Soob

I can't think of any other explanation for Senator Schumer's patently ridiculous performance during the Senate Judiciary hearing on gas prices. Roping oil executives in to be fall guys for American domestic energy policy failures is one thing but sauntering off into completely unrelated and nonsensical posturing, quite another. Consider:

"In the last few weeks, many American have gotten a glimpse into the insular and oppressive world of Burma," Schumer said, using Myanmar's previous name.

"As we all watched the woefully inadequate response to the disaster by the repressive and violent military junta that runs the country, many have been shocked to learn that Chevron continues to operate in Burma," Schumer said.

"American taxpayers should not have to subsidize Chevron's presence in Myanmar, which only helps to prop up a brutal, despotic regime. It's time to close the loophole that allows Chevron to operate free of sanctions in Myanmar," he said.

Of course every other member of OPEC that the US imports oil from is a bastion of human rights, free of the repression and violence Senator Schumer refers to.
Further, sanctioning a major oil company will, quite obviously by Schumer's elusive brand of illogic, address the unsustainable trajectory of oil and gasoline prices by somehow placing additional cost on Chevron and yet, counter intuitively realizing a bottom line discount for the consumer.

Further display of Senator Schumer's theatrics:
This from the above mentioned hearings as Senator Schumer questions Chevron executive Peter Robertson regarding his companies' dealings with Burma. Snippets via glennbeck.com the only transcript I could locate: ("Voice" is the above mentioned Robertson)

SCHUMER: And its initial refusal to accept disaster aid. Have you weighed in with the Burmese government about accepting the disaster aid and, more generally, does your presence in Burma not bolster the military junta?

VOICE: Well, thank you. We just in the last two days have committed $2 million to the aid in Burma. The agencies that we're working with, some of them have matched it. So it's $3 million. I have some photographs in my file here of aid being delivered to people in Burma. So I know it's happening, when we're saying it. So we are activities of daily living aid. Even though a lot of others cannot, we are. So that's an advantage, I think.

SCHUMER: Do you think they could use a lot more than $2 million?

VOICE: Of course they could.

SCHUMER: Are you trying to pressure the military government to let in more aid right now in addition to the $2 million you are giving?

Senator Schumer is apparently at a complete loss as to what defines a diplomat and what defines a private enterprise operating abroad. As though a private company should conduct it's own effort at foreign diplomacy. Perhaps Sony should shake a finger at our healthcare system and lean hard on our legislators?

Senator Schumer further fails to understand that Chevron operates in Burma through the purchased privilege of a lease and so is in no position to question the disaster relief tactics of its host nation. Nor should it. It's purpose is to locate, collect, refine and distribute hydrocarbon energy resources. Not enter into unilateral diplomacy above and beyond it's native polity.

And so we conclude that Senator Schumer either lives in a cave and is thus unaware of such complexities or Senator Schumer was showboating and pissing away the valuable tax derived government resources spent in conducting such a hearing.
That he embarked on an effort to make an all together unrelated and completely self centered ass of himself in a play at appearing "empathetic" to the desperate sojourn of Myanmar's downtrodden in light of the evil and hideously rich American oil companies that have strode in tandem with the ruling Junta upon their backs.

Some more political theatrics for the American public to enjoy.

Photo:DailyPundit.com