Enviro
Embarassing turnout at House GOP drilling event
Author: Friends of the Earth
Published on Jul 24, 2008 - 8:45:01 AM

WASHINGTON, D.C., July 23, 2008 - Despite a memorandum from GOP leadership urging Republican House members to attend, only a quarter of them showed up today at an event on the Capitol steps intended to promote new GOP drilling legislation.

The House Republicans were met by 200 opponents of drilling, who carried signs with slogans such as "Grand Oil Party" and "Exxon John McCain" calling the Republicans out for cozying up to Big Oil and pushing a disingenuous plan that would do nothing to actually lower prices at the pump.

"What an embarrassing way to launch legislation," said Kate McMahon of Friends of the Earth Action, who attended the event. "They couldn't even get the majority of their own caucus to attend. Of course, if my party's leadership had sat down with the oil companies to write such shoddy legislation, I'd be embarrassed too."

Immediately after the last speaker concluded, the uncomfortable-looking clique of Republicans turned around and high-tailed it up the Capitol steps:




Here's a picture of some of the Americans opposed to drilling who showed up to meet them:




(Photos courtesy of John McComb.)

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