In an election year one might suppose that the Republican Party would try to have (or make it seen that they) have a heart and want to help the broad majority of Americans instead of the wealthy few at the top of the oil industry and those that trade the commodity on Wall Street. Apparently this year the GOP is going 100% heartless by voting against a windfall profits tax for oil giants like ExxonMobil, Chevron, Shell, etc that do not substantively work for energy independence. Their argument is that we'll import more oil if we roll back their tax cuts that Bush and the old Republican Congress gave them. Unfortunately since our majority is so slim in the Senate, they have effectively killed the bill by threatening to filibuster it.
From The Huffington Post:
WASHINGTON — Senate Republicans blocked a proposal Tuesday to tax the windfall profits of the largest oil companies, despite pleas by Democratic leaders to use the measure to address America's anger over $4 a gallon gasoline.
The Democratic energy package would have imposed a tax on any "unreasonable" profits of the five largest U.S. oil companies and given the federal government more power to address oil market speculation that the bill's supporters argue has added to the crude oil price surge.
"Americans are furious about what's going on," declared Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., and want Congress to do something about oil company profits and "an orgy of speculation" on oil markets.
But Republicans argued the Democratic proposal focusing on new oil industry taxes is not the answer to the country's energy problems.
"The American people are clamoring for relief at the pump," said Sen. Pete Domenici, R-N.M., but if taxes are increased on the oil companies "they will get exactly what they don't want. The bill will raise taxes, increase imports."
The Democrats failed, 51-43, to get the 60 votes needed to overcome a GOP filibuster and bring the energy package up for consideration.
Of course there was no filibuster, the Democrats led by Harry Reid just caved at the mere threat of it. If he were a true leader, he would have let the Republicans get up there and stall for their buddies in the oil industry. Enough about Harry Reid though, we can deal with him later (for other reasons as well). As I said, this is an election year and the Democratic Party is running Barack Obama as their candidate for President against John "McSame as Bush" McCain.
McCain has claimed he is in favor of working to save the environment but his actions (as usual) are far from words on the campaign. McCain could have shown up today to
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