Paging Mr. John McCain

OK - I'm not the first to notice this...but how funny is it to see John McCain admonish, in a most stentorian manner, the congress to get back to work and vote on an energy bill? Really John? How are we to take him seriously? He has missed more than 100 consecutive votes and has a worse case of absenteeism than the most repugnant deadbeat dad. In fact, he's missed all eight votes on energy bill S. 3335 - I guess it doesn't matter, since he's out there warning us against the futility in maintaining tire pressure and the critical importance of offshore drilling (which until recently he opposed).

What's next? Is McCain going to come out in support of the Pickens Plan? You remember T. Boone Pickens, don't you? He just testified before Congress - selling a plan for wind turbines (which he manufactures) and natural gas (he founded the largest supplier of NG in California). Pickens claims to be trying to elevate the dialogue on energy policy (and not merely his bank account and political influence). He certainly convinced McCain's lapdog during the sales pitch: Joe Lieberman was slobbering all over himself in admiration of Mr. Pickens. Not that it should bother "Judas" Joe - but Pickens also funded the miserable "swift boat veterans" attack machine. Not that I'm opposed to reducing U.S. dependence on oil (not just foreign oil) - I'm all for it - but Pickens failed to mention that the U.S. controls even less natural gas than we do oil! He also failed to mention that the largest natural gas providers (Russia and the Middle East) are proposing an OPEC style cartel. Congressional support for the Pickens Plan is pretty short sighted if you ask me. But I digress. Back to issue at hand.

McCain is all for an energy policy that carries on the Bush administration's love-affair with big oil. And he is now calling Pelosi to task, and his comrades to arms. Maybe he will even turn up for a Senate vote this time (he's missed 82% of the votes so far this year). But don't be fooled. This is just a political, election-year stunt. If he were serious about energy policy, he'd try to come up with something that isn't dwarfed by Paris Hilton.