Relationship Between Big Oil, White House Angers Congressional GOP

Thought we were all Americans first and members of a political party way down the line.  I don't vote to send people to the House and Senate to be obstructionists but to get something accomplished.  Dr. Tom Coburn, our Oklahoma Senator, is a great example of someone who is willing to work with anyone to get something accomplished for the good of the people.

There has been such contentious relationship between the White House and Big Oil, that maybe I am nuts but I think it is great they are at least talking.  That is a huge step forward.   Before they were not talking.  When you see Big Oil, you can also assume it is oil and gas .

I have had a lot to say about the waste of stimulus dollars but I am seeing positive results here now from the conversion of the transportation fleets to compressed natural gas and other alternatives.  Here in central Oklahoma where I live many of the University of Oklahoma transportation fleet are run by alternative fuels.  The CART buses which go between the apartments and the university are run by natural gas.  The City of Norman has just dedicated  a compressed natural gas (CNG) filling station which has been in operation several months and was paid for by the stimulus.  Our fleet of trash trucks are being converted to CNG as new ones join the fleet.  There was a lot about the stimulus that was a waste but have to say that here in Norman between the University and the City, they have spent their stimulus dollars wisely.

IMHO we should applauding the White House for taking the first step in understanding oil and gas.  Maybe Obama's trip to Cushing, OK, actually did some good.  He has approved the southern part of the Keystone Pipeline which will help domestic producers in this part of the Country a lot in making the crude oil get to the refineries along the coast because our refineries here are at capacity.

Don't understand the email that was sent out by one of Senator Inhofe's staffers opposing oil and gas taking advantage of the outreach by the White House.  Are they supposed to only support the GOP and not even talk to Democrats?  Reminder that this was a staffer not the Senator who sent out the email.  Trying to get more information is like pulling teeth.  Will update if I can find out further information but for now this article from the National Journal paints a picture of selfishness on the part of some Republicans who put the Republican Party ahead the best interest of the American people.

I hope I am wrong in my analysis, but what I have found so far says unfortunately in this election year no one who is Republican is supposed to work with the White House as so many Republicans continue to demonize every last thing that President Obama does.  This is the exact same thing Democrats did to President George W. Bush in 2004 and again in 2008 when Obama ran the first time.  In fact you have some Democrats still bringing up how bad President Bush was in office and he has been out of office for almost four years.

Can we return civility to the Congress where they work together for us -- the American people to do what is best for America?  Putting political spin on everything is getting disgusting from both sides.

Relationship Between Big Oil, White House Angers Congressional GOP

By Andrew JosephMay 14, 2012 | 11:28 AM 

Our colleague Amy Harder reports (for members) on how a recent improvement in the relationship between the Obama administration and the oil and natural-gas industry is irking congressional Republicans:

In an April 23 e-mail obtained this week by National Journal Daily, a senior energy aide to Senate Environment and Public Works ranking member James Inhofe, R-Okla., criticized the oil and gas industry for working closely with the White House on a strategy for regulating natural-gas production. ... 

Senate Republicans, who led a successful fight this spring against Obama's proposal to repeal billions of dollars in tax subsidies enjoyed by major oil companies, felt betrayed by the industry's collaboration with the White House on fracking regulations. The e-mail to top oil and gas lobbyists made that unhappiness clear, and it suggested that the industry was being duped.

"Moving forward, we--your partners--would kindly ask for better coordination and communication from you to prevent the Obama administration from pulling similar stunts in the future," wrote Inhofe aide David Banks in the 800-word e-mail to two dozen lobbyists.

The reference in the e-mail to industry and Republicans being "partners" made some of the lobbyists who read it cringe, because it implies that the industry must always be aligned with congressional Republicans. That ignores the reality that major corporations, which are responsible to their investors, must sometimes work with the president when it suits their business interests, said Scott Segal, a lobbyist with Bracewell & Giuliani who received the Banks e-mail. 

Source:  National Journal