Ever seen those late-night infomercials where there’s a skit between the lady who needs her floors/kitchen/clothes/whatever cleaned, and the know-it-all guy who’s got the perfect product to help her? Of course there’s a paid audience too, who “wow!” and smile and applaud at just the right moments, as if the dang thing isn’t completely scripted. Well, I’m watching the Congressional version right now on CSPAN, as Congresswoman Michelle Bachman (R-MN) and Congressman Robert Latta (R-OH) are acting out their infomercial to persuade us to drill in ANWR.

This Essay is #2 of 3 written by George about his opponent, Doc Hastings.  For more about George and his campaign for Congress, visit his site here.  If you live in the 4th Congressional District, don't forget to vote for George in the August 19th Primary!

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In 1996, Jack Abramoff, then a member of Preston Gates Ellis & Rouvelas Meeds, targeted my Congressman, Doc Hastings, for lobbying, while Hastings served on the House Natural Resources Committee. [1] Abramoff, and his team of lobbyists, then represented the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas, a South Pacific territory of the United States. [2] Abramoff’s firm received millions for its lobbying efforts on behalf of the Commonwealth. [3]

Yesterday, Joe Romm testified that Congress should release oil from the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve to pop the oil price bubble caused by speculation and lower oil prices. Romm is the editor of climateprogress.org, and knows what he is talking about: he holds a Ph.D. in physics from MIT and was special assistant for policy and planning to the deputy secretary of energy, who oversaw the SPR. He said that offshore drilling won’t lower prices in the short-term (or even in the long-term), but releasing oil from the SPR will.

Excerpts of Romm’s testimony are below, and his entire testimony is available here.

A US government task force released its interim report Tueday that confirmed what I wrote last week; that speculators are not driving up oil prices significantly. Hopefully this will pour some cold water on Congressional efforts to pass laws against speculation instead of dealing with the real issues causing the spike in energy prices. A good first start would be eliminating or reducing the import tax on ethanol made from Brazilian cane sugar, as Fed Chairman Bernanke suggested the other day. This import tax is pure protectionism, an attempt to protect both the US sugar and corn ethanol industries, but actually has the effect of making fuel more costly for the American consumer.

Today, the national minimum wage increases by 70 cents, from $5.85 per hour to $6.55 per hour.  I am proud to say that this is the second of three increases due to take effect under the Fair Minimum Wage Act, enacted by this Democratic Congress and signed into law on May 25, 2007.

The increase in the minimum wage comes at an important time for the millions of Americans struggling to make ends meet. Real incomes have dropped since 2001, while the costs of gasoline, health insurance, and attending college have skyrocketed. With today’s increase, Americans who most urgently need a pay raise will get a badly needed boost.

In 2005, Alabama Congressman Mike Rogers (AL-03) cast the deciding vote on CAFTA as he changed his mind at the last minute after consulting a CEO of a company in his district (also a large donor to his campaigns).

Unfortunately, thousands of sock and apparel jobs have left the districts of those that voted for CAFTA. Many of those also were last minute votes.

This vote is not lost on Josh Segall who is challenging Rogers this fall. In fact this could be one of the deciding factors for voters in this district.

While Congressional and Senate Republicans stand in the way of Democratic Party initiatives to solve America’s economic woes and Bill Shuster complains about the ineffectiveness of inactivity, 9th District Congressional Candidate Tony Barr works toward real solutions for working people in Pennsylvania 9th Congressional District.  In a statement released on Wednesday July 23rd, The Democratic Party Challenger offers a series of proposals intended to aid Central Pennsylvania’s economic woes.

Read Tony Barr's statement below

Big Oil lobbyists will rush down the Capitol steps today like kids on Christmas morning and they won’t believe their eyes. Letting them drill for more oil in more places and only hot air on energy efficiency – House Republicans want to give them everything Big Oil has asked for.

Big Oil has been good this year to candidates of both parties, but particularly to Republicans. According to OpenSecrets.org, just three oil companies – BP, Chevron and ExxonMobil – have contributed $1,067,139 to Republican candidates in the 2008 election cycle alone. But go back to 1990 and those three Big Oil companies have given an astounding $19,909,655 to Republican candidates.

Remember the All-American hero who stood up to George Bush when he appeared in person in Charlotte, North Carolina?  Remember how Bush was so taken back by Harry Taylor's respectful, well-thought-out and on-point approach?  Well, Harry is now running for US Congress in the 9th US District in North Carolina and he is taking on Sue Myrick.  Sue Myrick has had her turn and she has done virtually nothing, just like Bush.  She will be just as taken back by Harry Taylor as Bush was.  

On last night's edition of The Daily Show, Jon Stewart and John Oliver talked about the recent testimonies by members of the Bush administration on Capitol Hill for numerous different scandals. As Stewart explains - some or refusing to testify while others are testifying and refusing to say anything. Oliver claims that this is an historic administration that one day will have their names retired in the rafters of the Capitol building. Fathers will one day be able to tell their sons that yes, they saw the greatest douches of all time.

Also, Lewis Black rants about the economy and the "End of an Empire Sale". I'll try not to spoil it but suffice it to say that Lewis Black is always funny. There is also a new segment of Obama Quest up as well.

Enjoy the video recap and chime in with your thoughts / comments:

I don't see another diary about this yet, so am shooting it out ... the story and discussion of it, to my mind, belongs top o' Page 1, everywhere.

"Salon has uncovered new evidence of post-9/11 spying on Americans. Obtained documents point to a potential investigation of the White House that could rival Watergate."

What's more important -- Salon has uncovered evidence that a Democratic Congress is contemplating really doing its job starting in 2009 -- assuming we can make the gains in the Senate that seem possible.

A new Church Committee?

Flip ... or just read the article, and hope. Civil libertarians, don't give up.

From Federal Computer Week:
"The House rejected a bill last week that would have funded the purchase of paper ballots as a backup to electronic voting systems for the upcoming election.

   The bill would have directed the Election Assistance Commission to establish a program to make the grants in time for the November vote."

http://www.fcw.com/...

If Democrats, who lost two presidential elections under questionable e-voting can't pass a bill providing alternative paper ballots to guarantee free and fair elections, then you have to ask "which lobby paid them off?"

President Bush is putting the political screws to Congress this week to get them to open offshore drilling and shale development to increase domestic production with the goal of lowering gas prices.

This is disingenuous - he knows it and the Saudis know it. The Saudis you say? The Saudis are scratching their heads at the high prices because they can't sell what they already have - nobody is buying right now according to a recent NY Times article about the development of the huge  Khurais oil field:

With all this oil becoming available, the Aramco officials said they were baffled that the market seemed to be behaving as though there were a shortage.

"We’ve asked all the international oil companies that buy from us if they want more oil," Mr. Nasser said. "But we can’t find customers."

Los Angeles Times
December 6, 1933

Roosevelt Calls on Nation to Ban Bootlegger--Saloon's Return; Huge Liquor Imports Authorized

Washington, Dec. 5. (Exclusive) National prohibition ended this afternoon at 3:32 o'clock when a convention in Utah formally ratified the Twenty-first Amendment to the United States Constitution, and thus repealed the Eighteenth Amendment.

What's this about? It's a reminder the U.S. Constitution can be amended.

These are words I longed to hear. Never thought I would hear:

             Cap ...     Executive ...     Compensation

How do Americans feel about a possible $25+/- billion "bailout" of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the institutions which hold about half of the nation's mortgages?

Personal and family PAIN involved in all these foreclosures is simply incalculable and completely ignored. One out of every 200+/- homes in FL/CA/AZ is being Foreclosed! (1/122 in NV.) usnews

Senator Jim Webb talked (on Charlie Rose last night) about executive compensation at corporations where American taxpayers are holding the bag. I for one am grateful for this kind of leadership. At least that would be some progress.

when I first heard of "Oli" North I was intrigued by the expensive fence he built to keep Osama bin Laden from his home - admittedly surprised to learn that the muslim hoards had perpetrated our borders (this before our current HOmeland security - pun intended HOe) +/- 1983 (I was @ moscow, Idaho - you gotta know I'm laying low)  

Standing between the North Coast RTA station in downtown Cleveland and the wind turbine at the Great Lakes Science Center, OH-14 Democratic nominee Bill O’Neill challenged Steve LaTourette to debate him on energy policy, "anytime, anywhere." Bill chose this location because it highlighted the differences between some of his long term solutions to the energy crisis, and LaTourette’s election year gimmicks.

Reiterating My OPPOSITION to Tolling I-80 as PA Turnpike Commission Reveals Plans to Spend I-80 Toll Money:

This week the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission released details of their plans to repair Interstate 80 using the funds generated from tolls paid by users of the highway.  It was stated by the Turnpike Commission and their consultants that "An assessment of the interstate showed that more than half its length has not been repaved since it was built some 40 years ago".  In press accounts, Barry J. Schoch, identified as Project Manager, also detailed plans to build a "cashless open road tolling system" that will utilize the EZ Pass system to collect a portion of the tolls.  Mr. Schoch also described how vehicles not equipped with EZ Pass will have their tolls collected saying "a driver without E-ZPass will have his or her license plate photographed, generating a mailed-out bill for the vehicle owner".  He also stated that this non EZ Pass system "is not currently used on any U.S. highway."