Friday, April 25, 2008

John McCain: Patriot

Nope.  This entry is not really about John McCain's patriotism (although I have no doubts about McCain on that score).  Nor does this entry constitute an endorsement of John McCain for President (the man confirms almost every day the reasons I CANNOT vote for him for President).  But I believe in giving credit where credit is due, even to a politician I can't stand (politically).  Thus, the word "patriot" is used in the title merely in the sense Bill O'Reilly uses the word in his "Pinheads" and "Patriots" section:  to refer to approval of a particular action.

In this case there are two actions/positons of John McCain that make him a "patriot" (as to these particular things).

First, John McCain has proposed a "moratorium" on Federal fuel taxes for the summer driving season.   That is the most direct and effective way of giving SOME price relief to motorists this summer.

The other issue that John McCain has raised is even more worthy, and one of the most damning indictments of this Adminstration that a politician could make.

WHY is our government (the Bush Administration) purchasing 70,000 barrels of oil A DAY for the emergency, "strategic oil reserve".  Does it make ANY sense to be purchasing oil above $100.00 a barrel?  And don't give me this total guff about the "law" requiring it (although you might note that DEMOCRATS have made hardly a peep about this insanity).  If President Bush, and the Bush Administration, did not want this to be happening, it would not be happening.   We shoulld be purchasing oil for the emergecy reserve when prices are DOWN--not when they are way UP.  Any other policy is simple insanity.  It is one of the many reasons--this total tone deafness--that I have suggested that President Bush (see previous entry on illegal immigration, where President Bush and McCain together have sabotaged any chance of making that a Republican issue, or of clarifying the issue for voters) has turned into a SABOTEUR of the Republican Party, and especially of conservative goals.   It is like President Bush has turned into the kind of mole in the Republican Party that I am in AOL.

John McCain, to his credit, has proposed suspending this insane policy of continuing to purchase oil for the strategic reserve when prices are this high.  You could argue that at least the THREAT of RELEASING oil from the reserve should be used, to changethe psychology of the speculative oil "market".  However, there are definite risks to that.  The strategic reserve is meant for a time of disrutption of the oil supply--a time of SHORTAGE.  There is presently no real shortage of oil  If we start using even the threat of release of oil to merely control prices, we risk the purpose of the strategic reserve.  We risk it merely becoming a political football.  Frankly, if I were President, I would be willing to take the risk/gamble of plaing chicken with the oil markets ("jawboning"), even though I would not actually DO more than a token release of oil from the reserve.  President Bush, however, is not made that way.  Regardless of that, however, it is absolute and utter insanity to keep purchasing oil for the "reserve", when oil rises in price to astronomical heights.  I don't think there is any practical, or even real theoretical, excuse for that.  John McCain has said essentially that, and for that he is a "patriot".

I have mentioned my brother before, who is co-owner of a trucking company.  My brother--no leftist he--is coming to think of President Bush as one of the worst Presidents the country has ever had--maybe THE worst. 

I disagree on that, because I don't consider Bush nearly the worst President even in my lifetime.  I consider Presidents Johnson (LOSING "War on Poverty" and War in Vietnam at the same time), Nixon, and Carter as MUCH worse than President Bush. 

However, you can understand how my brother feels.  His entire business is being put at risk.  He is perfectly aware that environmentalists (of the leftist kind) have a lot to answer for on here (as 2/3's of the oil resources of this country are "off limits" to exploitation, and new refineries can't be built, while new regulations add $8,0000.00 to the price of every truck, with more coming in 2010).  At the same time, my brother sees oil companies becoming ever bigger, BY MERGER (not by producing more oil), while Preisdnet Bush does more than just ignore the problem.  President Bush keeps on purchasing oil--MEANING THE U.S. GOVERNMENT IS DIRECTLY HELPING RAISE THE PRICE OF OIL--even as the price rises to "record" after "record".  My brother rightly regards this as an insane indifference to his very livelihood--not to mention what he directly sees is disastrous for this country 

You can't convince my brother that President Bush is a good President.  And the continued purchase of oil for the strategic oil reserve is one of those "flash point" issues with my brother--havng a signficance beyond its (limited) real effect on oil prices.  To my brother, it is an illustration that President Bush lives in the same kind of fantasy world (just a different fantasy world) as leftists, where reality does not enter. You know what?  I have a hard time saying my brother is wrong on this one.

Threefore, John McCain's call for sanity here is also a call for some sense of reality.  For that, McCain is a "patriot" (even if he, himself, is divorced from reality on so many things--including the "global warming" type legislaton that threatens to RUIN my brother's business, and our economy, fully as much as insane oil policy). 

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