“It’s an ill wind that blows no good,” the old saw goes. And when that ill wind is also a chill wind, the no good comes in spades.
That’s the message beleaguered homeowners are getting as the winter of 2008 – 2009 looms ominously on the horizon and the toasty warm politicians in Washington seem more than satisfied to sit on their ample arses and let the rest of us freeze ours off.
“Numb’s the word,” reports the usually reliable Farmers Almanac, predicting that at least two-thirds of the country can expect colder than average temperatures this winter. Almanac editor Peter Geiger adds, “This is going to be catastrophic for millions of people.”
And in the venerated corridors of U.S. Congress, the Newmanesque politicians vacuously respond, “What, me worry?”
Well, the fact is, they should worry. Because, while their policies may have little to do with the dropping temperatures, they have everything to do with the horrifying impact such decidedly chill winds are going to have on the average working family. As Maine’s Sen. Olympia Snowe recently admitted, the price of heating oil this coming winter could be so high that many Americans “could freeze to death.”
According to Ms. Snowe, the price of home heating oil has increased a staggering 135 percent in her state in the past 12 months. She projects that her constituents will have to pay an average of $5,000 to heat their homes. And the story nationwide is just as chilling.
But, lest you think that the august members of the U.S. Senate intend to do anything other than wring their hands—while you futilely try to warm yours—forget about it. That bunch of five-ply phonies is too busy playing politics to give a tinker’s dam whether you freeze to death, or light your hair to keep warm—as long as you don’t leave too big a “carbon footprint.”
The sorrowful Ms. Snowe, in fact, is a case in point … and a case study in why Mark Twain’s observation that “Congress is America’s only truly criminal class” should be engraved above the East Portal of the U.S. Capitol. While Ms. Snowe cries crocodile tears over those who are about to “freeze to death,” she stands four-square against drilling for the oil that could drive down the heating costs and warm the cockles of her constituents’ hearts.
On August 12 of this year, Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC) and 35 of his Republican Senate colleagues sent a letter to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell pledging to “actively oppose” any attempt to extend current bans on offshore drilling and oil shale beyond the imminent expiration date of September 30. Since then, two additional Republican senators have added their names to the DeMint letter: Senators Chambliss (R-GA) and Coleman (R-MN).
The furrow-browed Ms. Snowe—no doubt bent-to-breaking over the sorry plight of her Mainer minions about to “freeze to death”—has yet to sign the DeMint letter
And that is significant. Because, if Ms. Snowe and just two other of her Republican colleagues sign the letter, the GOP will have enough signatories to conduct a successful filibuster. And Dinghy Harry Reid will have to allow the drilling ban to expire without even bothering to bring it to a vote.
As Mr. DeMint explains, “The overwhelming majority of Republican Senators have pledged to protect October 1 as American Energy Freedom Day so we can reduce dependence on foreign oil and lower the cost of gas at the pump. Many people aren’t aware that the bans on drilling must be renewed every year, and all we have to do is allow these prohibitions to expire on October 1. Then, Americans will have the freedom to pursue their own energy resources here at home.”
Now, one would think that even the esoteric Ms. Snowe would be able to understand that plain, simple message. Just as one would think that Ms. Snowe would notice that since Mr. Bush declared his support for offshore drilling, gasoline prices have dropped almost daily. And, just as one also would think that she would somehow fathom the fact that if speculators thought oil prices were going to continue to drop, they might stop betting costs will rise on the futures market.
And even if Ms. Snowe didn’t understand any of that, one would certainly think she would grasp the fact that forcing her constituents to “freeze to death” is not a very sound campaign strategy for a career politician who clearly wants to stay in the cozy confines of the U.S. Senate until hell (or Maine, as the case may be) freezes over.
There’s an ill wind sweeping across the land. A chill wind that could be “catastrophic for millions of people.” Now, let’s see if Ms. Snowe and just two more of her Republican colleagues can work up the courage to cause that wind to blow some good in the form of lower prices and energy independence. Stay tuned.
ALG Editor’s Note: The following Republican senators have not yet signed the DeMint letter: Olympia Snowe (ME), Bob Corker (TN), Elizabeth Dole (NC), Chuck Hagel (NE), John Kyl (AZ), John McCain (AZ), Mitch McConnell (KY), Gordon Smith (OR), Arlen Specter (PA), John Thune (SD).
