What goes around comes around. I'm already hearing crys of foul from the Left Whine-ority. Seems they are taking umbrage with the fact that VP Cheney is conducting his Energy Task Force behind closed doors. They are claiming hypocracy and comparing this to the Hillary Debacle regarding Health Care. They apparently forget two "minor" facts: 1. VP Cheney has oodles of experience in this field and 2. He is an elected official. Not a spouse. If they fail to see the difference then there's no helping them. He is, afterall, trying to undo 8 years of power-stagnation.

you're joking. a public servant meets, in secret, with his buddies from the energy field behind closed doors.

Why did I know that Rick would object to this post! Oh Uncle Bill where are your words of wisdom claiming foul and illegal attempts by the elected officials to do what they are supposed to do instead of stealing from us and writing books. Charlie

i never object to posts. i just have the need to respond when i think a response is necessary. besides someone needs to rally the troops.

****** Cheney has experience in the topic of interest and a real high net worth as a result! Talk about a walking conflict of interest at the highest levels of government

I cannot accept that a panel composed exclusively of representatives from the oil & gas industries will formulate a plan that is balanced and fair to individuals, business and the environment.

Also, it disturbs me that Bush has repeatedly demonstrated that he is unwilling to entertain or receive input from only one side of any issues. To then allow these people to meet without public scritiny is at least suspicious. I realize that Bush is an oil man and the VP is also an oil man, but I expect more from a President, than to only cater to their own interests. They should at least hear others and include them in the debate.

why did you expect anything more from bush. his entire history as governor is one of self interest. the texas rangers land grab that made his big money was government at it's dirtiest. this low life has managed to convince less than half the voters that he is something he is not. intelligent and honest. no more about clinton and his wife, you have the most corrupt president this country has ever had the misfortune to know. all the right wing ideologues on the posts are so hung up on what they perceive to be clinton's lying, they have completely missed little georgie's modus operandi, make money for the big guys and theu will give me a piece of the action. i have no disillusions about this crook. he is just what he is and has always been. if you guys would research his background, which includes giving texas brakes to coporations, which has left texas broke, you could stop dealing with the past president and deal with reality. texas ranks at the bottom in terms of health care, education, and pollution. w is the front man who glad hands you while your pockets are being picked.

So much anger, Rick. To even put Bush into the same category as "most corrupt president ever" or whatever you said is a joke. This is the same guy that you claim can't walk and chew gum, yet he has the ability to manipulate an entire population into electing him and he has somehow found every conceivable loophole to put current laws into his favor and thusly his purse. You can't be serious. If you believe EVEN HALF of what you say, then my opinion of you has dropped ten fold. Let's look at facts: 1. The US is in an energy crisis. 2. It takes large companies like "big oil" and electic to supply energy to the masses. 3. putting price caps effectively reduce R & D dollars 4. These same price caps prevent exploration. 5. Exploration is condoned by the Liberal Left. 6. Any waiver in regulations gets lambasted by the Liberal Media even when PROVEN to increase efficency. The bottom line is that the Liberals want to somehow increase the energy supply to this country while simultaneously lowering prices, closing facilities, prevent the construction of new facilities, prevent exploration, and reduce R & D budgets. I tell you what, if you or one of your Liberal wing nuts can sensibly detail how to do this, I will change my voter registration from Independent to Democrat that very same day.

Furthermore, you state that Texas is last in education, healthcare and pollution. How do YOU define "at the bottom"? If you use the usual LIBERAL Measurement then you must mean by per capita SPENDING. What about effectiveness? Is their literacy rate at the bottom? If it is, could it be due to the extremely large Spanish Speaking population that the Liberals allow to come here and not learn our language? As for pollution, let's see what Texas has for industry....Hmmm. I think it might be Oil Refineries. Well, let's compare the pollution output of an oil refinery with that of growing oranges. Point is, without Texas, California would be in deeper **** than they are in right now. Yes, we need tight regulations. Yes we need to strive for better ways, but until then we can't simply eliminate the "evils" of big oil. If the Liberals spent half of the efforts they do in attacking these companies and put it to work for REAL SOLUTIONS, then we might not be in this situation. They simply want to BLAME someone and SPEND money to "fix" it.

no anger, just disappointment again. the reason texas ranks at the bottom for literacy is not because of the americans of mexican descent, but because of the lack of funds for education. why should people who are poor not be able to get medical attention at least for their kids? if people knocked at you door and said "please help me, my kid has a fever" you would not turn them away because of their background or party affiliation. when an industry can make 400% profit turning the flow of electricity off and on at will, r&d is not necessary. don't forget the old oil depletion allowance; and, don't forget the mind set of americans during the "gas crunch" of the mid 70's. "just charge a dollar and get the gas flowing" they did and it did. bush doesn't have any kind of mandate. he received about 25% of the ELIGIBLE voters. gore (who i didn't vote for either) a drop more. when the country runs two runt of the litter candidates, people don't vote. bush sr = willie horton. bush jr = "macain is against breast cancer research". that is how these 2 got elected. they appealed to the baser elements in society, present company excepted. you all just got hung up on your dislike for clinton and the man who casts no shadow.

It's not that easy. If electric companys could simple turn power "off and on at the flick of a switch", then CA would not have rolling blackouts. It's supply vs demand, lest you forget economics 101. Why would a company invest profits into R & D to find NEW ways to produce cleaner power if they felt their right to a profit would be limited or capped? Instead, it just remains status quo, with the companies needing waivers to produce inefficiently and with higher pollution content. The government shouldn't limit their potential, it should encourage it or leave it alone. When you tie their hands, productivity decreases. As for healthcare, have you ever heard of any hospital anywhere (including texas) turning away the sick? Go to any emergency room and who is there? Poor, uninsured families with the flu. they cant afford a doctors visit so they end up in the emergency room becasue they won't get turned away. Don't use Doom and Gloom stories to attempt to make a point. And HOW Dubya got elected was this: He received the highest number of electoral votes. My earlier point was how incredible it is that he did that while being a mental midget in your view. Fact is, there are a lot of serious issues to be dealt with. It's time to stop the rhetoric and look at the facts. And the biggest fact that I hold true regarding politics is that more money does not solve a problem, it only increases my taxes. We need to find solutions rather than blame, and we need to institute those solutions in the most efficient manner possible. Don't look at spending as a yardstick of success or failure. Look at results.

Results? What a unique way to evaluate things, too bad the Democrat Liberals don't think that way! Charlie

The emergency room is/should be the last option. I pay $100 just in a deposit to go to the emergency room. That could be a $25 bill if it was a regular doctor. That is not a good economical choice.

The basest right a person should have is the right to medical services.

RE: Energy, it is one thing to overcharge for a cup of coffee at Starbucks, because I can always go next door or even start my own coffee shop, if I see the profits are there. But when we are talking about electricity, we are talking about a necessity, and not an easy industry to get into. So if the only providers in town decide to price gouge, there is no market force to correct them. The people suffer and there is no regulation to protect them. If the electricity suppliers were not price gouging, there would be no need for price caps. They have dictated them by their own greed.

I still believe California got in this mess because of

immigration. Hey everybody come here but because of enviromental concerns we're NOT going to build anymore power plants. Yo it's supply and demand, econ. 101 more people more demand .

We should stop ALL immigration and put the military on the border, round-up the illegals (probably a couple million in California) ship'em back and see if there's still a crisis.

If there's still a energy crisis ban air-conditioners.

You'll have people fleeing the land of Fruits & Nuts

and that should alleviate the problem.

These may seem like radical ideas but if you're not going to increase supply you have to cut demand. Glenn

Healthcare: my point to Rick was that people do not get turned away as he claimed. As for your statement that people have a "right" to healthcare, please show me in the constitution where it states that. This could be a great discussion thread, because healthcare in this country is on a disaster course. Good thing Hillary "reformed" it... As for the Utility Companies: CA is now deregulated. There is no obstacle other than financial to prevent competition. If these companies are price gouging, then wouldn't other companys join in the fun? Prices are not high because of gouging. They are high because Demand has surpassed Supply. And these companys don't want to build more or better facilities because the Government is dangerously close to limiting their future financial intake. If price caps are initiated, then no more power plants will be built. More shortages. Higher prices. this is basic stuff, Bill. Unless you think the Government should run the utilities. Then they could supply electricity at the tax payers expense. Prices would certainly APPEAR to be lower...

"your statement that people have a "right" to healthcare". did i say that?

Nope. Bill did.