Lies, Corruption, S.O.P. for Cheney, Big Oil, Republicans

Congress recently called major oil company execs before a hearing in order to pretend to be doing something about Big Oil's rampant price gouging.

The executives were even less forthcoming when questions turned hostile. Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J., $10,000) asked whether any of the companies had participated in Vice President Cheney's energy task force, and all five answered in the negative. Fortunately, they were not under oath: A report by the Government Accountability Office found that Chevron was one of several companies that "gave detailed energy policy recommendations" to the task force.

Read Dana Milbanks' account of the hearing. It's interesting to see, as Milbank details, the amount of money each politician had received from big oil and how they attempted to defend and praise them. The biggest recipients of this dough, largely Republicans, rather than grilling the execs, seemed to be there to praise them instead. The execs and Cheney are lying swine. And people actually VOTE for these politicians?