Oil Companies cry that cutting off their corporate welfare benefits is "Un-American"

[marmar]

Washington (CNN) - A Democratic senator blasted oil giant ConocoPhillips for using the term "un-American" to describe his proposal to strip tax subsidies from the five largest oil companies in the U.S. and use the savings to pay down the deficit.

Sen. Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey, said it is "truly outrageous" for ConocoPhillips to use the term in a press release it issued Wednesday and said he expects the company's top executive to apologize when he appears at a Senate hearing Thursday examining the tax proposal.

"For ConocoPhillips to question the patriotism of those public officials who believe they do not deserve billions of dollars in wasteful subsidies is simply beyond the pale and I expect an apology from the CEO tomorrow at tomorrow's hearing, Menendez said at a news conference staged at an Exxon gas station on Capitol Hill to highlight the Democrats' proposal. "It is simply not acceptable."

A press release posted on the company's main web site page is headlined: "ConocoPhillips Highlights Solid Results and Raises Concerns Over Un-American Tax Proposals at Annual Meeting of Shareholders." ...............(more)

The complete piece is at: http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2011/05/11/conocophillips-angers-senator-by-declaring-tax-proposal-un-american/

[Zorra]

1. Robbing the poor to give to the rich has become as American

as apple pie.

[tridim]

2. I just heard the Shell CEO say on CSPAN3 that high pump prices are good..

Because it creates more jobs for consumers.

Start sharpening your pitchforks.

[KansDem]

8. Do they ever explain why or how?

Really...I've heard this argument before and wonder what their reasoning is...

[tridim]

12. The "reasoning" is that a massively profitable oil industry creates lots of jobs

It's their glorious gift to us for sustaining financial rape at the pump every day.

Of course it's not even true. The profits go to their shareholders and investment overseas, not to job creation in America.

As I said in another thread, sharpen your pitchforks.

[rfranklin]

3. The corporatists have lost any connection to decency or reality...

Gimmee, gimmee, gimmee! is their creed.

[SpiralHawk]

4. "Smirk." - Republicons & their Tax-free BigBuck Oil Cronies (R)

[KansDem]

5. Pigs at the trough

In The Know: Should The Government Stop Dumping Money Into A Giant Hole?

[madamesilverspurs]

6. Mommmeeee, those Democwats are sooo mean!

-

[Skidmore]

7. Just heard Orrin Hatch say that this hearing was a dog and pony

show and he knows who's the "horse's ass" is. This article is on ABC now.

http://blogs.abcnews.com/thenote/2011/05/orrin-hatch-defends-suvs-minivans-and-oil-company-tax-breaks.html

[bobbolink]

9. That CEO needs to do some time homeless on the streets.

[The Backlash Cometh]

10. I thought oil companies were multinational?

Why should they expect to be treated like Americans?

[Dr Fate]

11. Ending entitlement programs for foreign-owned corporations is Un American?

LOL!

[kentuck]

13. OMG!!

These fuckers feel invincible and accountable to no one.

[defendandprotect]

14. kr