March 26, 2009 08:07 AM UTC

How To Lose The Argument

• 3 Comments
• by: Colorado Pols

Object lesson vignettes (see title), featuring the new oil and gas drilling rules headed for Governor Ritter’s desk after final approval today. Here, for posterity, is how not to do it.

Durango Herald, mistake #1: refuse to give up a debunked case.

Several Republicans blamed the rules for Colorado’s loss in drilling rigs.

“They harm the economy in the state of Colorado. They cost jobs in the state of Colorado,” said Sen. Greg Brophy, R-Wray.

Most gas- and oil-producing states, however, are seeing the same declines as Colorado. Industry executives cite low gas prices, a glut of natural gas and the credit crisis for the downturn, all points that Democrats highlighted Tuesday…

Colorado Springs Gazette, mistake #2: betray your ulterior motives.

“Oil and gas is a second-class citizen in this building and to this administration,” said Penry, who is often mentioned as a possible challenger to Ritter in the 2010 gubernatorial election.

Also from the Gazette, mistake #3: facing defeat, make claims so outlandish that nobody will ever take you seriously again.

“This bill means no business,” said Sen. Kevin Lundberg, R-Berthoud. “It means we’re shutting down the oil and gas business.” [Pols emphasis]

Kind of embarrassing, isn’t it? Then again, nobody expected Republicans to come up with new talking points quickly after their “best” ones were demolished, everybody knows the ulterior motives that factor into everything Josh Penry says, and, well, nobody’s paid much attention to Kevin Lundberg in years.

It’s like the Keystone Kops–you get used to the endless self-sabotage, it’s funny and entertaining even, but at some level you do wonder why they have their jobs.