By Ross Balano, Midwest Voices Columnist 2008
Democratic candidate Jim Slattery, who is running for the United States Senate against incumbent Pat Roberts of Kansas, had a letter printed yesterday in The Kansas City Star. Slattery used a deliberately misleading tactic that has also been used by Kay Barnes in mailers against her opponent Sam Graves.
Slattery notes that when Roberts was elected 12 years ago the price of gas was $1.26. Since then, he goes on, the price of gas has tripled and we cannot afford six more years with Roberts in the Senate.
What Slattery conveniently fails to mention is that in the fall of 2006 the price of gas was only $2.15 per gallon. But since the Democrats took control of congress 20 months ago the price has risen to over $4.00. So in 10 years of Republican Congress gas prices rise $.89 per gallon and less than two years of a Democratic Congress brings a rise of almost $2.00. Who’s really to blame Mr. Slattery & Ms. Barnes?
I believe the people of Kansas and Missouri are smart enough to know who opposes all attempts to increase supply and thereby reduce prices.
In the three days since President Bush announced he was lifting the executive ban on offshore drilling the price of oil has dropped about 10 percent.
This comes despite the fact that the President’s move is worthless without Congress lifting the congressional ban. Democrats in congress should act immediately to lift this ban and allow drilling now. It’s the only way to lower prices and decrease our dependence on foreign oil.
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Accountability is Available NOW
Due to reckless spending, 1/3 of all our nation's debt since the founding of the country has accumulated since 2001 - and everyone in the government who has played a part in that must be held accountable - including Roberts and Graves. When Slattery was in the House, he gained a reputation as a deficit hawk and believes that the government should be required to keep a balanced budget - just like all of us.
As for energy, Slattery is on record as being in favor of increased domestic oil production. But even if domestic production is increased, we'll still be facing an energy crisis due to the finite amount of oil on this planet. Therefore, all efforts to find more oil will only forestall the inevitable. Renewable energy is the only final answer.
As for the filibusters - Roberts should have been one of those senators trying to "bring some reason to the Senate floor" instead of putting the good of his party above the good of Kansans and our country.
Thanks Kevin
I would like to compliment you on the intelligent and civil way you present your case without any of the name calling that has been so common.
I even agree with you on a couple of things such as the fact that there has been way to much reckless spending. Unfortunately that is not confined to only one party. Each is as guilty as the other.
I also agree that there should have been substantial investments in alternative forms of energy but I also think we should have been drilling for new oil at the same time. Had we invested in alternatives and started drilling 10 years ago we might have made significant progress with alternatives and we definitely would have more oil.
I am not a big fan of filibusters either. I would point out though that Democrats were on a similar pace in the last congress. One reason the numbers didn’t end up being as high was because of the so called “gang of fourteen” consisting of 7 Republicans (led by John McCain) and 7 Democrats who tried to bring some reason to the Senate floor.
Ross Balano Midwest Voices 2008
Deliberate misleading or political shorthand?
You're correct, the price of gas has not been rising at the same level for the last 12 years, but I think you're missing Slattery's point. The point is that for the last 12 years Roberts hasn't done anything to forestall the inevitable rise in oil prices, and, in fact, his voting record has actually encouraged the current price increases that we are seeing. The invasion, and no-end-in-sight occupation, of Iraq, reckless spending without an increase in tax revenue (leading to a decrease in the value of the dollar), and a failure to invest in alternative forms of energy have all driven oil prices higher. Roberts and Graves must be held accountable for these failures.
Also, it is deliberately misleading of *you* to say that the Democrats are to blame for the rise in prices, when obstructionist Republicans have set an all-time record for the number of fillibusters in a session. That's more fillibusters than occurred in the first hundred years of our country - including the lead-up to the civil war. That's right, not even the eventual secessionists obstructed as much as the Republicans have in the last two years. Why are they so afraid of all this legislation actually coming to a vote on the Senate floor? Maybe it's because they would have to, once again, vote for their Big Oil contributors instead of the interests of the American people.