The Darcy Burner campaign released this howler of a web site: "Gas Pump Man", which claims:
Congressman Dave Reichert's solution [to the high cost of gasoline] is to give the oil companies YOUR MONEYBurner's answer:
We need a real leader who will fight for real solutions -- such as developing alternative energy sourcesThe left hand side of the page exclaims:
The gassy website doesn't explain where the $14 billion comes from, but the Burner campaign acknowledged that this refers to the total tax credits in the Energy Policy Act of 2005. The Washington Post explains that the $14 billion includes credits for energy projects other than oil and gas, including, uh, developing alternative energy sources. (The wind power lobby, for example, seems pleased). Another blogger deconstructed a similar campaign smear in a Senate race, and breaks down the $14 billion to show that the large majority of the breaks are targetted for industries other than oil and gas.
Reasonable people can debate whether this was the best possible energy bill. But Dave Reichert is hardly the only Congressman who deserves credit for it. Washington Democrats Norm Dicks and Rick Larsen voted for the final version, as did 25 of 42 Senate Democrats -- including Sen. Maria Cantwell.
Okay, so the whole "Gas Pump Man" thing is childish, factually untrue, and a bizarre, desperate attempt to attack Reichert for bipartisan progress on a difficult problem. But it's what we've come to expect from a challenger who has no relevant accomplishments of her own, and who seems to have a low opinion of her voters' intelligence. (The same meme about "giving $14 billion to oil and gas companies" is showing up in other Congressional campaigns. The newbie Burner is perhaps just reading lines from the DCCC scripts)
hat tip: Lynne in Arlington.
Posted by Stefan Sharkansky at August 17, 2006 01:03 PM | Email ThisBased on what we've seen so far, Darcy's biggest triumphs are still to come.
Wait until the really big whopper lies come out...remember telling a lie to Seattle voters is only a bad thing if you can't get away with it.
Posted by: Andy on August 17, 2006 01:07 PMwhen libs have their own side businesses, they deduct all they can as 'business expenses.' what they like is the 'corporate welfare' (deductions) THEY are allowed for their OWN little consulting businesses or spouse's business; the same tax breaks and deductions are used by most large 'bad' businesses; same rules--why the hate by libs? don't they like 'fair and equal?'
they also don't like to tell you that many if not all of the same self-righteous libs have funds socked away in retirement plans and savings comprised of the same 'evil' companies' stocks and bonds they hate; go figure;
Was that "Darcy" or "Farce-ie?"
Posted by: Jimmie-howya-doin on August 17, 2006 01:19 PMShe included the tired old Dem talking point,"We need a real leader who will fight for real solutions -- such as developing alternative energy sources". Like virtually all of the blather coming from the Dems there is not a hint of what they would actually do to achieve this lofty goal. My guess: raise gas taxes.
I wonder if Darcy realizes that oil is a commodity that is traded on the world market? I imagine she prefers the moonbat belief that the price of oil is set in secret by Dick Cheney and evil oil company executives. Which leads me to wonder how she would explain the significant drop in the price of oil today.
Posted by: Bill Cruchon on August 17, 2006 01:54 PMOil shale reserves are estimated at 1.5 TRILLION barrels and all American owned. Posted by: john425 on August 17, 2006 02:28 PM
Scroll down to Table 1.
"As illustrated in Table 1, since 1977, there have been only three years (1980, 1981, and 1982) in which domestic oil industry profits exceeded government gas tax collections. In the remaining years, gasoline tax collections consistently exceeded oil industry profits, reaching a peak in 1995 when gas tax collections outpaced industry profits by a factor of 7.3.
Government profits more from oil that "Big Oil' does
Posted by: SouthernRoots on August 17, 2006 02:33 PMhttp://images.nictusa.com/showimg/28500.gif Posted by: Michael on August 17, 2006 03:27 PM
*$3.1 billion for electricity reliability
*$2.9 billion for clean coal
*$2.9 billion for renewable and clean energy incentives
*$2.7 billion for energy efficiency and conservation measures
*$2.6 billion for oil and gas production and enhanced refining
How accurate is Darcy's add?
Posted by: SouthernRoots on August 17, 2006 03:48 PMThat's okay, I have a low opinion of her intelligence, too. And of the fawning idiots at Horseass, blatherwatch and the other lib blogs.
Posted by: Steve_dog on August 17, 2006 04:42 PMAnd, if needed, Darcy is just another sacrificial lamb to benefit Democrats. Until she actually gets elected ( a long shot ) Darcy's expendable for the cause.
Remember, with the Dems, the ends always justify the means.
Posted by: Jeff B. on August 17, 2006 04:43 PMPeople ARE pissed about gas prices.
Posted by: deadwood on August 17, 2006 05:23 PMIf she railed against oil companies profiteering from the high gas prices, she would have had more traction. It also shows that she is another dim bulb - not too smart when it comes to campaigning. Will the people in the 8th District fall for this kind of crap and elect her ? Maybe in McDermott's District, but over there, I don't see it happening. Now, watch KLOWNstein try to run with this - his ego is crusin for a brusin...
Posted by: KS on August 17, 2006 07:01 PMMost people have no idea of the size and scope of the government. I never really had a good picture just how much stuff the government has or does until I joined the military and loaded some ro-ro ships (roll on, roll off) after an operation. The sheer amount of gear (we're talking hundreds of hmmwv's, containers, tanks, ammo, comm gear, diesel tanker trucks, heavy construction equipment) that goes onto one of these ships and then you realize that it's just one ship - we have dozens more. And that's just one service! The smallest one at that...
$14 billion is a drop in the bucket, and Darcy should know that.
Posted by: Aaron on August 17, 2006 07:52 PMYou can argue the merits of a taxcut all you want and whether it's proper given their profits, but it is not "giving money to Big Oil". Anyone who believes that is either very dumb, or a socialist.
This is just one more reason I can't wait to vote for Reichert.
Posted by: Mike H on August 17, 2006 08:13 PMReicherts states that 47,500 jobs are created for every 1 billion in road spending. His jobs/billion quote is attached to the press release on the Infamous Transportation Bill which passed with 286.5 Billion in spending in July '05.
Multiply 47,500 jobs by 286.5 = 13,608,750 total jobs.
There are about 7.5 Million unemployed in the country, our unemployment rate should be headed to zero if Reichert was telling the truth.
There are ~1M people involved in Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction. Seasonally adjusted numbers from July '05 (when the bill passed) to July '06. Employment in this industry is actually down 1%. See www.bls.gov for all the detail.
Recently Dave made the claim that a $2M contribution to a larger $16M dollar project would provide 2,000 jobs. This is a massive stretch of the truth as well. What the project will do is provide the infrastructure necessary to support 2,000 jobs, and the $2M is pork for probably Boeing.
Posted by: John McDonald on August 17, 2006 10:43 PMLike Yoda I do speak. Language lessons I could give to Headless Lucy.
Sequitar Non Am I. Do you?
Posted by: I Worship John McDonald on August 17, 2006 11:48 PMJohn MC,
Politicians historically get creative with numbers.
47,500 jobs for every billion spent???
Probably more like 1000 real jobs. And those 1000 require someone to work at the local McDonalds, the local bar, their cable guy. Mail man. Certainly their kids need teachers. Someone to deliver the newspaper.
I could keep going until we reached 47,500, but I have to get to work.
Posted by: Brent in Ferndale on August 18, 2006 07:33 AMRemember, Companies don't pay taxes, People pay taxes.
In other words, companies have to return greater than 6-8% to their investors per year in dividends, higher stock price, etc. Otherwise, the investors will put their money in bonds and other lower risk investments. In order to do this, they pass along these higher taxes and risks to their customers -- they really cannot do otherwise when they are in commodity business like oil. At this moment they are doing very well, but these oil guys have been through very tough times in the past were many of them lost everything in the two crashes over the past 20 years.
So if you want to ensure a soviet style economy and the economic depression that accompanies it, then manage the economy by limiting the upside potential and limit the downside potential by supporting failing company.
The best thing for Congress to do is require higher efficiency rating for automobiles, appliances, lights, computers, etc. This will limit oil demand (dominated by the middle east) and expand technology (dominated by the west), and it's something both Republicans and Democrats should be able to agree on.
Posted by: John McDonald on August 18, 2006 08:33 AMSo....did Darcy Burner seriously mis-represent the facts about the $14 billion, or didn't she?
I say she did.
Don't change the subject now, Johnny McD, I know you're thinking about it!
Posted by: Larry on August 18, 2006 09:26 AM"I support rolling back the billions in tax breaks and subsidies this Congress gave to big oil companies and I support stiff penalties for price gouging. I believe we need a plan for energy independence, and that’s why I support investing in alternative energy technologies that can create jobs right here in Washington State."
Posted by: Sorry Charlie on August 18, 2006 01:32 PMRep. Emanuel [D-IL]:The United States House of Representatives, Nov 3, 2005
Mr. Speaker, middle-class families across this Nation are struggling to make ends meet. While housing and education prices are skyrocketing, wages have been held stagnant for the last 3 years. Now families can add energy to the list of out-of-control costs to their family budget.
Gas is around 3 bucks a gallon. Utilities are now predicting families could pay as much as 70 percent more to heat their homes this winter. Natural gas prices are so high the Energy Department is predicting the average family will pay $350 more this winter than last winter. Home heating oil, used by many in the Northeast and Midwest, is skyrocketing.
But while American families struggle with sky-high energy bills, oil and gas companies face a totally different problem: too much cash. For example, Exxon Mobil recently reported their profits increased by 75 percent. Their revenues: $100 billion. Shell Oil, earnings 68 percent up. Phillips, 89 percent up. B.P. Amoco, 34 percent rise in quarterly earnings.
American families are struggling with massive energy bills that cut into their living expenses, their college costs, and their health care costs, while energy companies are reaping huge, huge profits.
Henry Hubble, a senior vice president at Exxon Mobil said, "You have got to let the marketplace work." I agree with the executive from Exxon Mobil. Let the marketplace work.
But here is where we disagree. When they had an energy bill down on this floor, the oil companies got a $14 billion taxpayer-funded corporate welfare giveaway to do oil and gas drilling around this country. They got $14 billion for companies making record profits.
That is what we call corporate welfare. If they want the marketplace to work, give the taxpayers back their $14 billion. We should be not be subsidizing their business plans. Taxpayers are not in the business of helping companies making revenue runs at $100 billion a quarter where profits are up 89 percent.
The Congress, not Democrats but the Republicans in Congress, are cutting college loans by $14 billion, they are cutting nutritional programs for 40,000 kids, and they are cutting kids health care. Yet what have they held sacrosanct? $14 billion to Exxon Mobil. My view is what corporate America needs in the energy business is a little free market medicine.
We have seen nothing but corporate welfare around here in subsidizing the energy industry, and it is high time they get off the dole and started running their own business plan and stop asking the taxpayers to fund them. The only reason they do that around here is because, since 1980, the big oil companies have contributed $220 million to the Republican candidates for Congress, Senate, the Presidency, and their party. They have gotten a $14 billion return. You cannot get an investment return like that on Wall Street. It is 200 percent on their investment that they have gotten.
This Congress has given big oil $14 billion in tax subsidies. If that is not bad enough, there is a refinery bill where we ended up giving them another $2 billion that they did not even ask for. So with oil running at basically $3 a gallon at the gas pump, not only do consumers have to pay inflated prices to big oil at the gas pump, but on April 15 they get a bill because they have given them $14 billion in taxpayer-funded corporate welfare so they can do one thing: execute their business plans.
Well, I am suggesting they start doing a little more free enterprise in executing their business plans and stop relying on the taxpayers of America, who are struggling with sky-high energy prices, sky-high health care costs, and sky-high college tuition costs, just trying to struggle to make ends meet.
Posted by: Sorry Charlie on August 18, 2006 01:33 PMDon't buy their products. Live like a Quaker or how the Amish do. Take a break from the real world. The fact that this country is not a socialistic one, should be your first clue. USA is a country made up of free enterprise. You know the "melting pot". Where people can come from another country and start their own business. Even get SBA loan. So, I guess all I can say is SORRY CHARLIE......
Posted by: Chris on August 18, 2006 03:37 PMoh--sorry--what about school breakfasts, school lunches, Section 8 housing, in-state tuition for illegal aliens, free medical care for illegal aliens, etc etc for all the 'downtrodden' (i.e. deadbeat parents and deadbeat residents)--who pays? me--the homeowner who busted my arse the fair way 'building "evil" wealth'
this is the pot calling the 'Prophet' Rep Emanuel (D-IL) Kettle 'hyprocrite,' not black.
Posted by: Jimmie-howya-doin on August 18, 2006 05:46 PMShe has alot of out of state contributions.
Posted by: Chris on August 19, 2006 10:37 AMHarry's in the Senate. Darcy is running for a seat in the House.
Posted by: John McDonald on August 19, 2006 01:44 PMI'm glad she is running for the House, otherwise Riechert might have had a qualified opponent.
Still looking forward to Darcy's link to your web page in recognition of all of your good works and support Liberal Insane John. It must drive you nuts to know that you cannot vote in the 8th in this race, oh wait you already are nuts.
Posted by: Huh? on August 19, 2006 04:44 PMAnd for the rest of you -- you still haven't told me how the Transportation Bill created 13.6M new jobs, per Mr. Reichert's press release.
Posted by: John McDonald on August 21, 2006 10:14 PM