I know. And it's not a joke.
I just opened an email from whoever hit the send button at the democraticparty@democrats.org address. It had Barack Obama's name on the letterhead, so I figured he might have something to do with it. Turns out, he well may. Moreover, I'm willing myself to believe him this time.
Those of you who know me as the Obama hater I undoubtedly am know that my pro-Obama pronouncements on this site (or anywhere else on the planet) have been few and moderately far between, lo these past several quarters (don't view my comments during the 08 campaign and innauguration, lest you be disabused).
Uncharacteristically, I choose not to talk about all that right now, because the President just took some of the advice that's been percolating 'round here and elsewhere blogospherically since the blowout occurred, to wit:
Stop fucking talking about ending our dependence on foreign oil, and start fucking talking about our fatal addiction to fossil fuels.
Period.
Turns out, that's pretty much what he just did in that email (yep). Checkit:
Hell, I'm just gonna copy the email and shut up:
The BP oil spill in the Gulf Coast is the worst environmental disaster of its kind in our nation's history. I am returning to the region today to review our efforts and meet with families and business owners affected by the catastrophe.
We are working to hold BP accountable for the damage to the lands and the livelihoods of the Gulf Coast, and we are taking strong precautions to make certain a spill like this never happens again.
But our work will not end with this crisis. That's one of the reasons why last week I invited lawmakers from both parties to join me at the White House to discuss what it will take to move forward on legislation to promote a new economy powered by green jobs, combat climate change, and end our dependence on foreign oil.
Today, we consume more than 20 percent of the world's oil, but have less than two percent of the world's oil reserves. Beyond the risks inherent in drilling four miles beneath the surface of the Earth, our dependence on oil means that we will continue to send billions of dollars of our hard-earned wealth to other countries every month -- including many in dangerous and unstable regions.
In other words, our continued dependence on fossil fuels will jeopardize our national security. It will smother our planet. And it will continue to put our economy and our environment at risk. We cannot delay any longer, and that is why I am asking for your help.
Please stand with me today in backing clean energy. Adding your name will help create a powerful, public display of support for making this change happen.
The time has come, once and for all, for this nation to fully embrace a new future. That means continuing our unprecedented effort to make everything -- from our homes and businesses to our cars and trucks -- more energy-efficient. It means rolling back billions of dollars of tax breaks to oil companies so we can prioritize investments in clean energy research and development.
Many businesses support this agenda because shifting to clean energy creates opportunities for entrepreneurship. This is how we will reinvent our economy -- and create new companies and new jobs all across the country.
There will be transition costs and a time of adjustment. But if we refuse to heed the warnings from the disaster in the Gulf -- we will have missed our best chance to seize the clean-energy future we know America needs to thrive in the years and decades to come.
The House of Representatives has already passed a comprehensive energy and climate bill, and there is currently a plan in the Senate -- a plan that was developed with ideas from Democrats and Republicans -- that would achieve the same goal. But this is an issue that Washington has long ignored in favor of protecting the status quo.
So I'm asking for your help today to show that the American people are ready for a clean-energy future.
Please add your name to mine:
http://my.democrats.org/...
Thank you,
President Barack Obama
How can you not add your name to a list that supports this statement?
Ok, I know it has a bit in there praising the current state of clean energy legislation in Congress. I don't agree with that. And others here will pick at it like the jackals we are, but this statement is so clear as to objectives, I can't dismiss it just because he's broken other promises.
Of course, there's a way for me (and you) to let him know we'd like to see more urgency (is it really approaching 8 weeks since the spill?), political capital being spent, and meaningful legislation that is drastic in it's approach to this drastic problem - GOP (and Blue Dog) obstructionism be damned (as if they would go along with anything that actually made things better).
Here's the thing: when you add your name to the list, the next page is a donations page, for Organizing for America, Obama's fundraising arm. Just don't donate. They will look at those percentages, and if the ratio between signers-only to signer/donators is large enough, they'll get the message that action, not words (no matter how righteous) are what we want need to see.
Here's the link