Pass along a news tip by clicking HERE.

Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Cincinnati Enquirer Censorship? Newspaper Rejects Dem Response To Republican Jean Schmidt's Column

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- Caleb Faux, executive director of the Hamilton County Democratic Party and chair of the Cincinnati Planning Commission, asked the Cincinnati Enquirer for equal time to reply to U.S. Rep. Jean Schmidt. Faux says the newspaper rejected his request for space to face off against Schmidt over her claim that the Chinese are drilling for oil off the coast of Florida. From Faux, the Democratic submission the Cincinnati Enquirer has refused to publish:

"My response below, which they decided they weren't interested in

_________

"In today's Guest Column, Congress Member Jean Schmidt blasts the Enquirer for calling her to task about a false statement on the floor of Congress. She laments that the Enquirer "has lost sight of the larger picture." Yet ironically, it is that larger picture that Jean Schmidt is being least forthright about.

"Schmidt falsely claimed on the floor of Congress that the Chinese are drilling for oil in waters 60 miles off the Florida Coast. When challenged she claims, again falsely, that other members of Congress including Democrats said the same thing. She then tries to change the subject to the high price of gas and her proposed solution, drilling in coastal waters.

"Schmidt, like her other GOP colleagues including John Boehner and Steve Chabot, are trying mightily to blame high gas prices on environmentalists and Democrats. This effort is little more than a shell game designed to divert attention from the real story, which is that more than anything it is Schmidt's beloved free market, supply and demand, that is driving gas prices higher.

"We may well end up drilling in coastal waters due to efforts like hers. But what she ignores is that any oil produced that way will not reach the market for at least 10 years and when it does, it will be in such small quantities that it will have little influence on price. It won't solve the problem.

"To those who've paid attention to energy policy, none of this is much of a surprise. We've known this was coming for at least 30 years, since the oil crises of the 70's. But during that same time it has been Schmidt and Republicans in Congress and elsewhere who've stood stubbornly in the way of preparing for it. They've blocked attempts to increase mileage standards for vehicles. They've blocked attempts to fund public transit. They've blocked efforts to develop alternative energy sources. They've blocked efforts to slow or reduce the urban sprawl that results in vastly increased oil consumption. Their solution has been consistent; more of the same, continued reliance on oil.

"Jean Schmidt's column is ample demonstration of why we need to replace her in Congress, why Vic Wulsin and Steve Driehaus should be elected and Jean Schmidt and Steve Chabot should come home. Energy policy and high gas prices are serious business, the cure is going to be slow and painful, more painful now because due to people like Jean Schmidt, John Boehner and Steve Chabot we've waited far too long to begin the change.

"Caleb Faux
Executive Director
Hamilton County Democratic Party
6109 Webbland Place
Cincinnati, OH 45213-1405
513.421.0495"

8 comments:

  1. Mr. Sloat -- would you kindly ask Mr. Caleb Faux to explain how he knows new energy production "will be in such small quantities that it will have little influence on price." Many leading Democrats have made similar claims, all with little to no explanation for how they know the exact dollar amount prices will or will not fall based upon how much new energy American companies produce.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Caleb Faux whines about equal time for a Democrat but says nothing when candidates from other parties are excluded. Faux and his party exclude Libertarian and Green candidates from the debates they control.

    They rig the system and then have the nerve to complain about being treated unfairly.

    ReplyDelete
  3. To anonymous:

    We can start with this:

    Impacts of Increased Access to Oil and Natural Gas Resources in the Lower 48 Federal Outer Continental Shelf

    published by the Energy Information Administration, the purveyor of Official energy Statistics of the U.S. Government

    It can be found here:

    http://www.eia.doe.gov/oiaf/aeo/otheranalysis/ongr.html

    it states in part:

    "The projections in the OCS access case indicate that access to the Pacific, Atlantic, and eastern Gulf regions would not have a significant impact on domestic crude oil and natural gas production or prices before 2030. Leasing would begin no sooner than 2012, and production would not be expected to start before 2017. Total domestic production of crude oil from 2012 through 2030 in the OCS access case is projected to be 1.6 percent higher than in the reference case, and 3 percent higher in 2030 alone, at 5.6 million barrels per day. For the lower 48 OCS, annual crude oil production in 2030 is projected to be 7 percent higher—2.4 million barrels per day in the OCS access case compared with 2.2 million barrels per day in the reference case (Figure 20). Because oil prices are determined on the international market, however, any impact on average wellhead prices is expected to be insignificant."

    Mind you this Administration is part of U.S. Department of Energy and firmly under the control of the Bush Administration. That's their own people telling them that.

    Caleb Faux

    ReplyDelete
  4. Dear Mr. Faux,

    The Cincinnati Beacon has repeatedly attempted to verify whether Dr. Wulsin was employed by the Heimlich Institute Inc. or by Dr. Henry Heimlich the individual.
    The Beacon has also repeatedly attempted to confirm Dr. Wulsin's dates of employment.

    These are simple, straightforward factual questions, yet Dr. Wulsin and her campaign have repeatedly refused to provide answers. Will you?

    Also, are you planning to ask the Enquirer editorial board for the opportunity to engage in an op-ed debate with Rep. Schmidt so Dr. Wulsin can clear the air regarding her association with the Heimlich AIDS experiments?

    Thanks and looking forward to your reply. Please post below.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Jesus, what is it with the fucking Cincinnati Beacon.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Of course it will take years for product to come online. Is this revelation the Democrats' key objection?

    When a young person enters university, it is their hope that one day after graduation, he can obtain a well paying job based on his education. Until then, he has to work for cheap to pay the bills.

    Sometimes less desirable situations are necessary in order to progress.
    Drill for more oil, and let it fund more R&D on alternative energy.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Jesus, what is it with the fucking Cincinnati Beacon.

    Good question (although the writer failed to include a question mark).

    To answer the question, here's the latest (fucking?) Cincinnati Beacon article about the OH 2nd race. Like Mr. Faux's letter, it raises questions about editorial decisions by the Enquirer. It also raises the Wulsin-Heimlich employment questions, which Mr. Faux has not yet answered:

    Is Gannett’s "Code of Ethical Conduct" Voluntary?, June 23, 2008

    ReplyDelete
  8. Vinman-

    Time is not the issue. The offshore drilling gambit is being presented by Republicans as a way of responding to high gas prices. But it does nothing to help that problem. Its a political stunt designed to appear responsive and to try and shift blame.

    The reality is that we should have started aggressivley trying to conserve and find alternative sources 30 years ago and Republicans have consistently said that was unimportant. Now when the consequences of that choice are apparent, they need to find a way to dodge and that's what this is.

    And this gambit also ignores the fact that oil and gass companies right now have access to over 60 MILLION acres both offshore and onshore that they have not touched. Why? Clearly the problem is not lack of access.

    We could lift the moratorium today and they still might not drill, they could well just save that additional area away for the future when they can make more money at it.

    Enough with the smoke and mirrors. We've already paid a high price for that.

    Caleb Faux

    ReplyDelete