Now it all makes sense.... as long as the American consumer doesn't get a bit of direct relief first:

"I'll make oil companies like Exxon pay a tax on their windfall profits, and we'll use the money to help families pay for their skyrocketing energy costs and other bills," the Illinois senator said.

It's a full-Democratic congressional push, so it just might have a chance...

"Senators were to vote Tuesday on whether to consider a windfall profits tax against the five largest U.S. oil companies and rescind $17 billion in tax breaks the companies expect to enjoy over the next decade." Read more…

I've been looking for an excuse to post this video all day. This one is for elected folk, because it's important you all stop giving in to the warmongers so much on the whole "we're making progress" line. No, we're not.

The Sunni Arabs who removed their support for the deal did so, in part, because of a contract the Kurdish government signed earlier with a company based in the United Arab Emirates, Dana Gas, to develop gas reserves.

The Kurds say their regional law is consistent with the Iraqi Constitution, which grants substantial powers to the provinces to govern their own affairs. But Mr. Shahristani believes that a sort of Kurdish declaration of independence can be read into the move. “This to us indicates very serious lack of cooperation that makes many people wonder if they are really going to be working within the framework of the federal law,” Mr. Shahristani said in a recent interview, before the Hunt deal was announced.

You can just see Green Zone bunnies acting like this when they speak with their comfortably ensconced in London "governing" Iraqi buddies:  Read more…