RUSH: There’s a story here in the US News & World Report Washington Whispers, Paul Bedard: “Coal Reg[ulation]s Would Kill Jobs, Boost Energy Bills — Two new EPA pollution regulations will slam the coal industry so hard that hundreds of thousands of jobs will be lost, and electric rates will skyrocket 11 percent to over 23 percent, according to a new study based on government data. Overall, the rules aimed at making the air cleaner could cost the coal-fired power plant industry $180 billion, warns a trade group. ‘Many of these severe impacts would hit families living in states already facing serious economic challenges,’ said Steve Miller, president of the American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity. ‘Because of these impacts, EPA should make major changes to the proposed regulations before they are finalized,’ he said. The EPA, however, tells Whispers that the hit the industry will suffer is worth the health benefits.” Worth it! The jobs lost? The $180 billion in new electricity bills? “[W]orth it because of the health benefits.” Now, the EPA is Obama — and we can go back in time, Obama told us that this was going to happen. He promised us. January 2008, San Francisco Chronicle Editorial Board meeting during a discussion about energy and the environment, one of the members of the Chronicle Editorial Board asks about alternatives, including coal. This is what candidate Obama said…
RUSH: Now, the point here is this is 2008; this is three years ago. It’s three years ago. Three years ago we’re not in this economic mess. This is January 2008. We don’t even know this economic mess is headed our way. We don’t even know the calamity that’s ahead of us, and Obama is promising then that: As president, you want to start a coal-fired power plant, you go right heat, but it will bankrupt youbecauseyou’re gonna be charged a huge sum for all that greenhouse gases being emitted. We’re gonna bankrupt ’em! You want to start it, you go ahead.
So here comes three years later Obama’s EPA in the midst of this economic calamity following through on the pledge, knowing full well — the EPA (which is Obama) knowing full well — and admitting the job losses, admitting the rising electricity rates; proudly standing by all this because of the “health benefits.” So if you think that Barack Obama might be changing his mind about his own policies because of what’s happening to the US economy, forget it. He’s doubling down on the damage. He wasn’t finished. He had this also to say, this is another 13 seconds at the editorial board, San Francisco Chronicle. Again, January of 2008.
OBAMA: When I was asked earlier about, uh, the issue of coal, uhhh, you know, under my plan, uh, of a cap-and-trade system, electricity rates would necessarily skyrocket.
RUSH: “Would necessarily skyrocket.” Under my plan, electricity rates skyrocket. That’s three years ago. He means it, and now his EPA is implementing it — and the economic damage to you and the cost of living damage to you? To hell with it. Because, after all, they’re concerned about your health.
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RUSH: Want to go back to Obama and the quote, the sound bite, San Francisco Chronicle editorial board, January 2008. Here, listen again.
OBAMA 2008: What I’ve said is that we, uh, would put a cap-and-trade system in place that is more — that is as aggressive if not more aggressive than anybody else’s out there. So if somebody wants to build a coal-powered plant, they can. It’s just that it will bankrupt them because they’re going to be charged a huge sum for all that, duh, greenhouse gas that’s being emitted.
RUSH: All right, I can’t let this go with just a scant mention. By the way, I need to point something out: The Chronicle did not report that. You had to listen to all 59 minutes, a full hour of tape of the meeting to get it. Talk radio played — I played — the sound bite. San Francisco Chronicle never reported that. So it never really became part of thecampaign. The Chronicle never wrote about this, but it’s important, folks. Three years ago Barack Obama promises, he’s out in San Francisco talking to a bunch of environmentalist wackos on the editorial board there, and he’s assuring them he’s gonna put the coal industry out of business, but not by putting them out of business; he’s gonna make it worth nothing but bankruptcy to go into it. This is before this economic disaster hits.
Here we are in the middle of the economic disaster, there is no sign of recovery, and Obama’s EPA is following through on his promise! Do you understand why some of us believe that it is proper to question whether or not this is purposeful? This is insane. It’s insane if you have an honest intent to improve the US economy. By the way, with this ruling from the EPA when are we gonna hear from Senators Rockefeller and Manchin — both Democrats, both from West Virginia? Because the EPA is Obama, and vice-versa. Or are they?
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