There was a little-noticed moment in the Vice Presidential debate that came racing back to my mind when looking over the news today. Joe Biden was talking about energy independence, and how at the Republican National Convention people were chanting "Drill, drill, drill."
Upon hearing that, Sarah Palin's eyes lit up. After weeks of making a fool out of herself, she knew she finally had Biden where she wanted him. She knew something that he didn't. With a look of smug satisfaction, she said to Biden, "the chant is...drill, baby, drill."
And she looked so proud and happy. Finally, she wasn't the one who was making the humiliating gaffe. (The RNC crowd actually chanted both mind numbingly stupid things, but that's neither here nor there.)
She reminded me of Fredo in the Godfather declaring "I'm smart! I'm smart and I want respect!" It was really, really sad.
Which brings us to today. It was reported that at least half a million gallons of crude oil spilled into the Gulf of Mexico as a result of Hurricane Ike. The hurricane destroyed many of the offshore drilling platforms Republicans love so much. It ripped through the pipelines they claim are so safe. It caused massive environmental damage to the Texas and Louisiana coastlines.
I made a cartoon about it.
The scary thing is that the Republicans want more. Even after it's obvious the realities of "drill, baby, drill" are "spill, baby, spill", they still want more. And as we painfully aware, the Democrats were all too happy to fold and allow the ban on offshore drilling to expire.
But, hey, look on the bright side. At least we have a new phrase we can all chant together.
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I'll put it in terms I think the average citizen could understand, "Drill, Baby, Drill" is now, and should be, associated with the Dept. of Interior scandal- which involved oil lobbyists and Dept. of Interior employees in parties, drug use and...sex. So yes, humorously enough - that's what I thought when I heard her say that and couldn't help but feel a bit of a laugh and a glee and a bit of disgust at the same time when she corrected Biden.
The fact that hurricanes threaten the very oil supply they are so eager to create does NOT put my mind at ease at all- neither does the immense quantity of spilled crude clogging up the Gulf's estuaries...
The fishkill alone will hurt commerce and no doubt has done untold damage to aquatic flora and fauna.
So no, when my elders say "All of the Above" I say "What about C. Clean Energy? Better and Faster?"