CARROLL: A bizarre press release from Tancredo
By Vincent Carroll, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)
Published July 4, 2008 at 12:05 a.m.
The cheap shot of the week comes courtesy of a Tom Tancredo press release. It says the Colorado congressman "condemned Mayor John Hickenlooper, D-Denver, and jazz singer Rene Marie for the national anthem debacle that took place during the State of the City address. . . . neither Hickenlooper nor Marie has yet to apologize for the deliberate and offensive act."
Did Tancredo ever apologize for Rep. Duke Cunningham's crimes when he resigned from Congress in disgrace in 2005? Well, why not? Cunningham's transgressions were deliberate and offensive acts, and Tancredo had as much to do with them - absolutely nothing - as Hickenlooper had in Marie's decision to sing the "black national anthem." It was a surprise to everyone, as all of the news articles said.
Maybe the congressman expected Hickenlooper to wrestle the microphone from Marie's hands in mid-stanza. Now that would have been an edifying sight.
True, the mayor stopped short of denouncing Marie in the immediate aftermath of her stunt - that would come the next day - because he obviously still hoped it would not overshadow his own message. A vain expectation, of course. So Tancredo is shocked by a politician with an ego?
Surely Tancredo has friends in Denver, maybe many friends. So why did he also feel obliged to "hope" that a "cult of multiculturalism and anti-Americanism does not hold sway over the majority of the people" in the city, when he presumably already knows that it does not?
A self-indulgent, somewhat flaky jazz singer decided to turn the mayor's day, and the city's day, into her day - a day of inflated grievance. She no more represents community sentiment in Denver than Cunningham represents congressional ethics.
Scapegoating speculators
What is the difference between Western society in the 21st century and 13th century? When hunting for a scapegoat for economic travails, people today no longer stoop to targeting an ethnic minority. They still target a minority, alas - but a minority defined by its profession instead.
See how sophisticated we've become!
Yes, something simply must be done about those evil "Wall Street speculators."
The Sierra Club, for reasons we will clarify in a moment, is in the vanguard of the vigilante pack. Consider its recent radio ad pushing congressional action, which ends by patting Colorado Sen. Ken Salazar on the back.
"Energy and gas prices are off the charts," intones the ad's script, according to the Sierra Club Web site. "And hardworking American families are taking the hit . . . while the oil companies rake in record profits and Wall Street speculators game the system and run up gas prices."
Needless to say, we must "rein-in speculators responsible for skyrocketing prices." (More progress to note: The vigilantes of the 13th century were prone to advocate more violent remedies.)
It's no coincidence that the loudest voices denouncing so-called energy speculators tend to be politicians (in Europe as well as this country), major energy producers such as Saudi Arabia and environmental groups. All want to divert attention from policies that they had a hand in crafting - policies that restrict supply and thus, of course, drive up prices.
If speculators thought the scarcity of oil was likely to ease in the near future, naturally their behavior would change. After all, as The Economist magazine explains, speculators act "based on their expectations of future trends in supply and demand, not on whims. If they had somehow managed to push prices to unjustified heights, then demand would contract, leaving unsold pools of oil.
"The futures market does sometimes signal that prices are likely to rise, which might prompt speculators to hoard oil in anticipation. But it is not signaling that at the moment, and there is no sign of hoarding. In the absence of rising stocks, it is hard to argue that the oil markets have lost their grip on reality."
No, the only people who have lost their grip on reality are those who insist on conducting a search for scapegoats.
Vincent Carroll is editor of the editorial pages. Reach him at carrollv@RockyMountainNews.com.
Post your comment
Registration is required. Click here to create your free user account, or login below.
Comments are the sole responsibility of the person posting them. You agree not to post comments that are off topic, defamatory, obscene, abusive, threatening or an invasion of privacy. Violators may be banned. Click here for our full user agreement.
Featured
-
Denver turns 150
Read about the city's history, look at old photos and see a list of influential Denverites.
-
Mount Crushmore
Which four Broncos greats should be immortalized on Mount Crushmore? Vote here.
-
Winter Escapes
Your insider’s guide to the copious joys of the coolest season.
-
Rocky Multimedia
The news comes alive in our videos and slide shows. Catch up on what's happening today.
-
Weekend plans?
Figure out things to do this weekend with the help of our entertainment calendar.
-
Bronco Dean's rant
Listen to Bronco Dean's pregame rant on the Raiders.
-
Season To Share
The Post-News Season To Share campaign provides grants to area nonprofits.
-
The Rocky @ 150 Years
The Rocky was there when Colorado became a state in 1876. Read our coverage.
-
A Dozen on Denver
And the winner is... Robert Ziegler! See the whole fiction series by clicking here.
July 4, 2008
6:52 a.m.
Suggest removal
Oliver2 writes:
Rep. Tancredo does not represent Denver, in fact, he barely represents his own district, often not bothering to show up in Congress to vote. He's still drawing his $169,300 paycheck though, feeding off the American taxpayer.
His benefits (apparently for issuing bizarre news releases about a district he doesn't represent, borne on the back of U.S. taxpayers) include:
Full medical and dental coverage for himself and his family. The type of benefit that most Americans cannot get or afford.
A pension. Domestic travel paid for.
Free mail to residents of his district.
But he doesn't really work too hard for all the largess we are giving him, missing five of nine votes last week alone.
While the average Colorado weekly wage for 4th Quarter 2007 was about $960, Tancredo--missing in action from his day job (during the current Congress) about a quarter of the time--was gaming the taxpayer for a fat $3,250 a week. Just this year alone he has missed almost 80 votes, with half the year to go! By contrast, Udall missed less than 8% of votes this Congress; Degette missed less than 6%; Musgrave less than 5%; Perlmutter missed less than 3%; J.Salazar missed less than 2%; and Lamborn missed 1%. The national average for the entire US House is about 4%.
Tancredo is third this session in the U.S. House (of 435 members) for number of votes missed. (Presidential contender John McCain is #1 in the US Senate in missed votes--apparently he is tired of his day job too, continuing to draw his tax-funded paycheck while not bothering to show up for work).
Tom, can we please get our money back? Send the check to: American Taxpayers' Fraud Relief Fund.
Thanks,
An American Taxpayer tired of being ripped off by "Congressman" Tom Tancredo
July 4, 2008
7:16 a.m.
Suggest removal
Mike846 writes:
Vince, you're right on. Supply and demand eventually WILL set a price, in spite of attempts to manipulate it. Some of us remember the early 1980's, when oil was pushing $50 a barrel, speculators were drilling like mad, etc. By then the conservation tactics put in place to deal with the Arab Oil Embargo in the mid and late 1970's were having an effect, the Alaska pipeline production kicked in and oil went to $9.00 a barrel, bankrupting a lot of speculators and banks and businesses that bought into their schemes. People vote with their feet and their dollars. The solution: a sane approach to accessing the oil trapped beneath and around the United States, more refining capacity (which won't be aided if we punish oil companies with a "sin" tax) and conserving of energy use without some drastic change in the way we live. Nice job, Vince. Mike
July 4, 2008
8:15 a.m.
Suggest removal
galty writes:
Hypocrisy:
The Sierra Club lobbies every day for higher oil and gas prices to curb demand for petroleum. Apparently that's OK with them if prices are increased because of taxation. Why don't they applaud the currently high prices: because the unpopularity of high crude prices could be in danger of threatenting the Sierra club's anti-development policies around the world...
July 4, 2008
8:22 a.m.
Suggest removal
American100 writes:
Hickenlooper has made a career of kissing minority As$.
He doesn't have the cajones to stand up to anyone.
July 4, 2008
9:04 a.m.
Suggest removal
vudumom writes:
In the late 1990's before Clinton left office. He changed some key regulation from the speculator market. Before a speculator had to put up 50% of the money for purchase. Now it is only 5%. So in effect people really do not have much to lose. They also have the power to make their own price. Not what the market will bear. They are selling paper products.
I saw an interview with Ben Stein. He came across some ex-Enron executives bragging about how much crazy money were making with this legal scheme. Laughing all the way to the bank.
July 4, 2008
9:05 a.m.
Suggest removal
Salchak_Toka writes:
Oliver2: Tancredo could be our next governor if he wanted the job.
Unfortunately.
July 4, 2008
9:07 a.m.
Suggest removal
Rangerjoe1 writes:
God-Bless Tom Tancredo, the only Colorado Politician that stood up for Colorados working class. Lefty Looney carroll releases another bizarre attack.
July 4, 2008
9:16 a.m.
Suggest removal
Oliver2 writes:
Vince Carrol a leftist? Wow, RangerJoe you're kind of whacked.
Tom Tancredo is ripping off the working class, drawing fat paychecks on the taxpayers' dime and not even bothering to show up at work much of the time.
July 4, 2008
10:04 a.m.
Suggest removal
HolierThanThou writes:
A very fat man was complaining about the draft on his butt. The wind would blow and his pants would fall down. I suggested many years ago that he invest in suspenders for those wide pants because a belt wasn't getting the job done. He didn't buy the suspenders and his voice is getting hoarse from yelling about how he can't find pants that don't fall to his ankles. He's fatter than he used to be and moved to North Dakota where the wind really blows a chill.
America needs to invest in public transportation including passenger rail service. I've said this for many years.
Even if we invented cars that get 100-mpg, traffic management would remain a bloody nightmare.
Most Europeans don't even need a car. A smart public keeps it as an optional luxury. Mass transit provides for getting around to places that are not within economical walking distance.
The best batteries today only return 13% of the energy put into them. This is about the same as they were in the 1930s. Some advances have been made in small rechargeable batteries but they're still not efficient.
Pie-in-the-sky technology needs both funding, time, and diverse efforts. The management mentality of America and the world can provide the funding and time assuming we get the political will for that, which we presently don't. Engineering and science are unrewarding professions. People do this stuff because they love it. The rewards go to management and investors. The work environment itself is structured against free-form innovation.
The best near-term solution to our largest energy gobbler is to invest in fuel-efficient public transportation using well-known technologies like trains and buses.
Blaming the energy speculators is a bit like blaming the bartender for getting you drunk.
July 4, 2008
5:25 p.m.
Suggest removal
pride writes:
Thanks, Tom, for speaking out for the non-PC element in society.
July 4, 2008
5:30 p.m.
Suggest removal
gunner writes:
I have known Vince Carroll personally for a number of years. While I wouldn't call him a member of the far right, he is definitely not liberal. I've known him to be insightful, intelligent and pragmatic. He looks at each issue deeply before making up his mind. If he were a Supreme Court justice he'd be Anthony Kennedy, riding the fence in the middle.
And Tancredo for governor? Please. He'd last just about as long as he did in the presidential race -- a few months at best.
July 5, 2008
10:57 a.m.
Suggest removal
Charles writes:
Vince Carroll missed the point-- or chose to overlook it-- that it took Hickenloope over 24 hours to wake up and smell the public outrage. Tancredo was rght, and Carroll's temper tantrum in defense of the defenseless mayor is embarrassing.
July 7, 2008
11:49 a.m.
Suggest removal
titancain writes:
Why don't all of the subrbanites mind their own business? Stay out of denver and never come back.