House Democrats call for nationalization of refineries

The Democrats in the House are showing their true colors: Red!

House Democrats responded to President’s Bush’s call for Congress to lift the moratorium on offshore drilling. Among other things, the Democrats called for the government to own refineries so it could better control the flow of the oil supply.

They also reasserted that the reason the Appropriations Committee markup (where the vote on the amendment to lift the ban) was cancelled so they could focus on preparing the supplemental Iraq spending bill for tomorrow.

At an off-camera briefing, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) said the same. And a senior Republican House Appropriations Committee aide adds that “there were multiple reasons for the postponement” including discussion on the supplemental. But the aide said there was the thought that Democrats may wish to avoid a debate today on energy amendments.

Here are the highlights from briefing.

Rep. Maurice Hinchey (D-NY), member of the House Appropriations Committee and one of the most-ardent opponents of off-shore drilling: “We (the government) should own the refineries. Then we can control how much gets out into the market.”

…no doubt in accordance with their Soviet style “First 5-Year Plan”

HUH? Like we want the GOVERNMENT to control “how much gets into the market”??? This from the folks who say we need to cut back on our use of automotive transportation, and limit the use of petroleum in the name of the quasi-religious myth of human-mediated glowbull warming? The same government that has the pattern of spending more for less results on a habitual basis?

G-d help us all if they pull this one off!