Say Anything Blog

I had to chuckle when I saw this headline:

Translation: The Democrat agenda is about convincing Americans that they’re a) victims of evil lending companies, b) victims of evil oil companies and c) deserving of more money that was earned by other people.

Think I’m wrong?  Check out what the Democrats actually say about their agenda in the article:

Often using populist rhetoric, Democratic lawmakers are focusing on voters’ anxieties and resentments, such as drivers’ anger over paying high gasoline prices while oil companies make huge profits. The House this week approved $18 billion in new taxes on the five biggest oil companies despite protests from the Bush administration.

“We are at a time when Big Oil has record, historic profits,” Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., told reporters. “And yet the administration opposes removing subsidies to Big Oil, subsidies that we want to use to reduce our dependence on foreign oil, grow our economy and create green paying jobs in our economy.”

Senate Democrats, meanwhile, focused on Americans’ fears of declining real estate values and the possibility of losing their homes to foreclosure. They ripped Republicans for blocking action Thursday on a package that would provide $4 billion to help communities buy and rehabilitate foreclosed homes. It also would let bankruptcy judges ease the obligations of borrowers unable to pay their mortgages.

Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., citing GOP objections to the housing package’s cost, told reporters, “there is a direct relationship” between the Iraq war’s costs “and our inability to have a focus on investing in middle class America here at home.”

When you combine this with that tax rebate (which was sadly backed by Republicans as well) which “refunded” taxes to people who paid little or no taxes in the first place you see what I’m talking about.

The Democrats are painting themselves as being concerned about the issues voters are concerned about, but that’s not leadership.  What they’re really doing is manipulating voters’ fears and concerns and using them as an excuse to meddle in private industry and expand the size and power of government.

After all, if Americans are struggling as hard to pay their gasoline bills as Democrats suggest they are, how in the world is $18 billion in new taxes on the oil industry going to help?  More taxes on oil means more expensive gasoline.  That’s Economics 101.  What Democrats are doing is raising the expense of gasoline in the name of easing energy prices.

It’s ludicrous.  They could at least come out and admit that they’re making gasoline more expensive in order to raise pork money to send to their “green industry” lobbyist buddies.