By Ranjit Arab •
April 3, 2008
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It looks like Hillary Clinton has another “3 a.m.” political ad out. This time it’s about the economy.
I’m not sure what it is about these ads that have captured the nation’s imagination; John McCain has his own version of it, and, of course, it inspired scores of parodies on YouTube and among late-night talk show comedians.
Still, I wonder if the candidates will get around to making one of these ads about the environment.
It’d be really easy to do, actually. All you need is a ringing phone…and no one to answer it.
That’s because the environment has somehow become a non-issue during this campaign season. All three candidates have fairly progressive views when it comes to addressing climate change, and they all tout the benefits of weening ourselves off foreign oil, so we’ve basically been told by the media that there’s nothing more to discuss on the topic.
The only problem is that voters WANT to discuss it.
By Ranjit Arab •
March 13, 2008
I don’t know if you caught it, but the whole Hillary Clinton-Barack Obama flap over NAFTA exposed a dirty little secret: The North American Free Trade Agreement isn’t about American jobs or cheap Mexican labor—it’s about Canadian oil.
Think as far back as two weeks ago. I know you can do it. Remember, Britney’s dad started taking control of her life… everyone you know bugged the hell out of you by constantly saying: “I drink your milkshake…”
Anyway, back then, Hillary and Obama were campaigning among blue-collar crowds in Ohio when news broke out that someone from the Obama camp called the Canadian government and reassured them that the tough talk on NAFTA was all just an act. Later, it was revealed that Hillary probably made a similar call.
All of which begged the question: Why would they care so much about Canada if this was about NAFTA? Hasn’t Uncle Lou told us time and time again that NAFTA is all about Mexico: its cheap labor, and its non-existent regulations, which entice American factories to relocate south of the border?
You know that old saying about having a ‘face for radio’? As mean as the old saying is, it essentially implies that a person on television is not particularly good looking and that they would be better off applying their talents, journalistic or otherwise, to the radio-waves. Got it? Okay, put it this way, I think I have a ‘voice for television’.
Whenever I hear a recording of my voice I always think it sounds really weird. And although it seems like I’m implying that I have a ‘face for television’, I’m not (my twice-broken nose, gave me a nice nasally-twang, and a mighty proboscis that may be unfit for television).
What I’m saying is that XM Radio listeners were “treated” to eight minutes of yours truly today on Channel 130, “POTUS ‘08” (Politics Of The US), XM’s politics talk channel.
I thought this was an interesting moment in the Democratic Presidential debate- How many of you took a private jet to this debate? Most hands went up. I think Kucinich rode a locally made bike after eating organic veggies grown within 10 miles of his hotel.
[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=porvkJhSFBk]
Now that we’re about two-thirds of the way into the Democrats’ first 100 days of controlling Congress, we can take stock of some of the major pieces of energy legislation that have wound their way through the Capitol halls.
The House, in particular, has seen some great victories, like passing a January bill that included:
- Removing the corporate income tax deduction for oil and gas companies. Furthermore, those companies will now pay 35 percent tax instead
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