Once again Democrats have distinguished themselves by voting to pass legislation that few of them have even read. They did the same thing, you'll recall, with the stimulus bill. Doesn't it just astound you that we Americans continue to elect to congress people who are so irresponsible that they vote for bills whose contents are unknown to them? And to think we pay these people a salary and benefits.
That no one who voted for this bill had read it is obvious from the fact that a 300 page amendment was incorporated into an already 1200 page bill at 3:00 a.m. this morning. Apparently, these illustrious personages don't much care what's in the darned thing, they just want to be told by their leadership which button to push so they can get back to their cocktail parties and golf games.
The bill is supposed to be an energy bill, but it's no more about increasing energy than the stimulus bill was about economic stimulus. According to most commentators this legislation will result in a net loss of both (relatively) cheap energy and jobs, will raise the cost of everything we buy, including energy, several thousand dollars per year, and cause hundreds of businesses to move overseas.
All is not lost, though. The bill still has to pass the senate where even Majority Leader Harry Reid said it hasn't got much of a chance. For once I hope Senator Reid is right. Meanwhile, who will deliver us from congresspersons determined to run the ship of state onto the shoals of socialism and sell our children into financial bondage? Where is the modern Patrick Henry who'll stand and demand of our congressional representation, "No taxation without reading the legislation!"?
I should mention that fifty brave Democrats weathered the ferocity of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's arm-twisting and voted against her bill, and eight Republicans apparently committed political hari kiri by voting for it. I suspect that those eight Republicans are going to have the fight of their political lives in 2010. At least one can hope.
RLC