Nancy Pelosi’s response to House debate domestic drilling for oil on Friday was to turn off the lights & cameras and send everyone home.  The Republicans want to debate the merits of drilling for some of the over 100,000,000,000 barrels of oil sitting discovered, but untouched under federal lands and coastal waters.  The Democrats lacking any real response to such a suggestion opted for a 5 week vacation to avoid the issue.

The unfortunate “secret” is that the Democrats don’t want gas prices to come down.  Either because A) price shock at the pump will encourage ecological ends or because B) they feel that gas prices will be blamed on Bush (and not on the Congress that was elected with reducing fuel costs as a political promise) which will help Obama in November.

Despite the lack of session, several Republicans are making a stand on the floor of the House again today.  Approximatly 30 Republicans will hold an Energy Debate for “as long as it takes” to get Pelosi to start official bipartisan debate.

• Pelosi’s Energy Stonewall
• House Republicans go back on the floor Monday to talk gas prices
• Thought Congress had Adjourned? GOP Lawmakers to Return for Energy Debate
• America’s Untapped Oil Supply

I know that the ability to articulate is not a true indicator of intelligence but communication mastery -or lack there of- can certainly create an image of intelligence (or lack there of).  For instance, is this really the leader of the free world speaking?

What they’ll say is, “Well it costs too much money,” but you know what? It would cost, about… It — it — it would cost about the same as what we would spend… It… Over the course of 10 years it would cost what it would costs us… (nervous laugh) All right. Okay. We’re going to… It… It would cost us about the same as it would cost for about — hold on one second. I can’t hear myself. But I’m glad you’re fired up, though. I’m glad.

Yup, it is. Or will be. That was our savior of change, presumptive Presidential candidate, Obama – off teleprompter.  Which begs the question: Can we elect his speech writer instead?  He goes on in the same meeting to talk about breathalyzers & “InHALators” for asthma patients.

Here’s the YouTube link in case you doubt the transcript:

• Obama Speaks As Well As Bush
• Obama, Breathalyzers & InHALators

So I have to wonder if the strong portrayal of President David Palmer by Dennis Haysbert in the hit series 24 helped Presidential Hopeful Obama in the American mindscape. President Palmer was the ideal man for the job for most Americans. Lets look at his qualifications:

• Tall
• Attractive (don’t kid yourself – these matter)
• “Presidential Presence”
• Compassionate enough to wrestle with weighty decisions of life and death
• Yet still has the balls to take the fight to our enemies and authorize whatever-is-necessary Bauer to kick ass

I believe this mix of strength and compassion is what most people crave in a leader. After 3 Seasons, Dennis Haysbert secured the idea of a Black American as a great President and got himself his own show (the Unit).

Ironically this coincidental boost for Obama in America’s eyes, was pro-actively attempted and failed by the friends of Hillary Clinton for President with the show -uh, oh yeah- Commander In Chief. I can’t tell you what impact Geena Davis had on the political landscape as not only did I never see it – I had to use google to even remember the name of the show. IMDB then showed me that what I thought I remembered of the show (from commercials) was actually the female VP from Air Force One. Glenn Close might be Genna Davis’ senior by 9 years but she exuded that same mix of strength and compassion, while Genna’s unconvincing performance led to a flopped series.

The brains behind Obama are recommending that the “Pull Out” of Iraq look a lot more like a simple force reduction. Returning us to troop levels not that far below Pre-Surge levels. While there is a significant difference in “stance” of 150k troops “on the front lines” and 80k troops in “oversight” – though the terms are as malleable as any applied to this war – it falls far short of “pulling out”. Now people with some semblance of foreign policy knowledge will find it comforting that, as many suspected, the Democrats have no intention of leaving Iraq except ceremonially for the TV cameras. On the other hand, the anti-war zealots won’t be to happy to learn that the candidate most pandering to them – isn’t quite the pacifist he claims to be .

• NY Sun: Obama Advisor: 60-80k Troops Through 2010