Senate rejects GOP oil drilling plan

[BostonPirate]

http://www.cnn.com/2011/POLITICS/05/18/senate.oil.drilling/index.html

The bill was defeated in a 42-57 vote. Sixty votes were required for passage.
Five Republicans -- Alabama's Richard Shelby, Louisiana's David Vitter, Maine's Olympia Snowe, South Carolina's Jim DeMint, and Utah's Mike Lee -- voted against the bill.
One Democrat, Montana's Max Baucus, didn't vote.
On Tuesday, the Senate rejected a Democratic measure to strip major oil companies of about $20 billion in tax subsidies over the next 10 years and use the savings to pay down the federal deficit.

So the oil companies get the status quo. They didnt need the extra land leases, and they wanted the tax cuts.

is is just me or does this seem like political posturing for the coming elections?

I mean, these people can count votes, so they know before the vote happens what the outcome will be.

 

[Kulindahr]

I don't understand why they can't do a compromise on this. From an article I read, there are like five different subsidies going here, the oldest dating back over a century. Why can't they agree to knock out the oldest one now, and argue about the others later?

 

[BostonPirate]

I dont understand it. It makes no sense in any way, economically to continue them. There is nothing that would change in the way they do business if they lose them.

I know that the country needs revenue and this is low hanging fruit. The majority of americans don't want the oil giants to get this anymore. It would not be harmful to the anyones voter support.

All this does is continue the oil intustry's dettrimental relationship with congressmen.

 

[rareboy]

Shameful.

It troubles me to know that my oil company dividends come at the expense of corporate welfare.

 

[Joshua_me]

Shameful.

It troubles me to know that my oil company dividends come at the expense of corporate welfare.

Indeed.

It troubles me to know that it takes $60.00 to fill my car while the poor and the elderly get screwed every day.

And more importantly, this dance of souls between the Republicans and the Democrats is just that. Political theater.

It doesn't really matter who is in power, our country has been bought and sold a long time ago.

There is no "middle class" any longer, there are the haves and "have nots".

Deregulation has killed democracy.

Anyone who disagrees with that has their head firmly planted up their ass.

 

[thermodynamics]

I think the Republicans are on the wrong side of this one. And the polls show it.

 

[hotatlboi]

I don't understand why they can't do a compromise on this. From an article I read, there are like five different subsidies going here, the oldest dating back over a century. Why can't they agree to knock out the oldest one now, and argue about the others later?

Might it have something to do with the truckloads of corporate money flowing into their campaign coffers?

 

[BostonPirate]

Might it have something to do with the truckloads of corporate money flowing into their campaign coffers?

Ding ding ding....

the winning answer!

 

[Kulindahr]

Ding ding ding....

the winning answer!

Except that corporations can't donate to campaigns.

 

[BostonPirate]

Except that corporations can't donate to campaigns.

but they CAN contribute to Carl Roves shadowy political attack aparatus

 

[Kulindahr]

If I had a magic wand, I'd make every attorney, politician, and public official in the country write ten thousand times, "corporations are not persons".