The American Spectator

Reader Mail

Petro Pelosi

8.18.08 @ 12:01AM

BLACK GOLD
Re: Andrew Cline's Big Oil Democrats:

Mr. Cline's prescription for taking back the issue of the high price of gas and fuel oil, and oil company profits is fine, as far as it goes, but he leaves out a piece of data the needs constant reiteration in the current debate. That piece of data is the huge amounts that the oil companies remit to the government in taxes. This should be broken down into the corporate income taxes and the federal and state taxes paid at the pump on a gallon of gas.

I am all in favor of the economics lesson that Mr. Cline advocates, but the general public, stupid or not, can slough it off if it is not tied directly to their own wallets. It should be a constant refrain from McCain about the taxes paid at all levels by the oil companies. That ties the economic lesson directly to our wallets; it makes the information a reality to the American consumer, many of whom pay little attention to the facts underlying the issue. If I could advise McCain, I would have him include this riff in virtually every speech that he gives on the campaign trail. It should be drilled into the consciousness of Americans just like the "Drill here, drill now" campaign sound bite until the public reflexively thinks of it every time anyone starts to rant about the high price of oil at the pump, or in our heating oil tanks, or the price of truck diesel that is included in the price of everything that we buy at the grocery store.
-- Ken Shreve

I've got a response for Bill and Hillary Clinton's relative (Barbara Boxer) -- Democrat Congress = $4+ gas prices. Not until Democrats seized control of Congress on a platform of outright lies and liberal blue dogs promising to support conservative values did we see gasoline prices skyrocket to over $4 and the booming Bush/Republican economy slow down.

As far as Obama condemning John McCain for taking legal contributions from American corporations, he should clean up his own act and quit taking illegal donations from foreign Muslims with links to terrorist groups like Hamas. Better $2 million from Big Oil than over $2 million from shady Middle Easterners.

Let's not forget Obama's only regret about the high gas prices is that American's didn't have time to get used to them. This is really a guy who cares about the little guy isn't it? Like Obama, Al Gore thinks gas prices are too low and should be over $5 a gallon. John Conyers wants to raise the Federal gasoline tax and Bill Clinton if he'd gotten his way would have doubled energy taxes in his first administration. Democrats don't give a tinker's damn about working Americans paying higher gas prices. What really matters to Democrats is power -- naked raw power for them, their families and their cronies who they make rich on the backs of the American people -- time to show Americans who the grossly rich are and how they're getting that way by abuse of power.
-- Michael Tomlinson
Camp Habbaniyah, Iraq

If Big Mac says, "No more!" to Big Oil he can put to rest the Big Lie of the Madam Speaker, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and the rest of the Democratic Party. If McCain announces that the GOP platform will include the complete dismantling of all corporate taxation and wealth redistribution (i.e., corporate welfare), he will strengthen his outreach to fiscal conservatives and will show that he, unlike Obama, is serious about solving structural economic problems and not just turning every which way like a weather vain blown by the latest idiot wind. Many think that "economics is not his strong suite," but what can be simpler for his (and the American people) understanding than zero interference. Less means more: more innovation, more free flowing capital, and more money in the people's pockets. Obama is most excellent at obfuscating while McCain is the man with the "straight talk." What can be more straight, and less Obama, than stating the government is getting out of the business of minding corporate business?
-- Ira M. Kessel
Rochester, New York

I would like to believe Republicans teaching Americans some "basic economics" regarding oil would turn it into a winning issue for them. But considering the years of re-distributionist nonsense that's been shoved down our throats--under the banner of "fairness," no less--it could be a hard sell.
-- Arnold Ahlert
Boca Raton, Florida

COUNT 'EM
Re: John Samples's Four More Lies:

1) The doctrine of equality brings the end of progress. Progress of every sort throughout history has been propelled by the desire for inequality. Equality makes us poor, inequality (in a free society) makes us all richer, and yet more unequal. That is the conundrum, to some.

2) Entitlements -- "raising taxes, cutting spending, or both." As long as we do not wish to solve the problem, there is a third way. Merely raise the age to receive entitlements to the point where these funds pay for themselves, however badly. That's reality, so get used to it.
-- James Wilson

You can stop with lie number #2, as far as I am concerned. As the mother of a serving son who fears that my son will be calling Obama Commander-in-Chief (please God, help us!), I fear those wars in places like Somalia and Sudan. Dems are free with the military in particularly strange causes. And since these Dem presidents don't have nerve, when things get tight or difficult, they falter, resulting in lots of men and women killed. Picture Obama being in command, after this week's incursion by Russia into Georgia. Obama's spokesperson, Rice, started attacking John McCain's stance (which was spot on), responding that Obama's response was dictated by the facts when they became known. What the heck is that supposed to mean? When the enemy strikes you want someone fixed and decisive in charge.

To military families far and near it means this is a man that waffles, tries to second guess, doesn't have backbone, if elected, will put those we love in harm's way needlessly. We have seen this before and repeatedly from Carter to Clinton. And I thank God daily that Al Gore wasn't President on 9/11, since our family had a son just beginning his service.

For those who want to draw insinuations that we "invaded" Iraq, I stick with Rush Limbaugh's reminder yesterday that Iraq was already on a short string being monitored by the U.N. and having some 15 security counsel violations. Now that the main stream media has published reports of the tons of WMD's found in recent months (no, you only heard about this on conservative sites, not a peep by MSM!), we can be grateful that the constancy of President George Bush reigned during this time. Not prone to poll-driven leading or to defending himself repeatedly, he sacrificed any personal dignity and vilification (and possible impeachment from the Nutroots), to stand firmly in the gap and defend our country.

I pray each day for God's leading and that those who would destroy this fine life of freedom not succeed in their mission. Life with Sharia law should terrify most Americans, but only those of us who faced terrorism abroad in the 1980's understand that our enemies are determined and their planning is for the long term, unlike our weak will to stay constant in anything we do.

Letter to the Editor

topics:
Taxes, Education, Health Care, John McCain, Harry Reid, Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, Economics, Business, Entitlements, Constitution, Law, Founding Fathers, Military, Iraq, Russia, NATO, Energy, Oil