Running on Empty: The Republican Revolution Sputters to a Halt
| By Sherrod Brown - Apr 30, 2006 10:01:30 PM ET |
| Also listed in: Featured Bloggers |
I'd like to thank Sen. Reid and his staff for giving me the opportunity to guest blog all this week on Give 'Em Hell Harry. I'm honored that I was asked to kick off the new site.
I look forward to working with you and Sen. Reid to restore accountability in Washington by winning control of Congress in 2006.
America will be much better served with Sen. Reid as the majority leader than the current crop of rubber stamp Republicans in charge.
As I travel across Ohio on my campaign for the U.S. Senate, I meet more and more people ready for change, including a lot of Republicans who are frustrated with the way things are done in Washington these days.
The Republican Revolution is sputtering to a halt as a majority of Americans realize that they've taken us on the wrong path for far too long.
On issue after issue -- health care, education, jobs, national security -- Democrats are offering a new direction for the country.
In contrast, the Republicans are failing to effectively address pressing problems at home and abroad. Their contributors -- the oil companies, the drug companies -- have paralyzed them.
No issue better illustrates my point than the soaring price of gas, which has created record-breaking profits for the oil industry at the expense of working families and small businesses.
Ironically, it was George Bush who criticized Al Gore during the 2000 campaign for being part of "the administration that's been in charge" while the "price of gasoline has gone steadily upward."
The way things turned out, gas prices have increased twice as much during the first two years of Bush's second term than during Clinton's entire time in office.
But it shouldn't be any surprise that we are facing sky-high gas prices. The energy bill pushed through Congress was written by the oil industry. It is doing exactly what it was designed to do -- line the pockets of executives at Exxon, Chevron, and Halliburton.
For years, Democrats have seen this coming. We have pushed for investment in alternative energy and renewable fuels, which would lessen our dependence on foreign oil and reduce prices at the pump.
Not content to say, "I told you so," Democrats stepped up this week to offer their own plan to get prices under control, including a crackdown on price gouging, eliminating tax breaks to big oil companies, and redirecting windfall profits to motorists.
I support these ideas. I also favor the proposal by Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey to provide immediate relief to consumers by suspending the federal tax on gasoline for 60 days. This would drop fuel prices by more than 18 cents overnight, and put $100 million per day back in the hands of working Americans.
Lost revenue would be made up for by repealing some of the $10 billion in tax giveaways to oil and gas companies scheduled for the next five years.
Meanwhile, the best Republicans can come up with is a $100 rebate to individuals that won't even be in the mail until the end of summer.
The Wall Street Journal editorial board wrote the Republican $100 solution belongs in the "pandering hall of fame."
"This is what happens when a President is at 36% job approval, and there is no Beltway chaperone," wrote the Journal's editorial board.
In the midst of Republican arrogance, incompetence and greed, we have a tremendous opportunity to address America's problems with positive solutions that will make a difference in people's daily lives.
I encourage you to post your ideas and thoughts on this and other issues in the comment section of this post. Your feedback will be a big help as I develop my policy program during the campaign.
You can also contact me directly through my website:
sherrodbrown.com/write/letter
Thank you for taking the time to read my first post. I hope you will join me tomorrow as we discuss another important issue facing our country.
I look forward to working with you and Sen. Reid to restore accountability in Washington by winning control of Congress in 2006.
America will be much better served with Sen. Reid as the majority leader than the current crop of rubber stamp Republicans in charge.
As I travel across Ohio on my campaign for the U.S. Senate, I meet more and more people ready for change, including a lot of Republicans who are frustrated with the way things are done in Washington these days.
The Republican Revolution is sputtering to a halt as a majority of Americans realize that they've taken us on the wrong path for far too long.
On issue after issue -- health care, education, jobs, national security -- Democrats are offering a new direction for the country.
In contrast, the Republicans are failing to effectively address pressing problems at home and abroad. Their contributors -- the oil companies, the drug companies -- have paralyzed them.
No issue better illustrates my point than the soaring price of gas, which has created record-breaking profits for the oil industry at the expense of working families and small businesses.
Ironically, it was George Bush who criticized Al Gore during the 2000 campaign for being part of "the administration that's been in charge" while the "price of gasoline has gone steadily upward."
The way things turned out, gas prices have increased twice as much during the first two years of Bush's second term than during Clinton's entire time in office.
But it shouldn't be any surprise that we are facing sky-high gas prices. The energy bill pushed through Congress was written by the oil industry. It is doing exactly what it was designed to do -- line the pockets of executives at Exxon, Chevron, and Halliburton.
For years, Democrats have seen this coming. We have pushed for investment in alternative energy and renewable fuels, which would lessen our dependence on foreign oil and reduce prices at the pump.
Not content to say, "I told you so," Democrats stepped up this week to offer their own plan to get prices under control, including a crackdown on price gouging, eliminating tax breaks to big oil companies, and redirecting windfall profits to motorists.
I support these ideas. I also favor the proposal by Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey to provide immediate relief to consumers by suspending the federal tax on gasoline for 60 days. This would drop fuel prices by more than 18 cents overnight, and put $100 million per day back in the hands of working Americans.
Lost revenue would be made up for by repealing some of the $10 billion in tax giveaways to oil and gas companies scheduled for the next five years.
Meanwhile, the best Republicans can come up with is a $100 rebate to individuals that won't even be in the mail until the end of summer.
The Wall Street Journal editorial board wrote the Republican $100 solution belongs in the "pandering hall of fame."
"This is what happens when a President is at 36% job approval, and there is no Beltway chaperone," wrote the Journal's editorial board.
In the midst of Republican arrogance, incompetence and greed, we have a tremendous opportunity to address America's problems with positive solutions that will make a difference in people's daily lives.
I encourage you to post your ideas and thoughts on this and other issues in the comment section of this post. Your feedback will be a big help as I develop my policy program during the campaign.
You can also contact me directly through my website:
sherrodbrown.com/write/letter
Thank you for taking the time to read my first post. I hope you will join me tomorrow as we discuss another important issue facing our country.
Comments are closed for this post.