlers.
THE TRUTH: They increased their household staffing budget from $184,000 in 2006 to only $273,000 in 2007.
::: :::
THE LIE: The McCains spent $11 million between the summer of 2004 and February 2008 on 13 different residences.
THE TRUTH: They spent $11 million acquiring five residences.
::: :::
THE LIE: The McCains inherited a business worth $1,000,000,000 from relatives.
THE TRUTH: The McCains inherited assets worth more than $100,000,000 from relatives, but those assets are unlikely to be worth $1,000,000,000.
::: :::
THE LIE: John McCain gambles away hundreds of thousands of dollars at the craps tables in Las Vegas.
THE TRUTH: While John McCain does frequently play craps in Las Vegas in continuous 14-hour sessions, it is unlikely that he has ever gambled away $100,000 in a single session.
THE LIE: John McCain spends $50,000 each year on shoes that he imports from Italy, South Africa, and Argentina.
THE TRUTH: Since John McCain’s shoes cost $520 a pair, it is highly unlikely that he spends even $10,000 each year on shoes. In addition, there are no reports that he has imported shoes from either South Africa or Argentina.
2. Danish Artist | July 31st, 2008 at 7:56 am
To modify a liberal talking point:
How dare liberals go on vacation when the American people are in harm’s way of extremely high gasoline prices. They don’t care about the average working family.
3. neocon | July 31st, 2008 at 8:57 am
Henry,
I have never heard of anyone of those claims about McCain, but more importantly, nobody cares.
In a year that should be a Democrat lanslide, the GOP is forunate that the current crop of Democratic and DNC leadership are the most incompetent and ineffective in that party’s history. Reid and Pelosi are dangerously stupid and their decision to recess without addressing the current energy crisis, speaks volumes about their disregard for Americans and this country. The GOP should be running wall-to-wall ad campaigns highlighting this egregious neglect of responsibility.
Secondly, Obama has NO plan himself and is completely beholden to special interest on this issue. Despite the overwhleming media bias and the recent magical mystery tour across the “pond”, McCain leads in likely voters and is within the margin of error in all voters. History suggests that unless the Democrat has a sizeable lead in the summer, he will lose in November.
The GOP needs to convince the American public that they are prepared to return to conservative principles, smaller government, fiscal responsibility and putting America first. Drill here and drill now, to secure the crude resources we need to transition to newer, more sustainable energy sources. The democrats have left the door wide open, will the GOP take advantage?
Less than 100 days left, it will be interesting.
4. Stingray | July 31st, 2008 at 9:47 am
To save money Repugs should applaud the fact they are going home to face their constituents. With razor thin majorities the Dems could not stop Repug parlimentary delay tactics. Repug obstruction after obstruction of the change voters asked for in the 2006 election signals a need for a come to Jesus between Repugs and their voters.
Rather than enact the change in direction the 2006 election represented, Minority Leader John A. Boehner (R-Ohio), led his colleagues out of the chamber in a dramatic gesture, saying “let’s just get up and leave.”
Rather than hearing a spirited battle over carbon emissions, gas prices and new fees for polluters, one lonely clerk after another read page after page of minutia to a nearly empty Senate chamber. GOP Senate minority leader McConnell shut down the Senate by forcing full reading of the 491-page bill.
5. Nevada Pundit | July 31st, 2008 at 9:53 am
Anyone but me find it interesting that the dems had time to make sure that Stevens and Rove made the headlines before they adjourned but they don’t have time to help the American people first. Maybe they are so sure of their strategy from 2004 of winning elections by making the other side look guilty that they don’t think the American people will notice. Guess what, it isn’t 2004 anymore. Real problems are out there that need fixing now, it’s time they do their job and finally put the country first.
6. Stingray | July 31st, 2008 at 10:54 am
but they don’t have time to help the American people first.5. Nevada Pundit | July 31st, 2008 at 9:53 am
We can begin to make a list; with Democratic leadership a bill was passed to have tobacco regulated by the FDA. This bill will not help the 400,000 American people who will die as a result of smoking this year, but should help Americans in the future. What did the Republican leadership do for the American people in this area? The Republicans left us with an image of Representative Boehner handing out tobacco lobby checks on the American peoples’ Congressional House floor before a key tobacco industry vote.
With Democratic leadership a credit card bill of rights was passed, making it more difficult for credit card companies to gouge the American people with deceptive practices. What did the Republican Congress do for the American people in this area? Made it more difficult for the average American to declare bankruptcy and thus protect them from being evicted from their homes in the mortgage crisis Congressional Republican’s good buddies in the Banking industry knew was coming.
7. congressive | August 1st, 2008 at 6:33 am
Ok, eight years of total Republican shenanigans, overseen by oil barons with tankers named after them, and it’s the Democrat’s fault.
Ok.
8. Danish Artist | August 1st, 2008 at 7:04 am
Wow, the liberals offer no criticism for the vacationing liberal politicians when in the past they could not wait to blast Republicans during the recess.
Typical.
Con-regressive, what shennanigans? What have the Democrats done to lower energy prices besides say NO to the obvious, saying NO to expanding what we presently use? Where is the “common sense” legislation to lower oil/gas prices that was promised in 2006?
keep up with the liberal talking points. Since the debate over energy expansion has been going on since Bush 1 and liberal foot-dragging to protect their environmentalist special interests has done nothing to help energy, why should the liberals get a pass? Their short-sightedness has come to bite the whole country in the ass and to them it’s all a HOAX.