Suitably Flip

Hillary Repeats: Seize Profits From Private Enterprise

In case you thought Hillary might've blurted out something she didn't mean when she spoke about seizing oil companies' profits (their already duly taxed, legally earned, and privately owned profits) at the DNC meetings last weekend, this Chavez-esque communique just arrived from Hillary Central.

Having heard and dismissed the "right-wing attacks" denouncing her proposal, she now wants to hear from her base, to gauge just how much crazy she can get away with.

There's no debating whether or not this is "fair".  It simply isn't, unless you're a 60s era Wellesleyan who brakes for socialism.  But beyond fairness, if she honestly thinks this thickheaded idea could possibly yield any other impact than to economically discourage the exploration, extraction, refinement, and distribution of oil, thereby limiting domestic production, economically harming American consumers by foisting higher prices on them, and increasing our reliance on foreign oil (which wouldn't be subject to such profit seizures), then she truly is more than a wistful pseudo-socialist.  She's flat out obtuse.

She either knows this idea is completely fatuous, in which case she's pandering to what she perceives to be an unthinking, blindly populist hostility toward corporate America with policies she knows to be harmful, or she truly thinks it would work as advertised, in which case not only Wellesley, but Yale Law, and Maine South High School should all immediately revoke her diplomas and apologize to the national academic community for making such an unlikely error as to graduate an insentient student.

Dear Flip, It's time to end our country's dependence on foreign oil. Unstable prices at the pump are a burden for families. Our dependence props up extremist regimes that threaten our national security. And the threat to our environment from burning fossil fuels is very real. Solving this crisis will take genuine leadership. Hillary has proposed a plan to help end the cycle of dependence: put some of the oil industry's windfall profits into a fund that would help develop practical new sources of renewable energy. Although it's a simple idea that can have a big impact, that's apparently the last thing some people want. After Hillary announced her proposal, the same Republicans who have neglected energy policy came out of the woodwork to denounce her plan. But we're not interested in right-wing attacks. We want to know what you think about Hillary's idea. Should we use some of the oil company's record profits to fund alternative energy research? What are some other ideas to reduce our dependence on foreign oil? Continue the conversation today at our website: http://www.hillaryclinton.com/oilprofits We're looking forward to seeing what you have to say. Sincerely, Peter Daou Internet Director Hillary for President Exploratory Committee

Hillary wants to know what you think about her plan, so go on and tell her.

Comments

Hillary Repeats: Seize Profits From Private Enterprise

In case you thought Hillary might've blurted out something she didn't mean when she spoke about seizing oil companies' profits (their already duly taxed, legally earned, and privately owned profits) at the DNC meetings last weekend, this Chavez-esque communique just arrived from Hillary Central.

Having heard and dismissed the "right-wing attacks" denouncing her proposal, she now wants to hear from her base, to gauge just how much crazy she can get away with.

There's no debating whether or not this is "fair".  It simply isn't, unless you're a 60s era Wellesleyan who brakes for socialism.  But beyond fairness, if she honestly thinks this thickheaded idea could possibly yield any other impact than to economically discourage the exploration, extraction, refinement, and distribution of oil, thereby limiting domestic production, economically harming American consumers by foisting higher prices on them, and increasing our reliance on foreign oil (which wouldn't be subject to such profit seizures), then she truly is more than a wistful pseudo-socialist.  She's flat out obtuse.

She either knows this idea is completely fatuous, in which case she's pandering to what she perceives to be an unthinking, blindly populist hostility toward corporate America with policies she knows to be harmful, or she truly thinks it would work as advertised, in which case not only Wellesley, but Yale Law, and Maine South High School should all immediately revoke her diplomas and apologize to the national academic community for making such an unlikely error as to graduate an insentient student.

Dear Flip, It's time to end our country's dependence on foreign oil. Unstable prices at the pump are a burden for families. Our dependence props up extremist regimes that threaten our national security. And the threat to our environment from burning fossil fuels is very real. Solving this crisis will take genuine leadership. Hillary has proposed a plan to help end the cycle of dependence: put some of the oil industry's windfall profits into a fund that would help develop practical new sources of renewable energy. Although it's a simple idea that can have a big impact, that's apparently the last thing some people want. After Hillary announced her proposal, the same Republicans who have neglected energy policy came out of the woodwork to denounce her plan. But we're not interested in right-wing attacks. We want to know what you think about Hillary's idea. Should we use some of the oil company's record profits to fund alternative energy research? What are some other ideas to reduce our dependence on foreign oil? Continue the conversation today at our website: http://www.hillaryclinton.com/oilprofits We're looking forward to seeing what you have to say. Sincerely, Peter Daou Internet Director Hillary for President Exploratory Committee

Hillary wants to know what you think about her plan, so go on and tell her.