Did you hear in C-Span how the Repugs are "buying" the dem

congressmen from "agricultural states" to vote for the energy bill?

They doubled the requirement for ethanol in gasoline... if they vote against the bill, they may lose their support in those states.

The GOP is paying off everybody to get their way.

Wonder how much AARP is getting to back the medicare rape?

These guys figure they have to destroy the safety net NOW while they still have a chance.

We are facing a challenge from the radical right on a scale only imagined in science-fiction stories until now.

Everything we hold to be important is under attack. We have to regain the White House and the Congress just to slow down the erosion of our way of life, let alone reverse it.

We are facing the ayatollahs of American politics, backed up by the greediest elements in our society.

Don't think for a second this is going to be easy, or that the "purity" of our politics is going to do anything but keep Bush in office.

All gloves should be off.

Argue the multiple ways the bill will harm them more than the "gifts" help them.

Spiking energy costs (due to further deregulation) could make industrial and agricultural overhead become so burdensome that smaller farmers/businesses would be pushed out of business (re: LOSE JOBS/LOSE BUSINESS).

That the "land taking" provision means that FERC has the power to take land through eminent domain - on behalf of COMPANIES to create new means for power transmission (pipes land lines). PUSH LOSS OF PROPERTY RIGHTS.

That the increased deficit spending - forces regular taxpayers dollars to go to debt service, and passes costs of expected services (eg roads, infrastructure, education/special education, etc.) back on to states and towns - that local and state taxes will continue to climb; while their services get WORSE.

That this bill also gives companies more and more access to drill (and kill) in national park lands - with NO compensation to tax payers (they don't have to buy the land, they don't have to pay "rent", they lower their costs - get more and more profits - and we get NOTHING in return.) THIS particular issue is very big in the north west and plains states.

Talk about protecting FARMERS, and Businesses in the home state - from widely flucutating energy costs that would kill smaller businesses; protect their PROPERTY RIGHTS; and stop giving a greater advantage to the biggest corporations that can survive such swings, or that can cut better energy deals/costs due to their huge magnitude (eg - Eli Lilly - with huge energy needs and spending can bargain prices down in a way that a smaller pharma company can not - they don't have the buying power).

Call it the CONSUMER ENERGY PROTECTION FILLIBUSTER.