Congresscritturs Say the Dumbest Things
July 14, 2005
I have already submitted my latest on China, Unocal and the prospect for the future Sino-American relations, so y’all can read it tomorrow. But Congress waits for no editor and respects no deadline.
In a letter to House Energy Bill Chairman Joe Barton (R-Texas), California Republican Richard Pombo, hoping to stop or seriously delay the attempt by China National Offshore Oil Corp. to buy Unocal, wrote that Unocal may [may?!?] have technology that could help develop oil shale as a fuel source and because of that, Congress should examine the deal very closely.
As you may know, the US has an oil shale resource within our borders in excess of 2 trillion barrels, and important technolgies that might access oil shale reserves may ultimately hold the key to North American energy independence.
If I follow the congressman’s tortured logic, he’s suggesting that China may be buying Unocal in order to spirit away magical technology and prevent America from gaining and maintaining energy independence. The fiends!
I’m sorry, this had me rolling. It’s funny, and sounds more like some bad script for a sequel of Team America: World Police. All this “may” and “might” for the once-and-always fuel source of the future. Pombo has oil shale on the brain, and remains devoted to a “resource” that has not yet proven and may never prove economically viable.
We should all get jobs advising members of Congress. Clearly, there are no qualifications.
On Geese, Golden Eggs and Dull, Rusty Hatchets