Commentary
The Democrat Party is known for its identity politics and have labeled Republicans as “racists,” “misogynists,” “nationalists,” and “white supremacists,” among others.
Worried about their own label as “liberals,” that conjured up a negative connotation, they began referring to themselves as “progressives,” supposedly more favorably looked upon as a group with a belief in improving the environment, conditions of life and a duty to take care of economic and social affairs.
With the election of Joe Biden, the progressives took a firm hand on the party with the formation of the House Progressive Caucus, an 89-member group that includes the so-called “squad,” bringing the modifying identity as “radicals.”
Frustrated with the administration’s failure to pass their radical agenda, the Caucus, led by Rep. Pramila Jayapal, last week released the group’s 2022 Executive Action Agenda covering eight policy areas.
“This is Democrats’ moment to deliver on the agenda that more than 81 million people voted for,” the agenda states. “Let’s be guided by racial, gender and economic justice – not corporation’ bottom lines.”
It includes health care costs, canceling federal student loan debt, expanding worker power and raising wages, advancing immigrants’ rights, delivering on the promise of equal justice under law, investing in care economy jobs and standards, regulating for economic and tax fairness, and combating the climate crisis and reducing fuel dependence.
The Caucus has called upon Biden to declare a national emergency, use it to ban fossil fuel leases and force companies to build renewables under the Defense Production Act.
With the current uproar over the price of gasoline at the pump, following President Biden’s decision to end our energy independence by killing the Keystone pipeline, stopping drilling in Alaska and federal lands, any further attempt to suppress fossil fuels would not be looked upon favorably.
Just last week, however, he appeared to double-down on his commitment to end fossil fuel dependency, while speaking to a group of 18 environmental activists at a DNC fundraiser in Washington.
Here’s an unedited excerpt of what those in attendance heard for their $3 million donation:
“Imagine where we’d be right now if, in fact, Europe was in fact energy-free of fossil fuels and was … we were in a situation where … (coughs) … excuse me … where … where we … it was all renewables.
“It’d be a different world. And … and so, we have to get off the dependency we have on fossil fuels … I mean, literally, not figuratively … meaning both here (the U.S.) and there (Europe).
“And the dependence of Europe on fossil fuel is … way exceeds any dependence we have. And so, it’s not an immediate solution to the crisis, but it’s all about the future if we were to change the fossil fuel dependency.”
There’s no record of his taking questions.
So how is he likely to respond to the radical caucus demand for doubling down on their demands?
He claims not to pay any attention to polls, but the HarrisX poll this past week revealed that 70 percent of voters believed the administration should “ease its focus on climate change and allow more oil and natural gas exploration.”
Then there’s the Impact poll conducted by Democrat pollsters in North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Arizona, where Senate races will take place in the midterms. They found that 78 percent had a favorable view of natural gas, while just 22 percent preferred a Green New Deal energy policy.
Someone who does watch the polls, Hillary Clinton, in an interview with MSNBC, singled out progressive lawmakers for their inability to get things done, adding that they could cost the House and Senate in the midterms.
It was Hillary, who, during the 2016 presidential campaign, made a point of declaring that she was a progressive in an MSNBC interview.
Meanwhile, the brain trust at the United Nations has come up with a plan to reduce oil consumption.
All we need to do is reduce our speed limits by 10 miles, work at home up to three days a week where possible, practice car-free Sundays, use public transportation, and alternate even and uneven-numbered license plates use on roads.
The UN says this would reduce oil consumption by some 2.7 million barrels a day. Sounds impressive until you learn that would come to a mere three percent reduction as oil consumption currently runs at about 97 million barrels a day worldwide.
Democrats …call them liberals or progressives, they’re still out of touch with America.
Now, more than ever … may God continue to bless the United States of America.
