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Politico has a piece today on the House GOP pursuing legislation to “save” the incandescent light bulb. In a promotional email, the publication said Republicans “will blow their Tea Party base,” when Politico meant to say Republicans will “bow to their Tea Party base.”
This is arguably one of the greatest typos in recent memory.
Nevertheless, the GOP efforts on this are truly ridiculous.
Republicans say Senate gridlock is the primary reason none of their big energy ideas has reached President Barack Obama’s desk. […]
Limbaugh and Beck hit the airwaves last fall to trash the 2007 light bulb efficiency law, calling it a Big Government intrusion…. “It is one of those issues out there that just inflames people,” said Rep. Michael Burgess (R-Texas), co-sponsor of the bill that would reverse the phaseout. “What in the world were you doing restricting the kinds of light bulbs in my home?”
In 2007, Rep. Fred Upton (R-Mich.) and congressional Democrats worked on an energy bill, which included advanced light-bulb standards, intended to spur innovation, lower costs, and improve energy efficiency. The provision was approved with bipartisan support, and the larger legislation was easily passed and signed by President Bush.
The effort has been a great success — or at least it was until right-wing activists made the issue a proxy for imaginary tyranny.
The bulb bill is likely to reach the House floor this week, perhaps as early as today or tomorrow, with the intention of repealing efficiency standards. Even if it passes, this silliness isn’t going anywhere in the Senate — House Republicans love to waste time on symbolic victories that make extremists happy — but that hardly makes the effort any better.
By any reasonable standard, the GOP lawmakers behind this want to pass a measure that would waste more energy, cost consumer more money, and even undermine the marketplace. Republicans don’t care, because this is about some amorphous concept of “freedom” that only conservatives understand.
They don’t, however, have the time or inclination to consider a jobs bill.
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c u n d gulag on July 11, 2011 4:04 PM:
What's next?
Screw electricity!
A call to go back to good old fashioned whale oil?
I seems like in our new "Platimun Age" they want us to go back to the Gilded Age for more reasons than just economics.
arkie on July 11, 2011 4:05 PM:
"meant to say"
Steve - Are you sure that it was a typo?
jon on July 11, 2011 4:14 PM:
The newest generation of LED bulbs will bypass this compact fluorescent monstrosity controversy and this will be a non-issue soon enough.
Danp on July 11, 2011 4:17 PM:
Since when were light bulbs a big issue with the Tea Party?
SPrice on July 11, 2011 4:20 PM:
Is it possible that the Dems dont focus on the Repubs' feckless legislating because it keeps them busy, distracted from more pernicious forms of mischief? After all, letting them spin their wheels will make their inaction on jobs more obvious in summer/fall 2012.
Moxo on July 11, 2011 4:20 PM:
You'd think Limpaw would find the new curl-shaped bulbs easier to shove up his ass on those lonely nights in Costa Rica?
zeitgeist on July 11, 2011 4:24 PM:
“It is one of those issues out there that just inflames people,” said Rep. Michael Burgess (R-Texas), co-sponsor of the bill that would reverse the phaseout. “What in the world were you doing restricting the kinds of light bulbs in my home?”
And what in the world are you doing restricting the kinds of pesticides I can use on my lawn?
And the kinds of pigments in my paints?
And the kinds of molds in my peanut butter?
And the kinds of valves on the gas line to my water heater?
Seriously. Can't we just pack them all up, ship them to Somalia for a year and ask if they're really so sure they like the absence of government?
Mr. Serf Man on July 11, 2011 4:25 PM:
@Danp
Because Jebus never used no stinkin' CF bulbs . He was strictly an Incandescent guy. Sez so right in mah bible
DAY on July 11, 2011 4:28 PM:
Well, as usual, gulag beat me to the subject of whale oil.
However, there is nothing finer to read the Good Book by than candle light. Plus, it will rejuvenate the tallow (rendered animal fat) industry.
FRP on July 11, 2011 4:38 PM:
Fans of Betty Boop will recall that Gramps , in the revamped Betty Boop was a light bulb slinging genius .
While Betty was domesticated for the Moral Majority , which wasn't then , and now still isn't either moral , or even a plurality , Grampy's wildness epitomized by his traditional reliance on good old American incandescent light bulbery , was a wily party enabler .
In conclusion if we take away the American incandescent light bulb , we will be taking away the fun of Betty Boop . If you should still be found in contempt of real American traditional light bulbery , may some kind of power resist your godless light bulbery . Amen
zeitgeist on July 11, 2011 4:46 PM:
it appears they've finshed Atlas Shrugged and moved on to Anthem. Essentially a childrens book; more their speed.
on the bright side for them, Rush may actually let them play 2112 at campaign rallies without making a Tom Petty-esque fuss. just make sure the grey hairs who tend to dominate Tea Party rallies have their hearing aids turned down or Geddy's wailing may cause permanent damage.
ManOutOfTime on July 11, 2011 4:59 PM:
It isn't a typo - clearly they are "blowing" the Tea Party base as in "fellating."
Joe Buck on July 11, 2011 5:17 PM:
They'll just tie the light bulb bill to the debt ceiling increase, and the Dems will reluctantly go along. In fact, before this thing ends, I expect that the debt ceiling will be increased just enough to cause a new crisis four to six months from now, and the Republicans will hold the country hostage again, with all-new demands. Obama will surrender on 75%, fight back and block 25% of the worst cuts, but the Republicans will just come back in a few months to demand more concessions. The health care bill will be gutted, the EPA will be gutted, everything that makes us Democrats will be gutted. The Republicans aren't stupid, they are winning.
square1 on July 11, 2011 5:39 PM:
Hmmm. Apparently "Teabaggers Blow Republican Leaders" is dog bites man but "Republican Leaders Blow Teabaggers" is man bites dog.
karen marie on July 11, 2011 5:52 PM:
The decision by Congress to change the TV signals made millions of television sets obsolete and cost people a lot of money, but there wasn't any outcry about that.
Being "forced" to save money by using a more efficient light bulb?
Yeah, that's a bridge too far.
You have to admit though, Republicans really are first rate at turning non-issues into red meat for their base.
exlibra on July 11, 2011 6:04 PM:
Those snaky, curly light bulbs do not resemble a skull on a neck, the way the incandescent ones do. How, then, will the cartoonist be able to draw all those "aha!" moments?
"rejecill his". Quite right; ill-conceived and totally unacceptable.
boatboy_srq on July 11, 2011 7:07 PM:
The Luddist streak in the far Right is stupefying - as is their fixation with the disparate means of impoverishing all but the most wealthy. Modern technology that's more efficient? Bah, humbug. Energy- and cost- saving inventions? Them's for soshulists librul commies. You would think that these people would be the ones celebrating ingenuity: that is, after all, one of the key virtues of their entrepreneurial ideal. Instead, we have every imaginable - and a few previously unimaginable - attacks on the sorts of things that helped the US leapfrog ahead on the global stage. I'm not sure they want the US to become Somalia as some have suggested, but Nigeria and Kenya seem effective models: massive nations with one or two gleaming modern cities, and huge downtrodden ghettos of tin and mud, full of people subsisting on rice, dotting the remainder of the landscape.
On the other hand, fiercely standing by the (archaic, inefficient) incandescent bulb is part and parcel of the consumption culture that seems to run rampant in these circles. It doesn't matter if it's as practical in the modern world as a whalebone corset: it's the electrical equivalent of the 10 mpg SUV with the bumper sticker that says "my SUV offsets your hybrid." It's a physical manifestation of the "go shopping to win the GWoT" messages of the Bush (mal)administration: by spending more, we are somehow more patriotic, even if that spending is for crass meaningless consumption (oh and BTW that's individual consumer spending: FSM forbid we should actually spend more as a nation unless it's on a war or a tax cut).
You really have to wonder what it is about the Right that seems to think encouraging the ordinary household to eschew innovative ways to improve its quality of life in an economical and efficient way is somehow patriotic and responsible. And you also have to wonder at the rank-and-file followers of these idiots who would rather rail against the high price of the energy they're consuming than find meaningful ways to use less of it.
... and Captcha says "Principle Mnizerl." Is that what it's called?
zandru on July 11, 2011 7:57 PM:
the 2007 law?!
Damn, that Obama just could not wait to start phasing in his Big Gummint tyranny.
"terably BORN" - indeed.
emjayay on July 11, 2011 10:33 PM:
I heard there may be incandescents soon available that meet the standard. LED bulbs coming out now are multiple times the efficiency of even CFL's. And you can get CFL's with a bulb over the curly part and in warm colors similar to incandescent bulbs.
These people no doubt don't want mileage standards either or appliance efficiency standards, which have made refrigerators for example several TIMES more efficient than the ones TeaBaggers grew up with. Remember in the debate Michelle Bachman said she wanted to eliminate the EPA. All the same ideology. All way beyond stupid and shortsighted.
zandru on July 12, 2011 12:45 AM:
@boatboy_srq
It makes sense when you realize that much of what the reactionary right does is because they just want to make libruls mad.
You want it - so they get joy from taking it away. You respect something? They'll cover it with crap. You reason and talk like an intelligent and educated person? Fine - they'll be Ricky Bob Redneck, dumb as dirt.
Frustrating? Maddening? Makes you wonder what's wrong with them? They l-o-o-o-v-e doin' it ta ya. Thinks he's so smart, does he?
I understand it, but I can't explain it.
"eadyfl Kaminsky" couldn't, either.
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lighthouse on July 13, 2011 12:14 PM:
To paraphrase Casablanca, maybe we will still have Paris or at least Paris, Texas!
http://ceolas.net/#li01inx updates on all 7 US state repeal bills (legislated Texas June 17th) and the Canadian Government's 2014 ban
lighthouse on July 13, 2011 12:16 PM:
Consumers as a whole will hardly save MONEY - regardless of what the energy savings are.
That is not just in having to pay more for the light bulbs as an initial cost (or being forced to pay for them, via taxpayer CFL programs)
- but also because electricity companies are being taxpayer subsidised or allowed to raise Bill rates to compensate for any reduced electricity use, as already seen both federally and in California,
Ohio etc, and before them in the UK and other European countries
See http://ceolas.net/#californiacfl
.