REPUBLICANS CRYING FOR MORE OFFSHORE DRILLING SHOULD BE A RED FLAG TO THE PUBLIC.

We all want cheaper energy, but instead of our leadership doing our bidding, they are looking out for the usual suspects. In this case, the oil industry and the nuclear industry.

There is an old expression, FIRST YOU FOOL ME, SHAME ON YOU. SECOND TIME YOU FOOL ME, SHAME ON ME (or ONCE BITTEN, TWICE SHY). The American people have been fooled more than twice by Republicans over the last 8 years, and it has cost them dearly. Job losses (more than 500,000 the first 6 months of this year), stagnant wages, high inflation, high oil prices, housing mortgage scandal, the war in Iraq, illegal immigration, Free Trade, the rip off Prescription Drug Bill for the elderly, etc.

After all that’s transpired, when I see a group of Republicans getting together on an issue, a red flag goes up. Republican policies do so much for business and the rich, and so little for average citizens, you wonder why Americans even listen to these people. The current state of the economy indicates how these policies eventually turn on the rich and big business. Senate Republicans had an opportunity to give Americans a break at the pump if they had not blocked the legislation putting regulations on oil speculators. That would have impacted citizens almost immediately.

But this demonstration by Republicans in Washington, D.C. (while everyone else has gone home for vacation) for more oil drilling and drilling off shore is really a last gasp attempt to keep our money flowing to this industry. Now, the money they are receiving in their campaigns from the oil industry is probably a good reason it’s happening. John McCain has received $2 million from this industry and appears to be defending them tooth and nail.

When John McCain and Republicans talk about drilling for oil offshore, they attempt to make the American people think they are taking immediate action to get oil prices down. It will take at least 10 years before this oil will come on line, and when it does, it will go on line at global prices.

Currently, refineries for producing gas, home heating oil and diesel fuel are working at over 90% capacity, with little room for additional supplies. This is on top of the fact that drilling ship, used for offshore drilling, are also being used at maximum levels - meaning there will be delays in getting new drilling ships to do the work. DON’T EXPECT MORE OIL TO DROP THE PRICE ANY TIME SOON – IF EVER!

McCain continues to talk as though drilling for more oil is the solution to our energy problems, RIGHT NOW! AIN’T NO WAY! Oil, nuclear and coal are his solutions. Old ways!  These approaches will not drop the price anytime soon. Obama’s plan is to bring about real change in 10 years by using flex fuel cars, solar/thermal energy, wind power, water power, and other alternatives. As an aside, Obama mentions to fill our tires properly and to maintain a tuned car to get better mileage (more bang for your buck). McCain has made jokes about this but Nascar makes these same suggestions on their website. That is more of an immediate impact on consumers than anything McCain has suggested.

What I find dismaying is how the media is purposely keeping this race close, often from the information they leave out of a piece or assumptions they make out of the blue. For example, McCain’s for offshore drilling, Obama isn’t. Obama gives an energy speech touching on all sorts of alternatives and ideas regarding changing how we use fuel in 10 years. He mentioned that he was willing to compromise on drilling for more oil if it would get the legislation passed that had all the things he wanted in it.

The media, as well as McCain, construes this as Obama `flip flopping’ or getting closer to McCain, even though Obama emphasized his feeling that drilling for more oil wasn’t the way to go. With an across the board corporate tax cut to all corporations, McCain would give an additional $4 billion dollars to the oil industry (which is making record profits). What is this man thinking?

Under normal circumstances this coming election would be a landslide for Barack Obama. But after almost 8 years of George Bush and Republican rule, 45% of the electorate hasn’t learned a damned thing! Very few Republicans care about average citizens. If they did, our jobs wouldn’t have gone overseas, illegal immigrants wouldn’t be able to take our jobs and walk our streets with impunity, and banks would have operated with more integrity (through regulations) and millions of folks wouldn’t be losing their homes and getting ripped off from gangster interest rates.

IF YOU'VE ENJOYED THE LAST 8 YEARS OF REPUBLICAN LEADERSHIP AND WANT MORE OF THE SAME - VOTE MCCAIN.  IF YOU WANT SERIOUS CHANGE IN THE DIRECTION OF THIS NATION (WITH AN EMPHASIS ON AVERAGE CITIZENS) - VOTE OBAMA!

QUESTION EVERYTHING!  THAT'S WHERE THE TRUTH RESIDES.