Guest guest Posted November 10, 2005 Report Share Posted November 10, 2005 i watched part of this yesterday... my bacchus, they wouldn't answer a damn thing, were haughty and arrogant, and Senator Stevens wouldn't let the panel ask anything.. Oil execs defend profits, drink all the beer, leave the place trashed The nation was treated to an exquisite piece of Kabuki theater yesterday, as Big Oil executives trudged to Congress to justify their record profits at a time when pricey gasoline and the looming threat of sky-high home-heating costs have Americans up in arms. The Republican leadership decided to give the oil chieftains a stern talking-to. But not too stern, mind you: Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska), who chaired the hearing, refused to have them testify under oath. Despite the deference, the execs didn't do much to provide anxious senators with political cover. They said any temporary tax or fee on their profits is a bad idea. They don't particularly feel like voluntarily chipping in to defray heating costs. They want regulations governing refinery construction eased. And, most amusing, they don't even need all the tax breaks and subsidies Congress insists on lavishing on them. In short, the message was: Leave us alone. Shoo, now. Shoo. straight to the source: The Christian Science Monitor, Mark Trumbull, 10 Nov 2005 straight to the source: Reuters, Deepa Babington and Chris Baltimore, 09 Nov 2005 see also, in Gristmill: Kabuki play by play " Just as nightfall does not come at once, neither does oppression. In both instances there is a twilight. And it is in such twilight that we all must be aware of change in the air - however slight - lest we become unwilling victims of the darkness. " William O. Douglas Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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