Same Old Song - Democratic Underground

McCamy Taylor

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Fri May-13-11 09:20 PM
Original message

Same Old Song

2005 U.S. Congress Grills Oil Industry Executives

Senator: While working Americans struggle to make ends meet, gasoline prices are through the roof and oil profits have never been higher. What do you have to say in your own defense?

Oil Industry Executive: Um…I’m sorry. And if you take away our tax breaks, we’ll stop pumping oil

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9970294/ns/business-oil_and_energy/t/heated-hearings-oil-bosses-defend-big-profits/

2008 U.S. Congress Grills Oil Industry Executives

Senator: While working Americans struggle to make ends meet, gasoline prices are through the roof and oil profits have never been higher. What do you have to say in your own defense?

Oil Industry Executive: Um…I’m sorry. And if you take away our tax breaks, we’ll stop pumping oil.

http://money.cnn.com/2008/05/21/news/economy/oil_hearing/index.htm

2010 U.S. Congress Grills Oil Industry Executives

Senator: Why did you spill oil all over our Gulf?

Oil Industry Executive: Um…I’m sorry.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2010/06/gulf-oil-spill-congressional-hearings-begin-with-attack-on-bp.html

2011 U.S. Congress Grills Oil Industry Executives

Senator: While working Americans struggle to make ends meet, gasoline prices are through the roof and oil profits have never been higher. What do you have to say in your own defense?

Oil Industry Executive: Um…I’m sorry. And if you take away our tax breaks, we’ll stop pumping oil.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/oil-and-tax-policy-the-mix-could-be-better/2011/05/12/AFS6r02G_story.html

From Open Secrets.org:

The five companies represented at the hearing were BP, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, Exxon Mobil and Shell Oil. They are all politically active and have, in recent years, spent tens of millions of dollars on lobbying and political donations. Historically, the oil and gas industry leans Republican with an average of 76 percent of political donations going to Republicans. See OpenSecrets.org's oil and gas industry profile here.

The chart below shows how much money each member of the Senate Finance Committee has received in their career from the oil and gas industry's political action committees. Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) tops the list receiving more than $314,000. The last column shows what percentage of a member's political action committee money comes from the oil and gas industry.

http://www.opensecrets.org/news/2011/05/senate-finance-committees-connectio.html

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dixiegrrrrl

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Fri May-13-11 09:24 PM
Response to Original message

1. I wish there were chart size bumper stickers.

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FiveGoodMen

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Fri May-13-11 09:24 PM
Response to Original message

2. Yup. Just a show.

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russspeakeasy

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Fri May-13-11 10:36 PM
Response to Reply #2

9. and not a very original one.

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midnight

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Fri May-13-11 10:58 PM
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10. You're right. I was listening to a NPR interview of the lobbyist for conaco phillips yesterday.

He said that the reason the gas prices are so high, is because it takes almost five years in some instances to make a profit, and that was a risk they said had to be absorbed into the cost even though they were receiving tax subsidies.. Blah blah blah.... he sounded like big pharma... Tax payers pay for much of the testing, and manufacturing but big pharma takes all the winnings.... Such a racket.... But in the case of big oil, the price of sending young Americans to die, is just not justified for anybody's bottom line....and the notion that they need further tax subsides is B.S.

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DJ13

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Fri May-13-11 09:26 PM
Response to Original message

3. Its a show were paying for

Can I get a refund, this show is a rerun.

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unkachuck

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Fri May-13-11 09:33 PM
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4. I wish a Dem Senator would have the balls to ask....

"It's obvious that you and the Republicans are destroying the economy with high prices in order to win the 2012 elections. My question to you is, 'How long do you think it would take the federal government to nationalize the oil industry?'"

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russspeakeasy

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Fri May-13-11 10:05 PM
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5. They should have to identify their parents. Did your mother or father

teach you to be a lying, phony pissant, or are you just
morally corrupt on purpose?

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spanone

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Fri May-13-11 10:07 PM
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6. nothing, i repeat, nothing will come of these grillings

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Better Believe It

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Fri May-13-11 10:24 PM
Response to Reply #6

7. Nice political theater. Now what concrete actions will they and the White House take to end this?

Edited on Fri May-13-11 10:25 PM by Better Believe It

I've seen this play before.

It always has the same ending.

The big oil companies win and we lose.

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russspeakeasy

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Fri May-13-11 10:33 PM
Response to Reply #7

8. At what point do we say "this is bullshit and we want this bullshit

Edited on Fri May-13-11 10:35 PM by russspeakeasy

to end?"...We try to do it each election cycle, but it
seems the new boss...same as the old boss
when it comes to banks and oil.
I would also ask this; when do average wage earners say
"I'm not paying my taxes anymore?"

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Amonester

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Sat May-14-11 10:16 AM
Response to Reply #8

11. When corporations will be banned from buying any candidate.

One can dream, eh?

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blindpig

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Sat May-14-11 10:19 AM
Response to Original message

12. Shows who really runs the show, huh? n/t

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mmonk

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Sat May-14-11 11:04 AM
Response to Original message

13. Yep. The theatre continues.

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