Stepford Democrats

Those of us who are of a certain age (and yes I know that I am dating myself here) remember the 1972 novel "The Stepford Wives" by Ira Levin. Some of you may have seen the 2004 remake (starring Nicole Kidman) of the 1975 movie based on the book. If you did, you know where I am about to go here.

Today's St. Cloud (MN) Times ran a op-ed from Susan Gaertner - the Ramsey County Attorney and announced candidate for the DFL (for my Utah readers Democrat Farmer Labor party aka Democrats) endorsement for Governor in 2010. In her Op-Ed Susan writes:

I filled up my Saturn recently and the cost per gallon was $3.78, down about 20 cents from the week before. Michele Bachmann’s plan to get the cost of gasoline back down to $2 a gallon must be working.

The congresswomen’s plan, announced a couple weeks ago, was simple: Drill. Drill in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, drill in the Atlantic, the Pacific, the inner shelf, the outer shelf, the Gulf of Mexico, and in Lake Mille Lacs. (Just kidding about that last one.)

In addition, Bachmann suggests there is great potential in oil from shale that could be mined in the Rocky Mountains. Another part of the Bachmann plan is to “fast track” permitting for new drilling rights, and presumably because all this drilling will cause a need for increased refining of the crude oil, a “fast track” permitting process for the building of additional refineries.

To be fair to Ms. Gaertner, the plan in question is not just Rep. Bachmann's plan, although Michelle has become one of the most vocal proponents of this plan. However, what Ms. Gaertner misses is that Rep. Bachmann's plan also includes things increased nuclear, increased clean coal, increased alternative fuels research, increased conservation, increased..... you can find the plan here. If you follow the link, you will see a video of the announcement of the program and trust me, Michelle is not the ONLY Republican standing on the House steps behind the microphone.

Ms. Gaertner is not the only one to make the claim that the Republican's only solution (to high energy prices) is to drill, drill, drill. Just about every Democratic candidate for the House, including Bennion Spencer (UT 3), Rep. Tim Walz (MN 1), Steve Sarvi (MN2) and El Tinklenberg (MN 6) have all said the same thing about their respective opponents. As I mentioned last month, it does not matter where you are on the ticket, there is only one answer to the current high price of gas - drilling is off of the table. No straying is allowed from the pre-approved Harry Reid/Nancy Pelosi/DNC talking points. No matter which of the Democratic candidate websites you go to you see the same thing (when talking about energy policy) - conservation and alternative fuels. That's it. No deviation (except Ben Spencer who goes out on a limb and briefly mentions clean coal technology) is allowed from these pre-prescribed talking points. No mention about how shale oil development (a very red hot topic in Utah) might work for Utah (and Utah candidates).

That is where the "Stepford Wives" reference comes in. What the Democratic Party is giving voters is a class of "Stepford Democrats"...candidates that can be taken from one district (MN 2 for example) and plugged into another (Utah 3 for example). No free thinking is allowed here, just strict adherence to what party leadership says.

Now before my liberal friends in Minnesota and Utah start jumping in with the "Yeah, but Republicans...." realize that there IS debate between Republican candidates (and office holders) on this issue. You have Governor Pawlenty (R-MN) who is a huge grain ethanol advocate, Governor Schwarzenegger (R-CA) is against drilling on the OCS where Governor Charlie Crist (R-FL). Governor Sarah Pallin (R-AK is leading the charge for expanding drilling in Area 10-02 of ANWR while Senator John McCain (presumptive Republican Presidential nominee) is still not sold on the idea. We are allowing our candidates to stray from the "talking points". Meanwhile, the majority leaders in the House and the Senate are refusing to allow votes on expanded drilling and all of the candidates are on the campaign trail saying the same thing - we can't drill!

What's the matter with these candidates? Don't they have thoughts of their own? Or are these candidates afraid that they will end up like Joe Mullery and Willie Dominguez - who paid the ultimate price for daring to break from leadership's demands for fealty to leadership - as opposed to loyalty to the voters back home.