Declaring War on Inexpensive Energy Sources
- Print print this page
- Discuss 51 comments, Blog about
Advertisement
When Citizens Against Government Waste exposed the government purchase of a $436 hammer and a $640 toilet seat, late night comedians and television pundits covered the airways with sarcasm.
But when the Navy announced the “success” of its new Department of Defense biofuel costing $27 per gallon, the silence was interrupted only by crickets. Conventional military fuel costs only about $3.50 per gallon.
The project, known as the “Great Green Fleet,” was designed to create yet another market for alternative energy. The problem is that the market was created by taking more than $500 million from the treasury, 40 percent of which, like all federal spending, has to be borrowed from China.
The Pentagon is faced with a possible cut to its readiness of $259 billion over the next five years. Yet, Democrats in the Senate are defending $27-per-gallon military fuel.
Many argue that our country is vulnerable to outside interruption of the petroleum supply. The argument continues that it is a good idea to develop new fuel from cooking oil and algae as a strategic alternative.
But strategic alternative fuel technology is not something new. The ability to create “petroleum”-based artificial fuel from coal, America’s most abundant and one of its most inexpensive resources, is nothing new. The technology has been known since the early 20th century. Synthetic coal-based fuels became the cornerstone of the German “war machine” during World War II. Use of this technology was abandoned after the war only because of the abundance of cheap, natural petroleum.
The point is that the current administration has as its goal the creation of “new” but unnecessarily expensive “green” technology. This singular focus spends with abandon, no matter how many people have to pay more taxes, and no matter how many bonds have to be floated onto our grandchildren’s future.
The position of the White House is interesting on this point. It refuses to invest money into more reliable and better tested coal-based fuels for an armed services emergency because such fuels, it says, fail to meet “environmental requirements,” according to The New York Times.
It is strange for the Obama Pentagon to place the issues of global warming ahead of national survival.
The House of Representatives, led by Republicans, has voted to place the $27-per-gallon biofuels program beside the trash heap reserved for the $7,600 military coffeemaker. Democrats controlling the Senate committee overseeing the project have voted to keep on buying environmentally friendly weapons fuel no matter what the cost.
For many, their jobs will depend on whether the Pentagon thinks it important to prepare for only an environmentally friendly thermonuclear war.
Will the coal fields of West Virginia be abandoned to be replaced by algae farms and recycled grease from McDonald’s? And will the job prospects in shale oil-rich North Dakota evaporate with the rise in fuel prices from an environmentally friendly war machine?
From the Great Green Fleet to Solyndra, there is a Democratic quest to manipulate energy markets in order to replace comparatively inexpensive oil and gas products with extremely expensive “alternative” fuels, all in an attempt to satisfy an environmentalist lobby and with little regard for the effect on both the poor and the taxpaying middle class.
Mandates for expensive electricity from renewable energy drive up the price of turning on the lights in a single mother’s apartment. Keeping petroleum products off the market by refusing to approve the Keystone Pipeline and refusing to allow oil drilling on public lands drives prices up by keeping supply down. The result is that farmers and manufacturers pay more to get their goods to market, and families pay more for food.
The success of America is based, in large part, on its success in exploiting inexpensive energy. Creating an oil industry from a few “rigs” in Pennsylvania to a worldwide phenomenon that can send a family car 30 miles at about the cost of a gallon of milk has allowed the American middle class to thrive. Replacing that fuel with “alternatives” at 10 times the cost taxes the middle class and oppresses the poor, the constituency about which liberals claim to care most.
It is about time that Americans embrace inexpensive energy rather than envy its success and abandon the very benefits it has given us.
Robert M. Levy is chairman of the Moore County Republican Party. Contact him at Law52@prodigy.net.
More like this story
Advertisement
Comments
AFCHIEF 8 months, 2 weeks ago
Once again Dusty writes a column trashing the republicans but we are not allowed to rebutt his 1 sided story. What's the deal Pilot, you allow him to print his story but no one can tell him he is full of it!
justpassingby2 8 months, 2 weeks ago
Too funny. I actually skimmed through the whole dusty column because this part of the teaser: and confronting those of either party who’d misrepresent them — is more important than ever. But turned out to be same ole one-sided drivel that any 8th grader (or bouser for that matter) would write. More importantly where in this world can one be where they can post a column but be unavailable to post further ? All you good, compassionate liberals out there should consider what obama has done to ole dusty when deciding your vote!
JimRussell44 8 months, 2 weeks ago
I agree 100% that the military wastes a huge amount of our money. I have seen estimates that say the Pentagon could cut their budget by half with no reduction in their ability to defend this country from outside attack. When you start talking about how expensive something used by the military is, the first of the roadblocks that pop up in the discussion is: You can't cut that, it provides "x" jobs in our community. Military needs are the untouchables in this country. Any discussion about reductions in anything military brands you a traitor. But Mr. Levy is not wanting to take anything away from the military. He wants the same amount of money, maybe even more, spent, he just doesn't want it spent on progress. He wants it spent the old fashion way, on technology from the dawn of the industrial revolution that has a limited life span. He wants to create jobs and employ Americans, he just doesn't want them to be working on something with a future, he wants them working with how it was done in the past. It is true that the Navy purchased 450,000 gallons of bio-fuel at a cost of $12 million dollars. It was done as part of a test to confirm that a carrier strike group could operate using the bio-fuel, without having to make expensive changes to equipment. This all in anticipation of having a "green fleet" in place by 2016. The cost of the bio-fuel ($26.66 per gallon) would most certainly go down as demand goes up and production increases and technology improves. Use the computer as an example, Mr. Levy. What would you have paid for one in 1975?
geoffcutler 8 months, 2 weeks ago
There was a time when The Pilot was considering not allowing columnists to comment on their own pieces. Probably for the very reasons that one can only assume Mr. Rhoades has been temporarily vacationed from this comment section. I thought that was not a particularly good idea because it seemed fairly simple for columnists to comment, or respond to readers without being rude. I'm trying to think, though, of any other columnists, Left or Right, where this problem exists? Can't think of any. Interesting, that. In Dusty's case, this has proved to be a challenge for The Pilot, and I wonder whether they really believe a forced time-out is going to cure the problem? Oh, I know, "he's just a contributor," and free speech and all that, but a newspaper still has editorial control not to print whatever it is they choose not to print. Which begs the question, why allow the rudeness at all? Sorry, Bob, another great column!
MikeNC 8 months, 2 weeks ago
Dittos Geoff...and your column is right on target Bob...Mike
OldPilot 8 months, 2 weeks ago
If Levy had his way we would still be using coal fired ships, coal fired steam locomotives, model T automobiles that run on 45-50 octane gas and the DC-3 airliner. Nah, a DC-3 would be to newfangled for him. More like a Ford Tri-motor, 100 mph on three radial engines, wicker seats and a hole in the floor for the potty!
Toyboy52 8 months, 1 week ago
@oldpilot: i am not very fond of DC-3's, too much of a drag on my tail.But, if you could get Fairchild F27 service back to the Moore County Airport or get me a ride In a Constellation or Lockheed Electra, I would appreciate it. Barring that, bus service from Moore County Airport to RDU would be appreciated,
Bob Levy
geoffcutler 8 months, 1 week ago
Good answer!
justpassingby2 8 months, 1 week ago
First off, lets investigate the obama administration and find out why the price of gas continues to go up. People spent 8 years convincing me that the President was the reason for such high prices so I think we should investigate him.
Second, Mr.Levy never says that we should not continue to look for greener fuel sources. He says it doesn't make sense to replace what we have with something so much more expensive and he is right. There has been billions of dollars spent and more being spent every day looking for alternatives. We will some day have alternatives but for now using what we have makes the most sense.
getreal 8 months, 1 week ago
justpassingby "We will someday have alternatives but for now using what we have makes the most sense". Well, I don't know where we will get the alternatives if we don't start working on them now. There was not much use for the electric light bulb when it was invented, but the technology to use it followed suit. How much do you think the first light bulbs cost? Do you think we should have waited until all of the oil lamps went dry and then tried to come up with a replacement? Our dependency on oil makes us indentured servants to the world market. Someday I would hope, we will break free of this dependency and use better, greener sources for power. We have to start somewhere. This is a good start, unfortunately it is an expensive undertaking at this time of early development.
Toyboy52 8 months, 1 week ago
The oil lamp was replaced by the electric light bulb precisely because it was less expensive and more efficient. And. The government gave Edison nothing more than a patent. The best innovation is based upon economic necessity and needs no government aid.
Nezumi 8 months, 1 week ago
I'll disagree with you Toyboy. One of my favorite innovations is the Shinkansen in Japan - massively expensive project that required, and received government support and loans. Japan, just a decade and some change after WW2 could not have done it when they did without active government assistance. It is a great ride - and hard to believe it has been around nearly 50 years.
MikeNC 8 months, 1 week ago
getreal 23 minutes ago ...We have to start somewhere. This is a good start
This is a ridiculous start and it's not a start at all. In 1977 President Jimmy Carter signed into law The Department of Energy Organization Act which created the Department of Energy. It's mission was to get us off the dependancy of foreign oil...sound familiar? We have been pumping billions of dollars into this government agency ever since.
We need to continue to invest in such energy, but not at the expense of what we have already and gets the job done as cheaply as possible. When you can hook one of these up to wind or solar and transport the tonnage described in the provided link (160,000 lbs for 2500 miles) you will be onto something that actually works....Mike
Very Close C-17 Take off at Riverside by goobie55
http://www.heavyairliftwing.org/library/c-17-aircraft
LSM 8 months, 1 week ago
Amazing that the United States is involved in a war where human beings are the delivery vehicles for bombs, yet concerned I guess more with winning the battle against global warming.
Toyboy52 8 months, 1 week ago
The US will be oil independent I'n about 10 years and government will have little to do with it. It will come from oil shale and fracked natural gas on private land. The only help needed is a pipeline permit and sensible fracking guidelines.
The_AnonymusProfit 8 months, 1 week ago
Fracking...is currently a really bad idea...How do I know this? I have seen first hand the process taken in an attempt to clean up the mess left over after fracking. you never get it clean again.
OldPilot 8 months, 1 week ago
Toyboy52: There was F-27 (Fokker or Fairchild) service into Moore County? Not as far as anyone remembers. DC-3s yes, back in the stone age. Later Handley Page (HP-137) Jetstreams (pint sized turboprops). Could carry golfers or golf bags, not both. Lockheed Constellations (a pre WW-II design that reached it's zenith in the 1950's with the Super G) died with the dinosaurs when the Boeing-707 first flew, but it was the most beautiful piston driven airliner ever. The (second) Lockheed Electra (L-188) was the best obsolete aircraft ever when it was introduced. Never made it as an airliner even after the engine naucelles were redesigned after four crashes due to whirl-mode, but it became a great anti-sub aircraft for the Navy (read low and slow) as the Orion. You are correct, economic and political reality will drive us to develop renewable biofuels. Thankfully the scientific community and the military have the foresight (as they so often have) to do the basic research and proving to make this a reality.
JD 8 months, 1 week ago
This is why we need research to bring the cost down. Innovative is what America is good at being correct? Burning fossil fuel out of existence and then sitting with your thumb up your butt is not innovative. It just makes a few oligarchs rich and creates a larger cost on the rest of us. What's wrong with refining other instances of fuel that can be harnessed domestically?
Toyboy52 8 months, 1 week ago
@OldPilot: my memory of F-27's is that they, along with Martin 4-0-4's were flown by Piedmont before the merger with US Airways and after Piedmont replaced many of it's DC-3''s. And yes, during the stone age. I flew an F/27 a's a passenger from RDU to Kinston and New Bern. I similarly flew on Martins. Flying Piedmont was part of many 4 hour journeys I took between Moore County and areas north back I'n the day when air service was subsidized by mail service and Piedmont was North Carolina's airline.
Every once I'n a while, not very often now, i meet very old flight attendants who started on colorful Piedmont or PSA and wound up with bland US Airways. And we talk about the days when a small airline could have it's own personality and a primary mission within a single state. Then the flight attendant nukes my pasta and we realize that the days Piedmont and PSA are over.
JimRussell44 8 months, 1 week ago
Mr. Levy (Toyboy52): "The best innovation is based upon economic necessity and needs no government aid." Really? I would think everyone involved in the space program, along with everyone who benefits from the technology that resulted would disagree. I don't see air traffic control, operating at all the airports you fly in and out of being run by private industry. I don't see the interstate highway system that allows you quick and easy access to our country and the rest of the world being operated by private industry. (Yes, there are some highways now being constructed by private industry. They are all toll roads, being operated as a profit center.) I guess the "innovation based on economic necessity" you refer to has to do with the the companies who introduce their latest personal communications devices every four months that requires you to shell out another $600.00 per pop to stay cool and up-to-date.
JimRussell44 8 months, 1 week ago
geoffcutler, please excuse the long delay in responding to your off-the-subject comments concerning Dusty's columns and your contention that he has been placed in "time out" by the Pilot. Your connections to the inner workings of the Pilot are superior to mine, so it would seem possible that your assumption is, indeed, fact. I have seen nothing stated by the Pilot that would confirm your assumption, but maybe they are going out of their way to be politically correct. What I do know as fact is that Dusty continues to present a column each week, expressing his views on a variety of subjects. What I do know as fact is that you no longer do. Can we assume that the Pilot has gone beyond placing you in "time out" and has banned you from submitting columns? The only reason I can come up with for that scenario to seem plausible is the fact that Dusty's columns are like catnip to the right, driving them into a frenzy with each word written, generating passion, generating response, generating readership in their product. On the other hand, your columns are basically the same each time you present them for publication. You preach to your choir in the same way with each column and there is little response other than an occasional "Nice column, Geoff" from the handful of your followers. Everybody else pretty much doses off after the first few words. So maybe your columns don't move the business meter like those that Dusty writes. You do know more people watch Jerry Springer than watch Masterpiece Theater, don't you?
justpassingby2 8 months, 1 week ago
Jim that last post of yours shows just how out of touch you are. Dusty and his variety of subjects! That's like you and your small govt. you want to do everything for everybody! dusty is on 'vacation' because the pilot was tired of him embarrassing them. Can you imagine being nagy or bouser at a dinner party and trying to defend dusty?!? They covered up his last meltdown the best they could and I'm guessing he is 'available' to comment. Whatever his problem is , its been there for years as far I know and won't go away with a little 'time out'. You posted not so long ago that you were happy that people thought you were him and now compare him to springer?!?!?!?!? That my poor shallow friend says more about you than I would have thought you would want others to know.
jomir 8 months, 1 week ago
Jim, having been an Air Traffic Controller in my former life, I have to disagree with your statement on air traffic control. There are many airports that are served by private, for profit, air traffic control service. The FAA contracts out many smaller airports to run this vital service.
geoffcutler 8 months, 1 week ago
Jim, you're funny.... I retired from regular contribution on my own.
JPB, I have a different take on "Can you imagine being nagy or bouser at a dinner party and trying to defend dusty?!?" Having been as liberal as anyone on this site, (a sickness that I am now, thankfully, fully recovered from,) I believe that it probably bugs the hell out of them that they've had to finally do something with Dusty, because politically, they are mostly allied. Liberals march in lock step, and as you know, so does most of our media. At any liberal salon or cocktail party worth its salt whether it's D.C., New York, Boston or LA, you will find clustered groups of lefties speaking exactly the way Dusty does. The disdain for the Right by the left is a visceral hatred, particularly if you're a Northern liberal talking about the Bible belt, and how those Jerry Falwell...Ralph Reed Christians are backward hick so and sos keeping the nation from moving forward. I've heard the anger, hate and spew from the inside. Nothing new here. Dusty is the only contributor to the Pilot who speaks rudely on this site. Why, then, has it taken so long to deal with it? See my point?
Oh...and notice Jim's response to my comment above. Personal attack. It's normal leftist operating procedure. It's all they've got, and always has been.
JimRussell44 8 months, 1 week ago
jomir, thank you for the clarification. I was not aware of that fact.
The_AnonymusProfit 8 months, 1 week ago
@ JimR
I have to agree with Jim on this one, while I do as a conservative believe that the government should intrude into the market as little as possible, certain undertakings can only be accomplished through government participation such as the space program which is one of our governments glaring success stories. NASA has fueled more innovation in the last 40 years then any other human endevour.
The issue is and becomes where should the government assist and how should it assist and when it assists, it much be done in a manner that is cost effective.
As for the fuel issue, I believe again this is an issue where government assistance could be helpful if the politics could be removed from the equation. My problem is we are pursuing the entirely wrong type of fuel. We should be investing money into hydrogen energy, figuring out how to harness this element, the most abundent on the planet and the element with huge vast amounts of potential energy is the key to our movement away from fossil fuels. It is also the key to unlocking sub light space travel and will play a huge role in the eventual leap to faster then light space travel. Hydrogen produces ZERO pollution and in its readily available liquid form, H2O.
Also cold fusion should be on the top of the list, cold fusion is another example of something being offered up to the gods of beltway politics.(IE the super subsidized nuclear power experiment).
JimRussell44 8 months, 1 week ago
justpassingby2, Sorry I'm so out of touch and never know what I'm talking about. Of course, that's a problem for me because I don't have the Republican playbook to guide me on everything I say. Maybe you could post a copy so I can be more knowledgeable. I used Springer as my example. I should have used Fox News. Would that have made you happier?
JimRussell44 8 months, 1 week ago
boscoe50, a review of the posts will reveal that Geoff Cutler was the one who got the conversation off course.
"if we just learned to stop getting involved in all these useless and fruitless ventures brought on by Hillary Clinton and her desire to flex her biceps at every country she visits..". Man, I really would like to think you are kidding, but I fear you are not. Were you in a coma for the past 10 years?
JimRussell44 8 months, 1 week ago
Geoff, you are full of right wing BS. "Liberals march in lockstep" And conservatives don't? At the cocktail parties, the liberals bad mouth the right and you are claiming the right does not bad mouth the left at their cocktail parties? You are such a very large crock!! The reason rudeness takes over and the reason that I resort to personal attacks is because conversing in a civil tone with "you people" (thanks again, Ann) is useless. You will not like what you see in another 60 days.
PS: Because you are so blinded by your right wing passion, you have lost the ability to see humor when it's directed at you
JimRussell44 8 months, 1 week ago
I see we agree on something, Profit. Good for us.
geoffcutler 8 months, 1 week ago
Jim, Conservatives do not walk in lockstep. You can see us disagreeing right here on your very own screen. I've never seen you lefties disagree on anything. The BS is all yours.
Yukonjohn 8 months, 1 week ago
IMHO there are only a few on here that do not walk "lockstep" with their political leanings. It is a new fault of all of us it seems. Since the days of President Clinton, or maybe a little before, it seems that neither side will give an inch. Well, we see where it has gotten us. So I guess we try and do as we can, and hopefully know enough to survive when it really goes to feces. As far as affordable energy, we need to try and get alternate forms of energy, but crude oil is the easy and most inexpensive form we currently have. The one thing I have to agree with Sarah Palin with is "Drill baby drill"!! Now that we have snow on the hills, and it is getting cooler (like the teens at night) it becomes more and more appearant that we need to be drilling more. With heating oil over 4 bucks a gallon, and needing it for 8 months a year.....we know a little about expensive energy!!
justpassingby2 8 months, 1 week ago
Geoff, I still am in denial that the nagys and bousers have stooped to the levels they have. They have to realize that dusty as a frontman for their cause is ludicrous. Bouser I get a little because of his age but nagy is too young a man to already have fallen into the 'anything goes when dealing with our enemy' mode that the geezer liberals like bouser and dusty have.
justpassingby2 8 months, 1 week ago
Jim, follow along carefully. You say you are happy or proud or whatever it was you said when people think you are dusty. Now you compare dusty to springer. You want to be compared to springer? Actually dusty is closer to a springer guest, emotionally out of control but will take his 15 minutes any way he can get it.
getreal 8 months, 1 week ago
@toyboy52, You aren't serious are you? You support fracking? Have you been to Pennsylvania? I am originally from there, and let me tell you, it isn't pretty. This argument has been rehashed over and over on here, but as of now there is not a completely safe system for getting at the natural gas of which we have an over abundance already stored. This debate is coming to a head right now in the mid west where farmers who are in the midst of unheard of drought are fighting with the fracking industry over water rights! The millions of gallons of water being used to frack are being contaminated and the farmers are losing their crops without irrigation! So who pays for that? We do in higher food prices. Fracking is a very bad thing and I hope no one puts a fracking well in your backyard. NC has already proven their ignorance on this topic by passing the bill to get it started here.
http://www.savecoloradofromfracking.org/harm/economic.html
http://earthjustice.org/features/campaigns/pennsylvania-and-fracking
JimRussell44 8 months, 1 week ago
geoffcutler: "Anybody But Obama". "Our number one priority is to defeat Obama". Call it whatever "step" you want. The only arguments you conservatives have among each other is when you think someone is not conservative enough. Your side is self destructing with every passing day. I can't wait for the debates, how about you?
JimRussell44 8 months, 1 week ago
boscoe50, I agree with much of what you say in your recent comments. Where I disagree is when you indicate that it is the Obama administration that is getting us involved in these"warring countries disputes". We are as far out of Iraq as we're ever going to get (remember, we're still in Germany, Japan, Korea etc. etc.). We are getting out of Afghanistan (just not fast enough). The Obama administration is doing exactly what every administration in the past has done and what, I'm sure, every future administration will do as far as foreign policy is concerned. Hillary is touring the world, trying to get other countries to do what is best for our country. If she was not sticking her nose into these things, the Republicans would criticize the administration for being too soft. And if you think about it, it would not matter what the administration did, it will be criticized by the right because the country has Obama as president. You and I agree one one very important subject: We get involved in disputes that cannot be won, that kill our sons and daughters, that has absolutly, positively nothing to do with keeping America safe and that costs us money that could have been used to educate our children, provide health care for our citizens and create jobs here at home. As a final thought, remember, there is always next week in the NFL.
JimRussell44 8 months, 1 week ago
Yukonjohn, I agree, we all have gotten very polarized in our thinking. I try to maintain a middle ground but get pushed to the far extreme sometimes because of the outrageous things said by others. I'm sure it works the same way for everybody and the next thing you know, were all extremists. I also agree that we have to use the energy sources we currently have. But we have to have a full scale, organized and funded, systematic approach for finding alternative energy sources. Expecting private industry to suddenly start working together jointly toward that common goal is unrealistic and won't ever happen. The only place it can happen is government, like we did with our race to the moon or like we did in WWII. We have to make it a priority and have us all work toward that goal. We generate the demand for the oil, so we can also generate the demand for alternative sources of energy. In Alaska, I would recommend searching for ways to create power from snow. Back here in North Carolina, I'm pushing for kudzu power.
JimRussell44 8 months, 1 week ago
justpassingby2, time for you to pay attention. I admire Dusty Rhoades for his ability to write articles, often in a humorous and entertaining fashion, that pokes the right wing conservative, Tea Party right where it hurts. I admire Dusty for having the guts to do this while presenting his views using his own name. And, yes, I admire Dusty when he gives back exactly what he gets from some of the people who comment on his articles. Jerry Springer would not have a show that people watched if it were not for the endless parade of bone headed, ignorant exhibitionist that populate his stage. When Dusty writes a column, evidently this same audience responds. Springer and Dusty just provide the stage, it's you folks that make the show.
Yukonjohn 8 months, 1 week ago
LMAO@JR44!! Good one!! I like DR sometimes, but he was getting "pretty far out there".
I agree with you about the polarization of our country. I disagree with both sides on many things, but there are not that many of us nationwide. I do wish we could work together better, as that is what it is going to take to get back on our national feet. We are not totally against the govt. having something to do with getting the oil out of the ground. At the very least, they need to watch over the process. I do not like fracking, but that is another subject for another day. Hell, we have enough natural gas up here to run the country for decades!! Maybe someday we need fracking, but IMHO, not this day. Water is pretty precious too, it would be a shame to use it to get energy. As far as using snow for power, l wish we could, sometimes we have a huge surplus. We don't have it here yet, but it is in all the hills around here....probably two more weeks and we have it until April.
geoffcutler 8 months, 1 week ago
JIm, once again, your reading of history (now recent history, rather than how and why our nation was founded) lacks. While it is true that the election of Obama and control of Congress in the hands of Democrats had Conservatism down and fractured, thanks to those same Democrats and their over-reach, Conservatives have quickly united, thrashed the Dems in 2010, and will now send Obama and more leftist members of Congress packing. What are you reading???
Courseaire 8 months, 1 week ago
I too like Dusty's column's and his humor, though they can be a bit repetitive. I agree that Dusty's should be able to defend himself, but he should learn to do it with class and not lower himself to the level of his attackers - he only feeds the fodder and becomes no better than them.
alladat1 8 months, 1 week ago
Give all of this stuff a rest for one day - it's 9/11.
justpassingby2 8 months, 1 week ago
Poor dusty just minding his own business, politely giving his well thought out mockery and for some reason gets attacked. He often used disclaimers saying he was only name-calling in his column because the other side does. Ole dusty was nice enough to let the other side set his standards of right and wrong! He often reminded me to take my meds (irony eh?) and even explained to me why I was a racist for not accepting obama policy that was the exact same policy I (and dusty) demonized bush for. And what a memory ole dusty has. How many of you can remember verbatim the words you used in 7th grade about someone's mother (wife, girlfriend,sister, favorite nun all work as well) to win a debate? Bring him back!
The_AnonymusProfit 8 months, 1 week ago
I have a question, what is our "founding" document?
JimRussell44 8 months, 1 week ago
geoffcutler: "What are you reading?" The news, what are YOU reading? "Conservatives have quickly united...". The only things conservatives are united on is "Anybody But Obama". Unfortunately for you conservatives, that is not a plan that will get "anybody" elected. Can't wait for the debates. Evidently that is when the Republican "plan" for saving the world will be fully explained "in public".
JimRussell44 8 months, 1 week ago
Yukonjohn, getting energy out of snow will be tough, but those long winters should give you time to work on it. My thought was to go to the top of the highest mountain, make a snowball and start it rolling down the mountain. The part I have not figured out yet is how to capture all that mass of energy that will arrive at the bottom of the mountain. In fact, I'm still struggling with the solution for another idea I had. I got this idea for campers, hikers or anyone in need of something to quench their thirst while away from civilization....dehydrated H2O Crystals. I have found that you can carry an enormous amount of H2O with you when it's dehydrated. I just have not come up with a way of re-hydrating it. My wife says the solution is simple, just add water, but that seemed to obvious to me. :)
Courseaire 8 months, 1 week ago
JR44 - I love your sense of humor. However, that sounds like a Blonde idea.
clarabelle 8 months, 1 week ago
"Conservatives have quickly united, thrashed the Dems in 2010, and will now send Obama and more leftist members of Congress packing."
Yes - and the moon will fall out of orbit and land on several acres of trees - so you will always have work.....
geoffcutler 8 months, 1 week ago
There's the personal stuff again. Persuasive argument....
justpassingby2 8 months, 1 week ago
I'm surprised the republicans aren't all over the web posting links to these boards. If they could get enough people to read posts and/columns from the likes of dusty,bouser, MC7 the two Jimmys and clarabelle, romney would sweep the electoral.
JimRussell44 8 months, 1 week ago
justpassingby2, the Republicans better get at it then because Romney can't win based on dissing the current administration and not offering any specifics on how he would do anything differently. Being against something is easy, everybody can do that. Providing a detailed plan on what you would do differently, explaining what the ramifications will be for each of us and outlining the overall benefits to the country, now that takes a little more guts and brainpower. I predict that by December, Willard will be back to doing what he does best, sweeping his money into piles that don't get taxed.