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Republican's want to keep energy policy in the news, and I am too happy to oblige them. Mike McCaul has been spotted around town "stumping at the pump". The Observer wrote about his Monday exploration to find voters and the Austin Chronicle has a story today, Mike McCaul is simply going from gas station to gas station talking about the Republican plan to drill as much as possible.
McCaul has been going pump to pump drilling voters about soaring gas prices and our dependence on foreign oil.
Let's go over some facts real quick:
- What Republican Congressman McCaul fails to note, however, is that he has taken over $107,000 in political contributions from the oil and gas special interests to maintain and strengthen that dependency.
- McCaul has voted against legislation making oil price-gouging a crime.
- McCaul has voted against providing tax incentives for the renewable-energy industry.
- McCaul has voted against higher average fuel economy standards in the auto industry.
- McCaul has voted against repealing tax breaks for the currently highly profitable oil industry
How did environmental groups score McCaul? Here are the quick scores off of Project Vote Smart:
2007 Representative McCaul supported the interests of the Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund 10 percent in 2007.
2007 Based on a point system, with points assigned for actions in support of or in opposition to League of Conservation Voters's position, Representative McCaul received a rating of 10.
2007 Representative McCaul supported the interests of the Republicans for Environmental Protection 20 percent in 2007.
2006 Representative McCaul supported the interests of the League of Conservation Voters 17 percent in 2006.
2006 Representative McCaul supported the interests of the Republicans for Environmental Protection 25 percent in 2006.
2005-2006 Representative McCaul supported the interests of the American Lands Alliance 11 percent in 2005-2006.
2005-2006 Representative McCaul supported the interests of the American Wilderness Coalition 16 percent in 2005-2006.
2005-2006 Representative McCaul supported the interests of the Comprehensive US Sustainable Population 24 percent in 2005-2006.
2005-2006 Representative McCaul supported the interests of the Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund 6 percent in 2005-2006
2005 Representative McCaul supported the interests of the American Wilderness Coalition 0 percent in 2005.
2005 Representative McCaul supported the interests of the League of Conservation Voters 0 percent in 2005.
Representative McCaul supported the interests of the Republicans for Environmental Protection 0 percent in 2005.
He has only received one public score card on energy issues, and it isn't any better.
2005-2006 Representative McCaul supported the interests of the Campaign for America's Future 17 percent in 2005-2006 on energy legislation.
That is a dozen failing scores in a little over three years.
One reader of our site noticed another surprise in the Observer about McCaul's press stunt, it involved a locally elected Republican leader posing as a random person on the street.
One driver was suspiciously on-message. Without prompting, the woman began profusely thanking McCaul and the Republicans for their efforts. She even wrote a snappy note to Pelosi on her receipt: "Dear Nancy, Hope you enjoy your vacation. Get back to work." The local TV guys were eating the made-for-TV moment up. But, as it turns out, the "random" driver was Rosemary Edwards, the chairwoman of the Travis County Republican Party and occasional donor to Republican candidates. Edwards said she just happened to be driving by and saw McCaul.
To recap, McCaul has been bad on both environmental and energy legislation and he has to get the Chair of the local Republican Party to come by just so somebody knows who he is and says something nice about him. Way to lead Congressman.
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