We have to give the Davis campaign a point for staying on message--although that staying power more resembles a snapping turtle head that won't let go of a stick even after its body is on its way to becoming turtle soup.
Take, for instance, this letter in today's Post Bulletin: No-drill Democrats are out of touch. J. P. Abenstein of Oronoco writes, in part:
1st District Congressman Tim Walz and his fellow no-drill Democrats just voted to adjourn Congress and take a five-week vacation, refusing to allow a vote on expanding American energy production. This was not a one-time event: every vote, every amendment, every bill that addressed drilling for oil and gas, exploiting oil shale and expanding nuclear energy have all been blocked by Walz and his out-of-touch colleagues.
Abenstein throws in variations of this widely debunked urban legend about voting for change and Congress then calls it a day.
The Davis campaign and its camp followers simply can't bring themselves to tell the truth about H.R. 6709, the ‘National Conservation, Environment and Energy Security Act’, which Congressman Walz worked to draft with 21 other House members in the Energy Working Group. It's designed to expand drilling, encourage the use of oil shale, as well as to promote conservation and environmental restoration.
Fortunately, others are looking at reality, rather than being stuck in ex-turtle mode. We noted the signed editorial at the Fairmont Sentinel, Walz seeks energy bill; Congress fails to act, which begins:
Our congressman, Tim Walz, came under fire this week for voting to take a month off instead of staying in Washington to do something about the nation's energy problems, including high gas prices. The National Republican Congressional Committee argues that the Democrat-led Congress is failing citizens by not taking the Republican "all of the above" approach, which includes increasing exploration and drilling while promoting energy efficiency and conservation. The Republicans may have a point about Congress as a whole, but they are wrong about Walz.
and ends:
We don't know if Walz's plan will be the one Congress adopts, but we know this: Walz wants to be part of a solution. Congressional leaders should follow his lead.
As for the "vacation" that the NRCC wants Americans to think happen on Congressional recesses, Blueman Hal looks at the notion in So, this is a vacation?. He cites our post that notes that recesses are "congressional district work breaks" since Walz has been in office.
And, like many people in the Sixth, Hal has noticed the absentee representation provided by Michele Bachmann, who won't be showing up for the Farmfest forum either. And fellow Davis BFF and absentee rep Kline? Mike McIntee of the Uptake caught a Kline "volunteer" harassing Steve Sarvi--and, just like Davis's supporters, she's distorting what Sarvi thinks should be done about energy policy.
The NRCC, the Davis campaign, Kline and his "volunteer" minions are focused on distorting the public debate.
Walz? Here's what the commies at the National Association of Manufacturers said about H.R. 6709 and the bipartisan group of representatives who worked on it in NAM says bill aims to raise energy supply, lower costs (emphasis added):
The National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) welcomed legislation introduced by Reps. Neil Abercrombie (D-Hawaii) and John Peterson (R-Pennsylvania) to increase domestic energy production as “an important step forward to help lower energy costs for manufacturers, their employees and consumers,” according to NAM president and CEO John Engler.
“We view introduction of H.R. 6709, the ‘National Conservation, Environment and Energy Security Act’ as a clear sign that a growing, bipartisan group of lawmakers is heeding the call by American consumers to increase supplies of domestic energy. This bill removes barriers on energy development on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) and promotes energy diversity by removing restrictions on biomass and oil shale, to strengthen America’s energy security,” Engler said. “This country is facing an energy crisis. We must take every opportunity to tap America’s own abundant energy resources to lower prices and reduce our dependence on foreign oil. Let’s allow our innovative manufacturing companies to demonstrate that America has the ingenuity to extract and develop energy resources in an environmentally sound way. Reps. Abercrombie and Peterson and their colleagues on both sides of the aisle have demonstrated their commitment to increasing domestic energy supply and lowering America’s energy bill with their proposal. They recognize the contribution that development of 420 trillion cubic feet of natural gas on the OCS -- which is enough natural gas to heat 100 million American homes for 60 years -- will make toward energy independence and economic growth.”
If the Davis campaign wants to keep its jaws clenched around the stick of a talking point the NRCC tossed it, fine. The real debate about energy policy has moved on from simple slogans.
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