By: Simon Hall and Wan Xu

Dec. 3, 2010--Dow Jones Newswire

China's three main state-owned oil companies have strengthened their ties to Venezuela's energy sector, signing six agreements and increasing their investments to a planned $40 billion dollars.

The deals are the latest of a string of multi-billion dollar South American ventures signed by Chinese companies in recent months, aimed at acquiring major chunks of the continent's rich resources and at helping fuel China's economic boom.

Among the agreements signed was one by China National Petroleum Corp., President Jiang Jiemin and Venezuela Oil Minister Rafael Ramirez, for the joint development of the Orinoco basin Junin 4 oil block, the Chinese company said Friday in its in-house newspaper. It said the agreement had been signed Wednesday.

The cost of developing Junin 4, capable of producing 400,000 barrels of crude daily, could be as much as $16 billion, with the block developed as a 60:40 joint venture by state-owned Petroleos de Venezuela SA and CNPC, the two companies said in April when they agreed to a preliminary pact.

Dec. 7, 2010--Red State

For a law that was supposed to save America by making health care more affordable, the list of companies and unions who are being given the green light to ‘opt out’ seems to be growing by the day.

Since the last wave of ObamaCare waivers was released a few weeks ago, the number of unions and companies that have received ObamaCare waivers has doubled to 222.  The number of known unions that inhabit this list is near 50.

So far, here is the list of union inductees to the Do As We Say, Not As We Do Club:

Press Release

Senate Environment and Public Works Committee: Sen. James Inhofe

Dec. 8, 2010

Inhofe Responds to EPA’s Ozone Delay

News is Welcome, Yet Concern Remains about Restrictions on Jobs, Economic Growth

Washington, D.C. - Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, issued the following statement on EPA’s announcement today that it will delay revising National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for ozone until July, 2011.

Dec. 7, 2010

Senator John Barrasso's Office

Barrasso Defends Wyoming’s Ability to Effectively Regulate Oil and Gas Development

Demands Details Regarding Washington Effort to Over-Regulate Hydraulic Fracturing

Back in DC for orientation on the Issues we face. Fall is gone. The blustery, windy, 25 degree weather has caused all the leaves to fall to the ground. Only occasional patches of color hang on in desperation.

The presentations point out that the economic challenges we face are larger than anticipated. The President recognizes the growth potential of tax cuts, so he agreed to extending them. The deal on the inheritance tax was also a win. It could be better, but would have been much worse. Stay tuned.

By: Keith Robinson-Avila--Dec. 3, 2010

New Mexico Business Weekly

Dec. 2, 2010--The Washington Times

Dec. 1, 2010--Gov. Bob McDonnell

RICHMOND- Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell issued the following statement this afternoon regarding today's announcement by the Obama Administration that no exploration and development of offshore oil and natural gas resources off the coast of Virginia will be allowed to move forward for at least the next seven years. The Obama Administration further blocked any exploration and development of offshore oil and natural gas resources in the Eastern Gulf of Mexico, and off the entire Atlantic and Pacific coasts during that same period. 

By: Richard J. Maybury, Ludwig Von Mises Institute

Each year at this time school children all over America are taught the official Thanksgiving story, and newspapers, radio, TV, and magazines devote vast amounts of time and space to it. It is all very colorful and fascinating.

It is also very deceiving. This official story is nothing like what really happened. It is a fairy tale, a whitewashed and sanitized collection of half-truths which divert attention away from Thanksgiving's real meaning.

The official story has the pilgrims boarding the Mayflower, coming to America and establishing the Plymouth colony in the winter of 1620-21. This first winter is hard, and half the colonists die. But the survivors are hard working and tenacious, and they learn new farming techniques from the Indians. The harvest of 1621 is bountiful. The Pilgrims hold a celebration, and give thanks to God. They are grateful for the wonderful new abundant land He has given them.