Below The Beltway

Some Democratic Members of Congress are calling for nationalization of oil refineries in response to rising gas prices:

House Democrats responded to President’s Bush’s call for Congress to lift the moratorium on offshore drilling. This was at an on-camera press conference fed back live.

Among other things, the Democrats called for the government to own refineries so it could better control the flow of the oil supply.

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Rep. Maurice Hinchey (D-NY), member of the House Appropriations Committee and one of the most-ardent opponents of off-shore drilling

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We (the government) should own the refineries. Then we can control how much gets out into the market

Here’s the video of the press conference, along with remarks by an Obama supporter who thinks it’s just a peachy idea and also thinks that Congress should set oil prices:

Link: sevenload.com

Memo to the Democrats:

First of all, stop calling it nationalization and call it what it really, truly is —- theft of private property. It’s a tactic straight out of the playbook of such illustrious historical figures as Lenin, Stalin, Mao, Castro, and Hitler.

Second, yea, let’s have the same government that can’t deliver the mail or organize relief efforts in New Orleans can handle energy better than Exxon/Mobil.

House Minority Leader John Boehner makes this point:

Rep. Hinchey is not unfamiliar with energy policy. Rather, he is a leader on the issue for House Democrats and was chosen by Democratic leaders to appear at today’s press conference because of his energy expertise. After all, he serves on the powerful Interior Appropriations Subcommittee, which controls federal spending on many energy-related matters, and the Natural Resources Committee, which has jurisdiction over energy and environmental matters.

After today’s shocking display, the American people are wondering: what other House Democratic leaders support Washington bureaucrats taking over our nation’s oil refineries?

Does Speaker Pelosi (D-CA) support it?

Does Majority Leader Hoyer (D-MD)?

Does Democratic Caucus Chairman Emanuel support it?

For that matter, does Barack Obama support it ?

H/T: Virginia Virtucon