Good Morning America really smacking First Energy

[DEMActivist]

Every 30 minutes - lead story.

Brian Ross reporting that the blackout started at First Energy in Cincinnati and they donated $400,000.00 to republicans only last year.

That's basically the entire story being repeated every half hour!!!

[w13rd0]

1. Excellent!

Especially with Bush having already come out trying to use this as an excuse to give his shit energy bill passed...

[ComerPerro]

2. Well, thats a start

Why not mention the lawsuit that hurt First Energy and favored New York, New Jersey and Michigan? (no link, Will Pitt had it posted the other day)

[DEMActivist]

5. Better than a start

The first half hour, they had a clip of Dennis Kucinich discussing exactly that in another piece. I haven't seen that repeat yet.

They also had Richardson on repeating that it was the engery companies' fault for not investing in transmission.

Give them credit - they are covering it and none of the republicans look good here.

[jmcgowanjm]

3. FE must be doing a "WTF?" right about now

Anyone of these Utilities could have
taken the same Hit.

They all qualify.

[Cha]

4. You know what I saw on c-span before I shut if off? Some repuglican

energy honcho in the bush cabinet that said bush proposed a mandate two years ago to have new energy guidelines put into place. Right away I knew he was lying because I read on DU that they wouldn't pass something like that two years ago. Trying to rewrite history again.

[w13rd0]

6. You should tune back in...

...this guy is getting smacked HARD...

Actually, it's been pretty nice. Lots of anti-Bush callers. Smackdown again and again.

[jmcgowanjm]

10. "Not about Good Guys and Bad Guys"-McSlarrow

When these guys start saying the above
and talking "Bipartisan Efforts"
you know their "buts are in a sling"

This is when the moles like
Daschle, Biden, and Lieberman, Gephardt,
have to be brought in for
damage control.

[Kbowe]

7. Is it time for "profit controls?"

The neocon-ultra-RW- are opposed to any kind of regulation--hence the massive deregulation of all things in the public interest (energy, air lines, water, etc.) Since there seems to be no place for the government to regulate the distribution of these utilities, is it time for emergency "PROFIT" controls? We can't get "PRICE" controls because of that would be "unAmerican" according to the anti-government RW. Well, what about emergency profit controls that allow all public utilities to make at the maximum of 90% profit instead of the 600% return it is said that the oil and other energy industries made over the past 3 years.
What about limits on CEO pay and limits on the amount of costs that get passed on to the consumer. If we are truly a capitalistic society then the risk of doing business and the cost of doing business should be the responsibility of the folks in the business otherwise all business enterprise is merely a guaranteed profit and success no matter how badly the business is run. Our big corporations already get huge tax breaks and what is not given to them in tax breaks they achieve by taking their business out of the country for cheap labor, they can raise prices to cover any increases and safety requirements imposed by the meager laws on the books...in short, US big business are simply RISK FREE! Does this sound like capitalism to you? Have we really been using a socialistic system for big business while decrying anything that smacks of social programs for PEOPLE?

[ComerPerro]

8. Welcome

Interesting analysis.
But I think I have been up too long with too odd of hours to reply eloquently.

[newyawker99]

11. Hi Kbowe!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[JNelson6563]

13. ok, here's where you go wrong

If we are truly a capitalistic society then the risk of doing business and the cost of doing business should be the responsibility of the folks in the business.....

That's the thing, we are actually under a fascist regime. It is way beyond capitalism. We won't feed hungry kids but we'll fill the coffers of R donors with tax-payer funds.....

Julie

[DoYouEverWonder]

9. Tony Alexander is a Bu$h pioneer

Alexander is the CEO of First Energy and was also on Cheney's Energy Task Force.

He also runs a nuke plant in Ohio that has very serious problems with its containment unit and came close to melting down last year.

If these slimballs didn't spend so much time and money on supporting Bu$h and enriching themselves, maybe they would have had enough money to keep these utilities in good condition. That's the least the public should expect in this country.

[Changenow]

12. I believe you but

how do we know he was on the task force, I thought the list was secret.

[Snellius]

14. Alexander was on the Bush Energy Transition Team

http://www.nrdc.org/air/energy/aplayers2.asp

[bigtree]

15. FirstEnergy

FirstEnergy was a contributor to Energy secretary Spencer Abraham's failed campaign in the tune of $2000. Not much, but it's worth exploring the relationship between FirstEnergy and Abraham.

$825,000 from electric utilities to the Bush campaign by their own accounting.