Remember a few months before the 2006 election? A split GOP boiled over on the immigration issue and the halls of Congress were jammed with phone calls, emails, petitions, and an angry electorate that would vote anyone out of office if they voted for that comprehensive immigration plan.
Congress heard it, and passed the positive components of immigration reform that America overwhelmingly supported. Like the wall. Just weeks before the election, almost every ounce of rage was sapped from the voting public because Congress got the message. We were going to actually build a wall. Problem solved.
We all know the result. The election of 2006 will be remembered as the Abramoff/some perv emailing pages/GOP debacle. Not immigration? Not energy? Weren’t Nussle, King, Latham, Whalen, and Lamberti all playing immigration and energy commercials in 2006? They sure were. And the voters could care less. Immigration was already solved and no one cared about the price of gas.
In August of 2008, Republicans are feeling like they have the Dems by the throat on energy. It should absolutely be a winner issue for us, just like immigration. The problem is “solving” it too soon.
Sure, I want drilling, blah, blah, blah, too. But the legislation and end result we want as conservative Republicans won’t happen. Congressional Dems have been getting an earful over the last couple of weeks of recess. They know they are losing on this issue. Now, Nancy Pelosi is “open” to drilling. Translation: House Dems with the help of “Gang of 14”-style Senate Republicans will concoct a compromise energy bill. It will include drilling, of course, but it will be loaded with gobs of loony left environmental drivel. We may even end up with a carbon tax out of it. If the GOP fights it, the media will make sure every American knows that the Dems tried, Bush lied, and energy independence died.
The problem is, none of the stuff we want out of the bill will ever come to fruition. We will be stuck with all the garbage. And the American public will lose their anger over energy as gas prices come down and we are promised energy independence. The November election will become a referendum on something stupid like which candidate has a better interview on Oprah.
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2 comments:
Wrong.
The immigration outrage and craziness really did not start until in 2007 - McCain campaign implosion - remember?
Who is writing this?
Anon 9:22 wrote - "Wrong.
The immigration outrage and craziness really did not start until in 2007 - McCain campaign implosion - remember?"
Actually - the border fence was passed in Sept. 2006 effectively appeasing the angry electorate. You are correct in saying the switchboards were jammed in 2007 with the McCain legislation but it was also done in 2006 right before the election.
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