Ready for some pandering? Oil company executives appeared before a Senate committee exploring the “excessive profits” taken in by those companies in recent months. The resulting bi-partisan “big oil”-bashing orgy produced little of value.

Democrats resorted to the usual “evil corporation” rhetoric.

Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., made the issue personal, noting that the executives were reaping multimillion-dollar bonuses on top of multimillion-dollar salaries as "working people struggle" to pay for gasoline and face the specter of soaring home heating bills this winter. "Your sacrifice appears to be nothing," Boxer told the executives.

Unfortunately, there is no shortage of stupidity from both sides of the aisle in this story. Some examples:

Both Republicans and Democrats have urged the companies to use more of their profits to build refineries and other energy projects.

A number of Democrats, joined by a few Republicans, have called for a windfall profits tax on oil companies.

The White House said that President Bush, too, is concerned about energy prices. "Energy prices have been too high and energy companies have realized significant increases in profits," said spokesman Scott McClellan. "It’s important that the private sector be good corporate citizens and invest in the energy infrastructure and support those who are in need."

This is nothing but political boilerplate calculated to show the public that Congress is “doing something” about high gasoline prices. The oil executives defended their businesses, but of course this talk fell on deaf ears. One expects Democrats to trash companies over “excessive profits” but to have Republicans and even the President join in is disappointing. Thankfully, there was one lone voice of reason included in the story.

The head of the National Association of Manufacturers, former Michigan Gov. John Engler, criticized lawmakers for the way they handled the hearing. "Demagoguery and demonization will not reduce energy prices or solve supply problems in the long run," he said. "Our energy supply and infrastructure have suffered from 25 years of increasingly restrictive government policies that have made it almost impossible to access and refine the resources we have. The Senate should dispense with the theatrics and get serious about Americas energy supply."

Thank you, Mr. Engler. Is anyone in Washington listening?

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How about something a bit strange from the “bird theft” division?

Fla. Woman Arrested After Putting Rare Parrot In Bra

FORT MYERS, Fla. — A woman has been arrested for padding her bra — with a stolen rare parrot.

Apparently the aspiring thief took the parrot, valued at over $2,000, stuck it in her bra and made her escape from the exotic bird store where she worked. She later attempted to trade it for a car, but told the car’s owner how she came by the bird. Unfortunately for the talkative thief, the car owner knew the man who was the parrot’s rightful owner. The bumbling bird burglar now faces grand theft charges.

"The circumstances of the case are the most bizarre I’ve ever encountered," said veteran wildlife investigator Lenny Barshinger.

All in a day’s work for a veteran wildlife investigator.

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By now you have probably seen something like this regarding Houston’s mayoral election in several places:

White Wins Re-Election In Landslide

Shocking “news” is it not? Surprisingly, an incumbent will tend to win in a landslide when he is running against token opposition.

Bonus coverage:
Our friends at the Chronicle had this to say about Mayor White’s re-election.

Bill White got the mandate he wanted, re-elected Tuesday with more than 90 percent of the vote, and now he has to deliver.

Yes, it was a hard-fought campaign…

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New Trial for Andrea Yates

All I want to say about this is to ask: Aren’t we glad now that the District Attorney didn’t charge her with the murders of all five children?  If this overturning of her original convictions doesn’t result in them being upheld by a new trial, the DA can go back and try her for the other children.  What’s sad is that the justice system is being required to spend who knows how much money to go through this whole process.

What’s up in the world?

• Texas Prop 2 outlawing gay marriage passed huge yesterday. As Homer would say, Duh!
• France continues to fall apart at the seams………. will the rest of Europe follow?
• San Francisco outlawed the ownership/selling of guns and ammo. Have any of these weirdos heard of the Constitution? Does the U.S. Constitution matter in California?
• For a little humor in the news, in case you missed it, check out these boobi…. uh protesters.

Have a great day!

As a Jew, I don’t want to sound presumptuous or offend anyone.

But my guess is that– confronted with the following situation– "What Jesus Would Do" is strap on a leather jacket and rev’up his Hog:

About 200 motorcyclists rolled into Edmond today to support the family of a soldier killed in Iraq and to drown out protests from about a half-dozen members from a Kansas church.

The small group from Westboro Baptist Church, in Topeka, lined up across the street from New Covenant Methodist Church where funeral services are planned for Army Private First Class David Martin. Martin and three other soldiers with the 101st Airborne were killed by a roadside bomb while on patrol Oct. 31 south of Baghdad.

Those protesting say God is punishing American soldiers because of homosexuality in the U.S. They’re holding signs saying "God Blew up the Troops."

The motorcyclists revved their engines to drown out the protesters.

Heh.

Edmond police Capt. Tim Dorsey urged the motorcyclists to not confront the protesters and support Martin’s family by waving flags.

Yeah, sure they did.

I bet there were cops asking Capt. Dorsey for permission to run home, change into their biker gear, and hustle back on their Harleys.