A [Republican] friend of mine (I have a bunch of those!) recently sent me an email stating his thoughts on some of the things Obama covered in his acceptance speech. When I read the email - which was not one of those widely circulated piles of shit, but was my friends true feelings - and though about it a bit, I realized something. It is not profound, but it is important to me. Here is what I replied:
"Once I get home I'll try to write my opinion on each of your points below. For now, I'll just say that I believe a new course is desperately needed, and I believe Obama will try to establish one. I am sure McCain will not. All other considerations aside, that is my bottom line."
And it is the bottom line for me in this election. I can easily ignore the specifics of any position on any individual issue. I don't, but I could. My country (yes, John, it is my country too, and it does come first) has been redirected over the last eight years onto a course that is totally unacceptable. John McCain has been on-board with over 90% of the redirection, and there is plenty of reason to expect that, if he were to be elected, the country would continue on the current path. I cannot accept that.
Friday, August 29, 2008
Monday, August 11, 2008
Message from McCain (MacBush)
I recently received this email from John McCain. I consider each and every point total crap. Who writes this shit?
August 11, 2008
Dear Mr. Lloyd:
Thank you for contacting me regarding the high price of gasoline and our nation's oil reserves. I understand and share your concerns about the hardships that increasing energy costs are placing on consumers and all sectors of the economy.
Given the multiple factors contributing to high gasoline prices, I do not believe that there is a "quick fix" to effectively reverse the current trend. The key determinants of gasoline price are crude oil price, supply availability, refining capacity, and demand. Increasing supply or reducing demand are the only means of reducing crude oil prices over the long-term.
However, to provide even a small amount of relief during the summer months, I proposed suspending the federal gas tax from Memorial Day until Labor Day. This gas tax "holiday" would have reduced prices for unleaded gas by 18 cents a gallon and 24 cents for a gallon of diesel fuel over the summer months when gas prices are historically at their highest. Unfortunately, the majority party was not willing to allow this proposal to receive a vote, despite the fact that gas prices continue to climb.
For the immediate future, we must break with the energy policies of the past and assure affordable fuel for America. This will require more domestic production, especially in the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). As you may know, a board federal moratorium stands in the way of energy exploration and production of another 18 billion barrels of oil from the OCS. It is time for the federal government to lift these restrictions and put more of our own reserves to use, provided that such development is supported by local stakeholders and costal state governments and adhere to sensible standards of environmental protection.
Some believe that the U.S. should also pursue drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR), a controversial approach that's promoted as a means of increasing supply and reducing our demand for foreign oil. There are several reasons that cause me to oppose ANWR development at this time. First, even the most reliable estimates conclude that the refuge could only meet about 2 to 5 percent of the nation's oil needs at best. Additionally, most scientific analyses conclude that ANWR's land and wildlife, which support approximately 270 different types of mammals, birds, and fresh water fish, would be impacted adversely by development.
Finally, reform of the oil futures market is necessary. We must purge the market of the reckless speculation, unrelated to any kind of productive commerce that has inflated the price of gasoline -- at the expense of working men and women across our country. With new regulations, we can better ensure integrity in oil-futures trading and protect the public interest.
Again, thank you for sharing your views with me. Please do not hesitate to contact me in the future on issues of concern
Sincerely,
John McCain
United States Senator
JM/dnm
Please Do Not Reply to this Message
August 11, 2008
Dear Mr. Lloyd:
Thank you for contacting me regarding the high price of gasoline and our nation's oil reserves. I understand and share your concerns about the hardships that increasing energy costs are placing on consumers and all sectors of the economy.
Given the multiple factors contributing to high gasoline prices, I do not believe that there is a "quick fix" to effectively reverse the current trend. The key determinants of gasoline price are crude oil price, supply availability, refining capacity, and demand. Increasing supply or reducing demand are the only means of reducing crude oil prices over the long-term.
However, to provide even a small amount of relief during the summer months, I proposed suspending the federal gas tax from Memorial Day until Labor Day. This gas tax "holiday" would have reduced prices for unleaded gas by 18 cents a gallon and 24 cents for a gallon of diesel fuel over the summer months when gas prices are historically at their highest. Unfortunately, the majority party was not willing to allow this proposal to receive a vote, despite the fact that gas prices continue to climb.
For the immediate future, we must break with the energy policies of the past and assure affordable fuel for America. This will require more domestic production, especially in the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). As you may know, a board federal moratorium stands in the way of energy exploration and production of another 18 billion barrels of oil from the OCS. It is time for the federal government to lift these restrictions and put more of our own reserves to use, provided that such development is supported by local stakeholders and costal state governments and adhere to sensible standards of environmental protection.
Some believe that the U.S. should also pursue drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR), a controversial approach that's promoted as a means of increasing supply and reducing our demand for foreign oil. There are several reasons that cause me to oppose ANWR development at this time. First, even the most reliable estimates conclude that the refuge could only meet about 2 to 5 percent of the nation's oil needs at best. Additionally, most scientific analyses conclude that ANWR's land and wildlife, which support approximately 270 different types of mammals, birds, and fresh water fish, would be impacted adversely by development.
Finally, reform of the oil futures market is necessary. We must purge the market of the reckless speculation, unrelated to any kind of productive commerce that has inflated the price of gasoline -- at the expense of working men and women across our country. With new regulations, we can better ensure integrity in oil-futures trading and protect the public interest.
Again, thank you for sharing your views with me. Please do not hesitate to contact me in the future on issues of concern
Sincerely,
John McCain
United States Senator
JM/dnm
Please Do Not Reply to this Message
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
On Vacation
I have been in Canada for only 18 days. I have intentionally not brought up politics in any conversation - only a few emails with friends. But people (foreigners!) have brought it up, and the one consistant theme is simply thank goodness you are going to elect a president who will at least try to get America back on track. Most people I've talked with think George has screwed up the world, not just the USA. They bring it up, not me, and all I can do is shake my head and agree, because I do agree.
It's not just Canadians - it is more continental here than that - it's people from several different countries, all with similar views. Perhaps I have a sign on my back saying what I feel about the last 8 years - perhaps the Bush supporters here (I assume there are some) are not interested in confronting anyone (that's an interesting proposition, non-confrontational Bush supporters!).
Only about 90 days to go. Please America, chose change.
It's not just Canadians - it is more continental here than that - it's people from several different countries, all with similar views. Perhaps I have a sign on my back saying what I feel about the last 8 years - perhaps the Bush supporters here (I assume there are some) are not interested in confronting anyone (that's an interesting proposition, non-confrontational Bush supporters!).
Only about 90 days to go. Please America, chose change.
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