Fight to the death

While all the big networks totally devoted their coverage to the death of Michael Jackson, I watched a terrific fight on Capitol Hill that could result in the death of our nation as we know it.

Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) led a group of Texans and "adopted Texans" (a representative each from Georgia and Oklahoma) in a battle to defend our country against the Waxman-Markey bill, aka "cap and trade."

I have watched aghast since Obama took office while he blithely declares "change" and orders Congress to accomplish that change in short order.

It has become apparent that he had no actual plans for his changes, just a rallying cry that entices many to follow him without regard to what his cry of "change" would mean in reality.

Nancy Pelosi, that pillar of wisdom we have leading the House, storm-troops legislation through, and her cohorts show no remorse in conducting a circus to attain their goals.

Joe Barton (R-Texas) valiantly tried to get the 300 pages of additional changes the Democrats had submitted at the last minute to the floor so that they would at least know what they were voting on, but Ellen Tauscher (D-California),  who was manning the speaker's chair, stonewalled him with oblique references to parliamentary procedures and statements that the addition was there when it wasn't, was on computers in the cloak room, etc., etc.

It became very apparent that the addition to the bill was not there when magically it appeared and began to be incorporated into the main bill. She told him he could read it while the clerk was "integrating" it into the main bill.

Common sense had clearly been suspended and it was obvious the inmates were in charge of the asylum.

The Texans and their adoptees fought bravely on. Rep. Randy Neugebauer (R-Texas) compared the bill to a fake cowboy - "all hat and no cattle."

Ted Poe, (R-Texas) said the bill was a "no-brainer" and that it would destroy the southeast Texas energy business and dictate in every aspect of our lives.

Tom Price (R-Georgia) observed the folly of the entire proceedings and said, "This would be funny if it weren't so sad."

Brian Bilbray (R-CA) noted that this bill produced more smoke coming out of back room deals than the smoke in our atmosphere it was supposedly trying to correct. He added that it will take 100 to 150 years to correct the mistakes if the bill passes. The Georgia rep claimed the bill would cost 2.5-2.7 million jobs per year and asked for a moment of silence "to show respect for those who are about to lose their jobs."

Mike Pence (R- Indiana) reminded everyone of Obama's statement during the campaign that if Obama's energy bill were passed, "energy costs would of necessity skyrocket."

All to no avail. The bill passed with only 40 some Democrats voting against the insanity of their party, eight Republicans being exposed as RINOs and two lilly-livered Republicans who did not vote at all. Our own Mike Conaway addressed Congress before the vote in an attempt to forestall this bill and spoke afterward with obvious anger of its passing.

I went to the grocery store and sweated in anticipation of the future while I paid the 50-cent increase that has showed up on my bread already.

Maybe it's time to drag attention away from the death of Jackson and turn attention to the death of our nation.

I wrote Conaway recently and asked that he encourage his colleagues to find their cajones and shut Congress down when the Democrats start exhibiting their dictator tendencies. It would be nice if Conaway and others get a little help from us.