August 8, 2008

(DEE CEE) - I rarely disagree with Rush Limbaugh. The only time I can remember, up until now, is his boneheaded ideas about Autism back in the early 90's, and frankly, I just remember that it was silly and moved on. And one thing is always true - he is pristine about his facts.

Well, this time he has taken an article by Kimberley Strassell, in the Wall Street Journal (whom I also agree with most of the time) about the "gang of 10." That's a group of five Republicans and 5 Progressives who have come together to try for a compromise on the drilling impasse caused by the Progressives.

Now, I'm not going to belabor the concept of compromise. Suffice it to say that the definition is not "bending the truth," as Scout says in To Kill A Mockingbird. Our Senator, Lindsey Graham, with whom I have also disagreed only once - and that was about immigration - has joined in the "gang."

This time, however, I'm on Lindsey's side.

If you look at the compromise, it does everything that needs doing, and does it NOW. We pump billions into alternative fuels so that we can maintain our cars and our freedom of travel, which has NEVER been duplicated anywhere in the world. We can drill offshore as long as it's more than 50 miles AND it becomes a STATE issue, which it should have been all along. You can't see a derrick from a 40 story, beach-front window at 50 miles out. A state should ALWAYS have say over its natural resources. It promotes powerful, long-lasting electric cars - 'nuff said.

In fact, the only thing I don't like about the bill is the pandering to the money-stupid Dem constituency by taxing the oil companies more. Taking away their corporate welfare should be sufficient. But, this is a compromise and that means we have to give something up.

Republicans give up that.

What Republicans don't give up, and here's where Rush and Kimberley are wrong, is an issue. If this passes (and I don't think it will because Harry Reid is a genuinely little man), Republicans can claim with impunity that they were the spark that made the engine go, while giving back to the states a right that had been severed from them by the Progressives and Populists for the past 100 years. And drilling can take place off Palmetto State shores where there may be billions of barrels of abiotic, clean oil, AND.. AND.. I get my electric car.. FINALLY!

So before you use your spittoon, and curse the ground Lindsey walks on, remember that he is a states rights Carolinian before all things, and he will have won an important victory for us - - BY COMPROMISE.

- Dick Anderson