As soon as the price of oil shoots up, the right-wingers always start talking about opening up ANWR to oil exploration and drilling. They regale us with tales of finding enough oil to supply our domestic needs for years and years. So much oil we wouldn’t know what to do with it. We’d be filling our swimming pools with it. There would be public oil baths. We’d spray it up into the air on the 4th of July and all dance around naked in celebration of our new find. Then there’s the Dakotas, which supposedly contain more oil than Saudi Arabia. If only we could let the oil companies in there, gasoline would immediately come down to $1 a gallon. Life would be great. We could all buy Hummers from the Middle East (which will probably own the brand in another couple months since GM is trying to ditch it) and have tailgate parties off the back of them as we sit in interstate gridlock.

Well once again, the GOP-backing radio hosts have it all wrong. Salon has printed and debunked most of the oil myths we’ve heard in the past year or two.

Among the highlights:

• Even if ANWR were opened up today, it would take eight to twelve years to get production going
• Saudi Arabia has approximately 260 billion barrels of proven oil reserves, compared to the Dakotas with approximately three to four billion barrels, and ANWR with just over ten billion
• If all the oil was taken from ANWR and the Dakotas, it would satisfy current US oil consumption for about two years
• China is not drilling for oil off the Florida coastline (even though Dick Cheney claimed it was)
• If the offshore drilling ban was removed in 2012, the Energy Information Administration (which provides official energy statistics from the US Government) states that “it would not have a significant impact on domestic crude oil and natural gas production or prices before 2030″

So if you hear Rush or Sean or Mark or Dan or Laura or Monica on the radio telling you that if we would only let the energy companies drill more, all our problems will be solved, you know now that all they’re selling you is a barrel full of lies.

Campaign 2008 | No Comments »

A week or two ago I posted a story about a man who believed liberals and Democrats were ruining the country and how he went into a church known for its tolerance and started shooting. Two people died and seven others were injured.

Before that, it was people held hostage at Hillary Clinton’s New Hampshire headquarters.

Now it’s happened again.This time the target was the chairman of the Arkansas Democratic Party, Bill Gwatney, who is lying in a hospital in critical condition who died in the hospital, four hours after being shot. The suspect was chased down by police, shot, and eventually died.

We all know how the right-wing hates when its words are used against it. They’d rather believe their lies and hate speech just goes out over the airwaves and disappears into the ether. Thanks to Media Matters, Crooks and Liars, and other outlets, that doesn’t happen anymore. The lying hatemongers can now be held accountable. I’m not about to argue that they shouldn’t be able to say what they want to say. What I do believe is that they should realize that there are real consequences and real-life ramifications from their daily assault on reason and truth.

It’s time to stop the hate speech about how Democrats want to destroy the country,

It’s time to stop the hate speech about how Democrats are unpatriotic.

It’s time to stop the “Stop Obama Express,” Mr. Hannity.

It’s time to stop all the bullshit and start talking about the real issues for a change. This partisan swiping is getting old, and it’s getting people killed.

Hypocrites and Liars, Other Stuff | No Comments »

Here’s yet another article about our crumbling infrastructure. Not only is there not enough money in the budget of some municipalities to pay for repair to buildings, there isn’t even enough money to get kids bussed to school for the full year.
And if you have kids, better make sure grandma knits them a nice sweater or two for the winter, because schools are also cutting the heat.

Nearly half — 44 percent — said their districts were cutting back on field trips, while 37 percent said they were cutting back on heating and air conditioning and 31 percent said they were buying fewer supplies.

See what happens when Republicans and big business squeeze the middle class? Everyone suffers, including the kids.

Policy | No Comments »

Here’s some more on McCain showing no lack of bitter partisanship from Uncommon, Common Sense. I was not previously aware that McCain himself had actually perpetuated the lie that Obama planned to use his visit to wounded troops in Germany as a publicity stunt. On Larry King Live, he apparently said the following: “I have no idea except that I know that according to reports, he wanted to bring media people and cameras and his campaign staffers…”

Nothing like spreading some straight talk, eh?

Campaign 2008, Hypocrites and Liars | No Comments »

Isn’t it ironic that a video of this speech is still on John McCain’s website? Check it out for yourself. Here’s the transcript (again, emphases mine).

For too long, now, Washington has been consumed by a hyper-partisanship that treats every serious challenge facing us as an opportunity to trade insults; disparage each other’s motives; and fight about the next election. For all the problems we face, if you ask Americans what frustrates them most about Washington, they will tell you they don’t think we’re capable of serving the public interest before our personal and partisan ambitions; that we fight for ourselves and not for them. Americans are sick of it, and they have every right to be.

…

There are serious issues at stake in this election, and serious differences between the candidates. And we will argue about them, as we should. But it should remain an argument among friends; each of us struggling to hear our conscience, and heed its demands; each of us, despite our differences, united in our great cause, and respectful of the goodness in each other. That is how most Americans treat each other. And it is how they want the people they elect to office to treat each other.

…

I’m not interested in partisanship that serves no other purpose than to gain a temporary advantage over our opponents. This mindless, paralyzing rancor must come to an end. We belong to different parties, not different countries. We are rivals for the same power. But we are also compatriots. We are fellow Americans, and that shared distinction means more to me than any other association. I intend to prove myself worthy of the office; of our country; and of your respect.

Interesting, don’t you think?

Campaign 2008, Hypocrites and Liars | No Comments »