At the one with Al Sharpton and Pat Robertson.

It's more amazing to see two wackos get along than to see two intelligent, earnestly successful (yeah I know - Sharpton and Robertson have money and "influence" but I feel that when the history books are written, the leaders of the '94 and '06 Revolutions will be a bit more important) people agree on an important issue.

I've always respected Newt Gingrich (minus a couple evil things he's done in his personal life) - I most sharply disagree with him on immigration, but his strategy is fine by me, and when he "debated" John Kerry on climate change (they both agreed it's a problem that needs solving - Kerry advocated regulation, Gingrich advocated economic incentives), I agreed with Gingrich more - although Kerry is right that we need some Government regulation.  Mainly: the oil and nuclear industries WOULD NOT BE AFLOAT if it were not for government subsidies.  That's blatantly contrary to capitalism - if there is a more efficient way of achieving the same ends - you do it!  Especially when there are such strong positive externalities as a clean environment.

There are a lot of companies that would not exist or would not be as large as they are without government subsidies and it is not limited to oil companies.  You could take away all of that favorable tax treatments and integrated oil companies would be just as large and still make tons of money.  There are other companies that rely on the government as their primary (if not sole) customer.  

If we are concerned about the tax code, then we should simplify it and get rid of all favorable tax treatments in the corporate tax code.  Let's be fair, because it isn't just oil companies that receive nice tax incentives.  Same thing if we are concerned about the government propping up corporations, we should be fair in our removal of those supports.

Get rid of corporate welfare, unless there's some overriding national security reason to help get an industry up and running.

The "propping up" through incentive or subsidy and now the proposal for the outright socialization of an industry concerns many independents whom the balance in November very well may come. Many of us have concerns with healthcare relative to the reasonings and rationale behind those that supported the deregulation of the airlines decades ago. Does not the logic for deregulating the airlines apply to the valued competition element within the healthcare industry. It will be interesting to see some of the long time Congressman that were around for that debate enage in this one.

That may be a little extreme, but I did hear him recently say he would like to work with Obama on some social issues.

Love it.

That is what we have been missing for the past 16 years. Bipartisanship.  

Sign the power to change petition and urge the candidates to support clean and renewable energy.

https://secure2.convio.net/sie...

The Sharpton-Robertson ad is more entertaining -- featuring as it does two natural showmen.

The Pelosi-Gingrich ad, by comparison, is a little too wooden.  Plus I always have to control the gag reflex when I see Newt...

What amazes me, though, is that in honor of Earth Day a bogus organization with a bogus name (Americans For Prosperity) demonstrates against taking action to address climate change, which they call a hoax. I'd like a little sunlight shining on AFP--who are they and where do they get their funding?

on AFP.

The Americans For Prosperity Foundation (AFPF) is "a nationwide organization of citizen leaders committed to advancing every individual's right to economic freedom and opportunity. AFPF believes reducing the size and scope of government is the best safeguard to ensuring individual productivity and prosperity for all Americans. AFPF educates and engages citizens in support of restraining state and federal government growth, and returning government to its constitutional limits."

David Koch.  See here for Koch's Kilgore connection.

And Koch, in the business of trashing the environment through oil spills and other crimes, has plenty of reasons to fund an organization that denounces climate change as a hoax. Talk about hoaxes!