Why is John McCain treating our national security, literally, as a joke?
This week, Senator John McCain made clear that you shouldn't try to combat the rising cost of gas by checking your car's tire pressure, so your car gets more per gallon (something everyone from Al Gore to President Bush, from Joe Lieberman to Barack Obama, from NASCAR to environmental groups say you should do). He's even mocking the idea by handing out "joke" tire pressure gauges, and has a new childish web video out making a joke out of it.
But this is no joke.
In fact, it's so serious that I'd ask everyone to buy tire pressure gauges - available at sites like this -- because ultimately this is about our national security and our troops. Maybe John McCain wants to mock those things, but I sure don't.
Using less Middle East oil puts us in a stronger position to demand security in the region and fight terrorist organizations which often get much of their funding through oil profits. Using less Middle East oil could also keep us out of future wars, and save the lives of those Americans serving in uniform.
According to TIME magazine, John McCain's sole idea to "drill here and drill now" won't produce oil until the year 2030, and then it will only be 200,000 barrels per day. In comparison, the government estimates that if everyone made sure their car tires were fully inflated, we could start to reduce our oil consumption by 800,000 barrels per day, right now.
Imagine how much less Middle East oil we would consume if everyone checked their tires and made sure they were at full pressure. Over the course of the Bush administration, that would be about 2.3 billion barrels of oil we could have not gotten from the Middle East. All just by using the simple tire pressure gauge that John McCain thinks is a joke.
Here's something else that is no joke. Senator McCain has gotten $2 million from big oil, and in return, he's blocking investment into alternative energy, like wind and solar power. Here's just a sliver of what hasn't seen the light of day because Senator No has blocked it: a Renewable Energy Tax Credit Extension Worth 116,000 Jobs Per Year, Billions in Tax Credits For Renewable Energy Production, $290 Million For R&D On Renewable Energy, Including Wind Power. And, Senator McCain cast the deciding vote to cut funding for the Rural Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Program from $23 Million To $3 Million. All of these things would have led to us needing to purchase billions of fewer barrels of oil from the Middle East.
Laughing yet? Because those of us who love America and our troops sure aren't.
Maybe John McCain wants to mock the idea of simple ways we can use less oil and protect America and our troops, while blocking efforts to get off Middle East oil, but we take it dead serious.
This is about America's security and about whether we get sucked into military conflicts in the future to protect oil interests.
I say, show Senator McCain that he and his Big Oil buddies are the only ones laughing. Buy a tire pressure gauge right now to help America start buying 800,000 fewer barrels of oil a day.
Oh, and if you have the extra 89 cents to buy two, send the second one to John McCain with a note -- "America's security is no joke."
Crossposted at VetVoice.com
Follow Jon Soltz on Twitter: www.twitter.com/jonsoltz
is to ration gasoline the way they did during WW2.
Maybe if everybody got a coupon book for gas, they would be forced to drive only when necessary.
Too many people in this world don't care as long as they still have a job and can afford it.
Some families have a car for the husband, wife and all their teen aged kids.
These are the ones that the raise in the minimum wage helps. A lot of Teens work and enjoy a good sized check to pay for their fancy cars.
HA! those teens aren't paying for their fancy cars, daddy is.
Oh, one of the biggest contributors to that is a group owned by a man who is notorious for speculating, George Soros. His windfall profits are in the billions per year, and speculation is primarily what drove up the oil prices in the past year.
Oh, but Obama wants to tax oil companies, ok, I understand, they are billionaires too, just like the speculators of those big hedge fund corporations. Fact is, the biggest growing group of millionaires and billionaires in this country are from hedge funds, and a good chunk has come from energy.
Lets compare though, 20 million just from Soros alone to Move On, which is only going to Obama and other key Senate and Congress seats, one of which in a state I live in which is already getting ugly, or 2 million to McCain from oil. If I'm not mistaken Obama has gotten money from big oil too, so he is getting the best of both worlds.
There *are* things that everyday folks can do. Not only does it save money, but it also reduces consumption, therefore the need for foreign oil, and therefore, does indeed impact the safety of our troops. And I agree - to mock these things is to trivialize the problems.
It is ironic - during the World Wars, there were tin drives, steel drives, rubber drives, bond sale drives. Today, in the middle of what really is a war over energy sources, are we asked to even carpool once per week, to turn off the lights not in use? Nope. We get asked to shop more.
People have been told for generations to maintain proper tire pressure, for both safety and optimal fuel usage. This is nothing new. But any estimates about how much fuel would be saved are just that, estimates. Since noone knows how many people DO maintain proper tire inflation, there is no way of knowing for sure.
All you are doing here is highlighting your advocacy for Obama, a man for whom national poverty is to be desired.
Semper fi
New industries create new jobs for people who are currently out of work and willing to train into a new trade.
Which do you think will create more jobs? New industries that forge new, clean, energy independence...or a few more oil rigs?
I think the oil business will create far more jobs NOW, than your new industries will do NOW. And that is Obama's point, in case you missed it. He says the economy is bad NOW, and we need new jobs NOW. Your "pie in the sky" jobs are not here NOW.
Try to stay on message. Pay attention to your Messiah's current message, not what he said yesterday.
Semper fi
Semper fi
Semper fi
DO NOT DRILL HERE.
We cannot trust the environmental policies of the U.S. So we should instead rely upon Mexico, China, the Middle East, Venezuela, Russia and others to safeguard drilling.
In fact, we're so bad about the environment that it makes sense to spend some of the fuel drilled just getting it here, and risking spillage in transportation. Because the environmental watchdog groups, the environmental activists, and the Government itself here cannot be trusted.
At least not like Mexico, or the Middle East, or the paragon of environmental care, China.
We're going to use the oil here, and "making and buying locally" is usually the watchword of environmentally sound purchases, but the U.S. cannot be trusted here.
Oh, and we should probably outsource farming to Brazil. Sure they'll bulldoze more rainforest for it, but that would be better than risking farming at the hands of Americans... wouldn't it?
I mean buying locally was a good idea initially, but taking into account the problems that environmentalists here have with drilling, how can we be trusted to farm safely and cleanly? Obviously China or South America would be a better idea here... wouldn't it?
Just as sadly, the Republicans have adopted this as their presidential campaign strategy for 2008. Aside from being reprehensible, this is stupid for many reasons. First, Senator Obama has proven over and over that he can stand up to this type of thing very well. Second, the Republicans and Senator McCain have completely demolished the one possible reason to vote for Senator McCain - "he's a nice old man - relatively harmlessly". Apparently not.
Eveyone needs to ask him or her self why is it that the Republicans and Senator McCain are focusing so much of their campaign on ridiculing Senator Obama. Clearly, because they believe Senator McCain is a weak candidate with nothing to shout about. And with this strategy, they have succeeded in convincing me of the same.
Semper fi
wanting to talk to your opposition is not wimpy, its how grown ups and civilized people are supposed to behave. attack ads give me no information about the candidate it represents. if obama were behaving as mccain is i would say the same thing. grow up. let me see a debate about the issues.
It also makes the mistake that increased efficiency will result in a decrease in demand. I'm not saying that efficiency is a bad thing, far from it, however one must recognize that efficiency has a great propensity to encourage more consumption, not less. When more work can be done with less money/energy, we often load up by consuming more or displacing money to other things that consume energy as well.
Obama's goals are lofty and border on completely unrealistic. As long as we create unattainable goals, the problems will only get worse.
That's what liberals said 30 years ago when Jimmy Carter was President..
"In comparison, the government estimates that if everyone made sure their car tires were fully inflated, we could start to reduce our oil consumption by 800,000 barrels per day, right now."
...and if everyone turned off their engines and coast more...
...and if drivers lost weight
...and if workers spent their days-off not driving,.
Freakin' ridiculous. But not as ridiculous as saying that we need a Winnie the Pooh foregin policy.
.....
Imagine how much less Middle East oil we would consume if everyone checked their tires and made sure they were at full pressure.
But this only reinforces my conviction - Rupublicans simply have no brains!
There is absolutely no thinking behind this post. Just reiteration of moronic speaking points!
Tell you what drrjp - go tell a NASCAR driver that he can win more races by simply reducing 1/4 of his air in his tires! Just make sure when you do this its in a laugh free neutral zone!
Unreal!
Total Shipping Cost for This Item ( Details )
Total Shipping Cost for This Item ( Details )
Standard Continental US PO Box $12.94
Continental US Street $12.94
APO/FPO Street $12.94
APO/FPO PO Box $12.94
I think I'll pass on that shipping.
Low tire pressure not only eats more gas, but increases the chance of a blowout. Blowouts on the highway are the leading cause of highway death. Here's one example of many:
http://www.lasvegasnow.com/Global/story.asp?s=7912823
Hey, they're already blogging about it!
http://www.swamppolitics.com/news/politics/blog/2008/08/is_mccains_tiregauge_ridicule.html
Moreover, on slick surfaces, it increases your odds of a skid. I'm afraid that this rather stupid joke mongering by McCain will taunt him much more than his Chelsea/ Janet Reno humor, and may be his ultimate downfall.
Not just bad advice, but if followed, will surely lead to highway deaths and injuries (and possible lawsuits) that could well have been avoided. Care to retract your comments, JM?