There aren't two Americans more fond of the GOP's "Texas Tea Party"
than the hosts of WLS' Don Wade & Roma. As the so-called "protest" trudges along, the
broadcast duo continues to have House Republicans on their show, thanking the representatives for their purportedly valiant efforts. Today, House Minority Leader John
Boehner called in from the Cincinnati airport -- en route to the Capitol after some R&R on the golf course -- making sure to spread some distortions along the way.
For instance, while discussing Republicans' demand that Democrats return from August recess to hold a vote on the GOP's bill to increase offshore oil drilling, Roma and Boehner had this exchange:
ROMA: In her interview with George Stephanopoulos, Speaker Nancy Pelosi finally ended up with one mantra at the very end of the 10 times he asked her tried and pin her on why she wouldn’t allow a vote. And she said finally, “I want to save the planet.” Is it because the Democratic Party has become beholden to the greenie groups that have funded their presidential runs so heavily?
BOEHNER: Oh yeah. They worship at the altar of radical environmentalism and that’s why they are standing in the way.
Their effort to paint Democrats as the side whose energy positions are controlled by special interests is quite remarkable.
Consider this: since 1990 environmental groups have contributed $17.7 million to candidates at the federal level -- most of which has gone to Democrats. During the same period, the oil and gas industry has doled out $220 million. These contributions have been directed at Republicans by a three-to-one margin. But according to Roma and Boehner, it's the Democrats who are "beholden."
During the same interview, Don asked the Boehner a leading question about Pelosi's opposition to the GOP's favored energy policy. Here's his response:
BOEHNER: Well, I think the big issue is they [Democrats] want no part of nuclear energy, they want no part of using coal, and they want no drilling for new oil and gas. Moveon.org was at my office yesterday demonstrating and their plan is identical to Pelosi’s plan: no more drilling, no coal, no nuclear. All they want is solar and wind. Well I’m sorry, but you’re going to be very hot in the summer and very cold in the winter if that’s the only plan that you have. It’s not a serious plan to take a big step toward energy independence.
Of course, this is a wild distortion of of the energy plan favored by Democrats, including Barack Obama, to achieve "energy independence." While wind and solar power are key factors in any approach to build a sane energy policy, they are individual pieces of a larger policy. Promoting conservation policies (increasing fuel economy standards, weatherizing buildings), implementing an economy wide-cap and trade program, and creating millions of green jobs -- ideas Boehner overlooks -- will not only lessen our environmental footprint but improve our nation's economic competitiveness. He also ignores the very real concerns nuclear power and "clean coal" present and suggests that oil exploration will lower gas prices in the short-term, a point that's demonstrably false.
You can listen to Boehner's entire appearance here.
For more on the GOP drilling stunt, read our posts here, here, and here.
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