The State Of The Union Address according to the Bush regime  must be no more than a one night shut-me-up on issues of importance to the American people. Oil man George Bush made the statement Monday night: "Let us fund new technologies that can generate coal power while capturing carbon emissions.”  Haven't we heard this "oil addiction" malarkey before with absolutely no intentions of changing? Well, less than 24 hours after that statement, Bush’s Secretary of Energy Samuel Bodman indicated the White House was pulling the plug on the  FutureGen project, a clean coal plant that was touted as “the cleanest fossil fuel fired power plant in the world.”

From Thinkprogress:

“In 25 years on Capitol Hill, I have never witnessed such a cruel deception,” Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) said, hinting at the administration’s political considerations for the project’s demise. “When the city of Mattoon, Illinois, was chosen over possible locations in Texas, the secretary of energy set out to kill FutureGen.”

Center for American Progress Senior Fellow Robert Sussman notes that companies and governments around the world have committed to supporting FutureGen. “It would be a blow to future international public-private partnerships if the Bush administration were to allow these commitments to languish,” said Sussman.

UPDATE: The Washington Post reports that the Illinois lawmakers intend to appeal the decision to President Bush, and that Durbin “might block nominations to fill two key vacancies at the Energy Department.”

UPDATE II: DeSmogBlog and Gristmill have more.

Goodbye Ron Lewis. While your exit is a tremendous loss to the big oil companies, bank and credit card companies, pharmaceuticals,  insurance et al., it's a great day for the Commonwealth of Kentucky. I want to truly thank you in your decision to discontinue misrepresenting your constituents while representing your contributors.  I respect you for jumping a sinking ship with whatever iota of dignity that you feel you might still have. Surely, you see the paper house that the GOP built falling to pieces and what an opportune time for you to gather up you coins and cut and run.

In memory of Ron Lewis and his contribution to those that paid him so well:

 

SOURCES
1	Vote on price gouging: HR 3402, Vote #500, 9/28/2005	No
2	Vote on GOP energy bill: HR 6, Vote #445, 7/28/2005	Yes
3	Contributions from oil and gas industries: www.opensecrets.org	$56,150
4	Vote to block the stripping of overtime protection: HR 2660 , Vote #351, 7/10/2003	No
5	Vote to prevent federal loans to American companies that have relocated offshore for U.S. tax avoidance: HR 4818, Vote #386, 7/15/2004	No
6	Contributions from drug interests: www.opensecrets.org	$28,333
7	Vote on GOP Medicare Prescription Drug Bill: HR 1, Vote #669, 11/22/2003	Yes
8	Vote to allow prescription drug re-importation: HR 2427, Vote #445, 7/25/2003	No
9	Contributions from John Boehner: www.tray.com	$2,000
10	Voting percentage with Pres. Bush: calculated through: www.cq.com	88%
11	Voting percentage with GOP caucus: calculated through: www.cq.com	97%
12	Contributions from ARMPAC: www.tray.com	$2,144
13	Vote to weaken ethics rules: H Res. 5, Roll Call #6, 1/4/05	YES
14	Voting percentage with DeLay: calculated through 3/31/2006: www.cq.com	93%
15	Vote to stop contracts to corporations that overcharge: HR 4939, Vote #60, 3/16/2006	No
16	Vote to expand access to TRICARE: HR 1815 , Vote #221, 5/25/2005	No
17	Vote for bonus for Iraq and Afghanistan veterans: HR 3289, Vote #554, 10/17/2003	No
18	Vote to hold MTBE producers accountable: HR 6, Vote #373, 7/14/2005	No
19	Vote on Endangered Species Act reform: HR 3824, Vote #505, 9/29/2005	No
20	Vote to sell off public lands: HR 4241,Vote #601, 11/18/2005	Yes
21	Vote to cut Federal student aid: S 1932 , Vote #670, 12/19/2005	Yes
22	Vote to expand stem cell research: HR 810 , Vote #204, 5/24/2005	No

The Bush/Cheney/McConnell/Lewis House of Cards built on a GOP foundation.