 Yesterday, Representative John Hall (NY-19) called on his Republican challenger, Nan Hayworth, to denounce claims made by GOP leaders of an Obama Administration "shake down" of oil giant BP.
Hall specifically asked his opponent to denounce comments made by Republican Congressman Tom Price, a major political ally of Hayworth's. But Hayworth won't budge, and is, in fact, now echoing Price's infamous press release, where the GOP leader rants that the administration is extorting BP and using the crisis to to further its "liberal agenda." Is this where Hayworth begins to show her true colors, as an advocate of big corporate interests over the pressing needs of hard-working taxpayers in her district? It seems so. |
| GOP Representatives Joe Barton and Price, both big backers of Big Oil, stood in BP's defense, when they admonished the Obama Administration for making BP put $20 billion in an escrow account to help pay for damages resulting the Gulf of Mexico catastrophe. The escrow account would protect American taxpayers from paying for the disaster.
During Thursday's Energy and Commerce Committee hearing of BP CEO Tony Hayward, Barton, who is the ranking Republican on the committee, called Obama's demand of an escrow account "an embarrassment" and a "shakedown." He continued by personally apologizing to BP's Hayward.
Rep. Price's comments followed in a press release and were even worse than Barton's. While it didn't have the news-bite worthiness of his colleague's video rant, Price's press release revealed the Congressman's blind deference to Big Oil:
BP's reported willingness to go along with the White House's new fund suggests that the Obama Administration is hard at work exerting its brand of Chicago-style shakedown politics.
These actions are emblematic of a politicization of our economy that has been borne out of this Administration's drive for greater power and control. It is the same mentality that believes an economic crisis or an disaster is the best opportunity to pursue a failed liberal agenda. The American people know much better.
Despite the American public being aghast by the revealing words of Barton and Price, Hayworth has chosen to side with her slick buddies on the Beltway and with Big Oil. In doing so, Hayworth is standing against the hard-working taxpayers of the 19th Congressional district by refusing to admonish the dirty duo over their deference to BP. She even has the nerve to join in the sickening chorus. In her WordPress blog, Hayworth writes:
Rep. Tom Price (R-GA) is right to be skeptical regarding the Administration's methods and intentions in its recent approach to BP, strong words like "shakedown" notwithstanding.
If you read Price's press release, perhaps the biggest softball in it was the rehashing of the word "shakedown," so I question if Hayworth even bothered to read the release.
If she did, she would have noticed that it was nothing but a partisan screed and a wild accusation that the administration's reaction to this crisis only serves its agenda. Even despite the use of words like "shakedown," it still is nothing more than a series of dog-whistle messages that admonish the President for rightfully using his office to take action and trying to control the situation. Price's release is nothing but an oil lobby-infused defense of BP that opposes any government efforts to hold BP accountable for their economic and environmental devastation of the Gulf.
It's no wonder that Hayworth has come to the defense of this BP apologist as her connection to Price is notable. Rep. Price has been extremely helpful to Hayworth's campaign, including headlining her most recent fundraiser.
John Hall's campaign manager Patrick McGarrity agrees and takes the gloves off in a press release:
Congressmen Price and Barton have decided to stand with BP and against taxpayers- letting BP off the hook and sticking Americans with the bill. New Yorkers have a right to know - does Nan Hayworth stand with Congressmen Price, Barton, and BP, or with the American people?
Hayworth has consistently repeated GOP talking points on offshore drilling in the past and has not backed down on with her ultra-corporatist stance, even 60-plus days after America's greatest environmental disaster. In Cheney-esque lockstep, her campaign website still touts the virtues of offshore drilling:
New methods of oil discovery and recovery are far safer and less disruptive than previous technologies, making it possible to expand domestic drilling with less risk to the environment.
Sure, and that's why all the king's horses can't put Humpty-Dumpty back together again, right Nan?
Hayworth's energy ideas are nothing but echoes of spoon-fed talking points from the oil lobby. Hayworth begins talking like an environmentalist and mentions conservation and fossil fuel substitutes, but then she makes a severe right turn and gushes over increased offshore drilling as a major part of her comprehensive energy beliefs.
Hayworth's thoughts on energy sound remarkably like those BP "Beyond Petroleum" commercials that were ubiquitous on television until two months ago. They demonstrate that she has no political independence whatsoever, in regards to creating an energy policy. This embarassment of a GOP candidate is only parroting tired Republican talking points that pay lip-service to alternative energies, while really touting the wishes and paying homage to Big Oil.
Moreover, Hayworth's refusal to budge on this issue would be shameful even had this catastrophe not occurred. But in light of recent events, Hayworth's support of a BP apologist reveals a tragic fault of her campaign. She does not think independently, she is not considerate of taxpayers, and she will not stand up against leaders in her party.
This diary is cross-posted at Left of the Hudson. |
