Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Nellie is on top of things


In yesterday's Grand Island Independent, U.S. Senator Ben Nelson called for the formation of a "National Commission on Energy". Nelson says the commission would be be made up of:
"...nonpartisan experts that would advise and assist Congress in its efforts to develop a comprehensive, coherent national energy policy."
Apparently this new commission of Nelson's would be similar to the current "National Commission on Energy Policy".
This is:

"...a bipartisan group of 20 of the nation’s leading energy experts – representing the highest ranks of industry, government, academia, labor, consumer and environmental protection – joined together to form the National Commission on Energy Policy".

It's been around since 2002.

In related news, the Benator is demanding a federal commission to focus on communications and is proposing a day, possibly in July, to commemorate America's independence from the hated British.

***

And the hits from Nellie just keep coming. At the Democrat convention in Fremont, Nelson criticized Mike Johanns for having the temerity to run for the U.S. Senate before his term as Ag Sec had run out. Though in Johanns's defense, it's not like Mike made a pledge, in writing, not to run for another office.

You know, like E. Ben did in 1994 while running for Governor, before he decided to run for Senate two years later.

***

While Chuck Hagel as Barry Obama's VP is all the talk in the salon's of DC, New Yorker Bob Kerrey isn't terribly keen on the notion.

Speaking to Salon.com, Kerrey noted that:

"Chuck is, I would say, a movement conservative," Kerrey, who considers Hagel a friend, said.

The American Conservative Union says Hagel has voted the way it wants on nearly 85 percent of what it considers key votes over his career. Getting him nominated at a convention that may already be somewhat fractious after the long primary battle would be tough.

"It's hard to imagine that (delegates) are going to vote on someone at the Democratic Convention who's anti-choice, anti-civil rights for gays and anti-gun control," Kerrey said. "It's not impossible, but it's bumping right up on the edge."

You know what they say Chuck , keep your friends close and your enemies closer.
Now which one is Kerrey again?

23 comments:

Anonymous said...

Some thoughts:Now that's plagiarizing!Anyone want to let Ralston know that they have been Parading on the wrong day in July?"Snowball's chance in Hell" is more like it! (note the use of quotation marks, I only wish I knew the name of the person that coined the phrase so I could properly give he/she credit since I know that it is not my original thought, but one that I derived from another person's thought)

Anonymous said...

jim esch <3 plagiarism

Anonymous said...

ben nelson <3 jim esch

Anonymous said...

ergo:

ben nelson <3 plagiarism

Anonymous said...

Now THAT'S Nebraska Common Sense!

Anonymous said...

Chuck Hagel, forced to feel the pangs of disloyalty and betrayal. That's one of them thar irony thangs, ain't it?

(In fact, since it's Cosmic Bob shafting him, I guess it would be one of them thar 'cosmic irony' thangs.)

Anonymous said...

Maybe we need a new energy comission, the one we have right now sucks.

Anonymous said...

Maybe we need a commission on doing away with the current Federal government, agencies and courts. That's likely to produce much more tangible and longer lasting results than another energy commission to advise blowhard politicians of both parties. I can see this commission costing taxpayers millions of dollars to produce a set of proposals that will be immediately ignored unless some/all reinforce the reelection chances of those senators/congressmen who will then take credit for "doing something"...sort of like Rep. Terry Lee.

Anonymous said...

I don't think SS understand the different between what Nelson proposed and the group he linked to. Nelson's would be approved by Congress and the President, along with all the members. The group that SS pointed out just got together on their own. One would work directly with Congress, the other is basically a group with lobbyists.

identity said...

My candidate for this year's "Distinction Without A Difference" Award

"One would work directly with Congress, the other is basically a group with lobbyists."

... as in, one is a waterfowl with feathers, a bill, webbed feet and makes a discordant quacking noise. The other is a duck.

What the hell has happened to critical thinking?

Anonymous said...

Anon @ 12:02pm

Hmmm... One commission is totally independent and privately funded, the one that Benny is proposing would cost tax payers millions, producing, roughly, the EXACT SAME results.

Benny, doesn't say that he wants another commission - he says that there is none!

Let's also draw point to a letter that the National Commission on Energy Policy sent to the Senate Appropriations Commission on Feb. 1st (Benny is on that one).
Did he not read that letter? They have already done everything that Benny is asking for - BACK in 2004!

Anonymous said...

Thanks Ben, but the public wants results, not another level of government to fix the problem. For someone who has made REAL progress on energy issues, go to this website: http://www.leeterry.com/energy.html

Lee has done more on energy issues than most in Congress. Thank you Lee for serving us well, you will always have my vote.

Anonymous said...

omasteak - you are soooo bitter. let it go, man...

Anonymous said...

Rep. Terry Lee has done more on energy issues than most??? Beyond getting huge subsidies for the ethanol industry just exactly what has he done??? Putting out some dead on arrival lame ass "energy plan" isn't doing something beyond "cut & paste" from other policy proposal sources. How about removing all taxes on domestic energy production and any tax incentives/subsidies except a 10-20% in-kind royalty from crude/natural gas taken from public lands??? If the crude/natural gas is exported out of the USA, then put an export duty on it, so the foreign buyers pay it.

Anonymous said...

Who's paying for that private groups reports? They don't have to be open about that and can hide behind several walls. So do you want to take the word of people who probably have an agenda you may not be fully aware of? Or a group that would actually be unpaid (those commissions usually are) and we knew who each and every person was...a situation that actually blocks a lot of the outside influences of private groups? It's kind of like the CBO or the OBM. They are bi-partisan (or rather, non partisan) and the most trusted branches to get reports on issues directly affecting legislation.

Anonymous said...

omasteak - the only "cut & paste" candidate is jim esch. LOL

Anonymous said...

From the looks of Lee Terry's "energy plan," he's quite good at cutting and pasting too!

His whole plan is just cut and pasted from lots of other people's bills.

Anonymous said...

While the politically appointed members of the commissions are usually unpaid, the staff and travel and per diems cost a fortune. Let's invest that fortune in paying for a solution instead of listening to, yet another group, give the same old song and dance. We need to invest in America and it starts by authorizing permits to drill on previously leased land AND open up more land for drilling on shore and off shore.

Anonymous said...

Ya'll obviously haven't been reading the news lately. There are more leases already out there that the oil industry has bought, and they are sitting on and not using. They could be theoretically pumping oil right now in the Gulf in a lot more places, but they are doing nothing with about 70% of their leases. They want closer to shore so it costs less, and they don't want to have to use up any of that excessive profit ($36 BILLION 1st quarter this year) to do it. So until they actually use the leases they have, there is no need to give them any more. But ya'll will listen to the politcians that have been bought and paid for by the big oil industry.

Anonymous said...

According to an article by Reuters - there is not enough personnel to fill all the offshore oil rigs now.

Why do we think allowing for drilling the OCS is going to make any difference.

WAIT - How about offering citizenship to anyone willing to go on an offshore drill rig for up to 2 years. Just an idea.

Good paying jobs, not a blight on society and paying taxes.

Anonymous said...

anony 8:06...you are not ashamed of being bigoted, are you? Just who in the "sam hill" is gonna build all the homes on the west side of Omaha when the housing market comes back if all of the Hispanics are kicked out of NE? You gonna buy a hammer?

Anonymous said...

We certainly have a COMMISSION SPECIALIST at the helm of "commission creation" when Benny accepts the charge.

When Benny entered the Governors Mansion there were about 150 Boards and Commissions. When he exited office there were close to 315 Boards and Commissions.

With those credentials Benny some day will get the Nobel Prize for ENLARGING GOVERNMENT by handing out political feel good commission member appointments for his bipartisan cronies.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous 5:20 (aka Sund): No, we'll leave the cut and paste to you and Esch.

Been looking at research reports from the Brookings web site lately?

Here's something else you can copy and paste onto the Esch web site: The OPD arrest report on Jim's DWI. Go for it.