Bush Says Little Can Be Done About High Gas Prices

[sabra]

http://cbs5.com/business/local_story_111202519.html

Bush Says Little Can Be Done About High Gas Prices

(AP) SAN JOSE As oil prices hit a record, drivers worried about $3-a-gallon gas and politicians feared the impact on elections, President Bush on Friday acknowledged the pain but seemed resigned to being able to do little about it.

"I know the folks here are suffering at the gas pump," the president said while promoting his competitiveness initiative at the Silicon Valley headquarters of Internet networking company Cisco Systems Inc. "Rising gasoline prices is like taking a _ is like a tax, particularly on the working people and the small-business people."

But to address the immediate problem, Bush offered only a pledge that "if we find any price gouging it will be dealt with firmly."

Bush said that lowering America's dependance on foreign oil imports will help reduce the country's vulnerability to global oil price fluctuations. On Saturday, the president was pushing his proposals to boost spending to develop alternative energy sources, particularly hydrogen-fueled cars.

[evlbstrd]

1. That, too, will be left to future presidents. nt

[UpInArms]

67. flashback to January 26, 2000

CNN - Aired January 26, 2000 - 7:00 p.m. ET

BUSH: No, I don't. I think I agree with the energy secretary that the strategic petroleum reserve is meant for a national wartime emergency.

What I think the president ought to do is he ought to get on the phone with the OPEC cartel and say we expect you to open your spigots. One reason why the price is so high is because the price of crude oil has been driven up. OPEC has gotten its supply act together, and it's driving the price, like it did in the past. And the president of the United States must jawbone OPEC members to lower the price.

And if in fact there is collusion amongst big oil, he ought to intercede there as well.

I used to be in the oil business. I was little oil -- really little oil. And so I understand the -- I understand what can happen in the marketplace.

I think it's very important for us, though, to recognize that our country better become less dependent on foreign crude. That's why I am for the exploration of ANWR. That's why I'm for the exploration of natural gas, which is hemispheric. It's not subject to price.

In the meantime, I support the congressional delegation here in New England attempt to fund LIHEAP, which is that low-income heating assistance program.

BROWN: Let me follow up by asking what pressures -- specifically what pressures should be brought on OPEC nations to lift those production curbs?

BUSH: Well, we've got good relations with a lot of members of OPEC. If the president does his job, the president will earn capital in the Middle East, and the president should have good standing with those nations. It's important for the president to explain, in clear terms, what high energy prices will not only do to our economy, but what high energy prices will do to the world economy.

It is in the Saudis' best interest for the price of oil to mellow out. It's not only in our country's best interests. It needs to be explained to them, it's in their best interests.

[mrdmk]

71. Bullsh*t, horsesh*t and chickensh*t

In-response to Paragraph #1) The Strategic National Reserve was opened-up by President Clinton because of some market hassles (created by the oil companies) and that leveled the market real fast. (Must have pissed-off those oil companies).

#2) The spigots are open you stupid dolt. Oil production is at an all time high in spite of turning off Iraq.

#3) Yeah right, three failed companies! That is a record for anybody.

#4) ANWR equals little oil for little oil people. Besides most of Alaska's oil gets shipped to Japan because of high sulfur content. Once again, the National Reserve has more oil than ANWR.

#5) A softball question if I ever heard one!

#6) The only people in the Middle East that the U.S.A. have any type of relations with is Israel and Saudi Arabia. That is one hell of a combination. Everyone else thinks you should go screw yourself.

#7) How do you explain yourself when you are in somebodies back pocket.

Mr. Bush Jr. is full of it! Who needs him?

[Lindacooks]

111. He actually used the word 'hemispheric'???

Shows the weird decline in his thinking and speaking ability over the past six years. I doubt he could pronounce that word today.

[grannylib]

122. THANK YOU for posting this; been looking for the exact quote and

when the lying little sack of shit said it.

NOW why is the MSM totally ignoring this?

Oh yeah...I forgot. Sorry.

[redwitch]

84. LOL

:cry: Sorry, It's hard to know whether to laugh or cry right now.

[MadMaddie]

2. Translated: * says Screw you American citizens...I am the decider

and I haved decided that gas prices will go sky high an dmy buddies will make billions...he..he..wait they already have made billions....he..he..he...!!!

[tridim]

5. He basically just told Americans to f*ck off

Payback for 67% disapproval?

[MadMaddie]

10. Let's hope that the disapproval rate goes higher...do I hear

70%......disapproval...

[AuntiBush]

37. Yup.

You called it, MadMaddie. Scew us, and I mean US!

[SlavesandBulldozers]

80. he. . .he. . . he. . .

lol. perfect.

[napi21]

3. Wasn't it part of his campaign lies that he was friends with

the Saudi's and his family was in oil, so the US would have cheap gas prices all because of his connections?

[Ilsa]

19. Yeah, here it is on CNN:

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R-AZ), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I would call these people -- particularly Saudi Arabia, Kuwaitis, UAE, Bahrain -- and I would make it very clear that this is not an acceptable situation for them to drive the price of oil from $9 a barrel up to about $29 a barrel.

MORTON: Bill Bradley suggested letting oil out of the U.S.'s Strategic Petroleum Reserve. BILL BRADLEY (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: That is there in order to have oil enter the market when prices go up. That'll keep prices down.

MORTON: George W. Bush opposes that.

GOV. GEORGE W. BUSH (R-TX), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I agree with the energy secretary that the Strategic Petroleum Reserve is meant for a national wartime emergency. What I think the president ought to do is he ought to get on the phone with the OPEC cartel and say, we expect you to open your spigots.

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0001/31/ip.00.html

[napi21]

23. Soooo, what happened to THAT plan????

I hope cspan has gas prices as a topic, or that they have open phones. I want' to know what happened to THAT campaign promise! That's about the only option I have since both my Senators are Pubs and so is my Rep!

[Ilsa]

49. I'm in the same boat with respect to representation. eom

[RamboLiberal]

114. I just emailed these comments of Bush and CNN's transcript link

to Lou Dobbs and Jack Cafferty. Can't hurt.

Clever DU'ers send them some email - maybe they can dig up the footage.

[AuntiBush]

38. Good Grief, You're So Right.

And wasn't that the exact "line, hook and sinker" he used on his base of voters?

Yeah. It was.

Edited for typos.

[Coastie for Truth]

60. Why do you think he is doing nothing on alternative fuels

My first job in college was as a student technician in a coal to oil lab run by the Feds at Bruceton PA - which has since moved to a new facility in Morgantown WV.

We always knew that there were two "issues" with "Fischer-Tropsch" gasoline:

1. The environmental damage was about the same as converting coal to metallurgical coke for the iron and steel industry (the "model" was that the "metallurgical coke and chemical" companies ancillary to the "iron and steel" and "coal" companies would be the real Fischer-Tropsch players.).
2. The economics depended on the cost of crude being stable and predictable at a certain threshold difference above the cost of Fischer-Tropsch fuel.

Today, #2, the differential, is still "THE" issue - and the barely embryonic Fischer-Tropsch industry could be wiped out by an OPEC "cartelized" temporary drop in crude prices.

I think it is in the national interest to build the Fischer Tropsch plants - and lease them to the "industry" to protect the "industry" from the effects of crude oil price manipulation by OPEC.

ECON 101 - this sets a ceiling on crude prices - because it is the price of a "reasonable" alternative.

Do you think Bushie will do this - while his "friends" are the Saudi princelings and the binLadins?

[uppityperson]

4. Rising gas prices is like taking...12 nails to the head

[Blue Fire]

6. What a jerk!

I wonder how long it's been since dumya's had to buy his own gas. The stuff that goes in a car, that is!

[mac56]

7. Isn't this the guy who vowed during the 2000 campaign

that he'd be able to contact his OPEC buddies and get them to "open the spigots"?

Lyin' sack o'shit.

[Ilsa]

20. Yeah, here it is on CNN:

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R-AZ), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I would call these people -- particularly Saudi Arabia, Kuwaitis, UAE, Bahrain -- and I would make it very clear that this is not an acceptable situation for them to drive the price of oil from $9 a barrel up to about $29 a barrel.

MORTON: Bill Bradley suggested letting oil out of the U.S.'s Strategic Petroleum Reserve. BILL BRADLEY (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: That is there in order to have oil enter the market when prices go up. That'll keep prices down.

MORTON: George W. Bush opposes that.

GOV. GEORGE W. BUSH (R-TX), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I agree with the energy secretary that the Strategic Petroleum Reserve is meant for a national wartime emergency. What I think the president ought to do is he ought to get on the phone with the OPEC cartel and say, we expect you to open your spigots.

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0001/31/ip.00.

[kestrel91316]

64. I suspect he has, and they have told him the spigots ARE wdie open.

Peak oil, you know.

But where is his leadership when it comes to CONSERVATION and development of ALTERNATIVES??????????????

[marmar]

8. "I know the folks here are suffering at the gas pump...

AND I DON'T GIVE A SHIT! My friends are gettin' rich."

[AuntiBush]

39. Gettin!?!

They're way, way there, marmar. What a ride they took all of us on, including their base.

Think about that, trolls! Still want that cold beer w/your man?

[marmar]

40. So true, Aunti. I used the wrong tense on that one...

I bet drivers of those SUVs with Sportsmen for Bush and W stickers on them are looking for something to scrape them off with.

[jean]

9. Does he get it? People are seething and spitting mad with steam

coming out of their ears at the gas pump. The suffering goes without saying. He's missing the part about people being irate.

[goclark]

105. H-E D-O-E-S N-O-T C-A-R-E nt

He is the D-E-C-I-D-E-R in KING

[jean]

108. Exactly! I hope he keeps on decidering like he has because more

and more people are realizing hedoesnotcare.

[DainBramaged]

11. Stop filling the strategic reserve, force fair trade pricing on

petroleum products to restrict runaway profiteering by the oil giants, force commodities markets to restrict trade in oil or limit hours to prevent speculation driving up prices, threaten sanctions against any supplier country that reduces production to drive profits higher, add duties to all products other than petroleum imported from oil producing states. Open up the Strategic petroleum reserve to domestic refiners only, stop shipping Alaskan oil to Asia and divert all supplies to domestic refiners only. Oh, and improve relations with Venezuela.

There are plenty of ways to reduce the price at the pump. One other way is to impeach Cheney and Bush.

[mac56]

14. whoah!

That's very succinct. May I quote you?

[DainBramaged]

Absolutely

[AzDar]

87. No can do, DainBramaged...makes too much sense!! n/t

[baby_mouse]

12. But he's the "Decider"! Why can't he just decide it's different?

I love that word. You kind of expect someone running around in a big black leather trenchcoat.

[patdem]

13. "I swear to god, if a CEO of an oil company comes to me and admits

he is price gouging I will do to him the same I have done to those in my administration who are leaking national security information, I swear to god."

That and $3.50 will get you a gallon of gas! :grr:

[bullimiami]

15. well there sure was a lot of talking out of their asses when clinton was

pres and the gas went up.

clinton released oil from the strategic reserves and got a big dose of shit for it from these assholes.
last time gas was high bush BOUGHT more oil for the reserves.

[0007]

16. junior is so obviously clever I can't believe it....

[arikara]

69. Your cartoon is brilliant!

:rofl:

[0007]

74. It is not mine. I found it!

[arikara]

106. Well good find then

I hope its ok if I borrow it occasionally

[jimshoes]

17. "Rising gasoline prices is like taking a

candy bar away from a baby... he he he, if you're one of the have more's, like me and my greedy pals in the oil business... he he he.

[DainBramaged]

18. Gasoline at $3.50 a gallon doesn't affect the rich

It means nothing to them. They buy bottled water and spend more on lunch than we do on a tank of gas. The 20% who control 80% of this country's wealth just don't give a shit about the folks living from paycheck to paycheck or who drive 100 miles a day back and forth to work. The more we pay, the more they make, and we will eventually become like the homeless looking into the windows of the restaurants they eat at.

But they forget that when the economy goes into recession, and the world tumbles right along with us because we can't afford the energy to run our economies, their fortunes will be as much at risk as our existence.

[vickitulsa]

47. They do forget that, don't they?

I think it's because there is simply a lack of vision in most of these greedy, superwealthy types these days. Long ago, when their predecessors were wildcatting for oil and working like dogs to make their first million, they had some vision. They could see that America and the world were going to RUN on oil and gas and that whoever got into that business first would make out like bandits.

But these upper crusty types have been so rich for so long now I think they've lost their edge, their sense of the "bigger picture" in the world. I encountered this time and again when I worked in the industry -- including for Bechtel and Alyeska bigwigs during the construction of the TransAlaska pipeline. Again as recently as 1998 I was inside the meetings of the biggest wheels there are in Big Oil, taking minutes (and watching as they were "corrected" to reflect not what was said but what they wanted put in the record).

I've seen them go in the last 30 years from visionaries to outright greedy bastards who think they can just BUY whatever is needed for them to "survive the fray" of the chaos they're bringing about in the world.

I happen not to believe such people are going to be able to escape unscathed from the wreckage of humanity they are helping to bring on. Just because they've been able to stay above it all up till now doesn't mean that will always be possible for them.

But they can't see it, so they don't care. And they WON'T care ... until it's too late for us all....

[anitar1]

54. Better build higher fences for themselves. n/t

[peacebird]

88. the rich own the corporations, the corporations care NOT about US consumer

The new market is the emerging Chinese consumer and the Indian consumer.

They can lose US and not really sweat it - unless of course they happen to actually LIVE in the USA... Then it might get dicey for them.

I personally think that the corporations have their heads up where the sun don't shine because if the US consumer goes down, the rest of the worlds economies will likely be paddling hard to stay above water too....

[DainBramaged]

96. If it wasn't for the US market, China and India would be done for

both of those idiot nations need to wake up and realize that when the US economy crashes so does the world's. And until they remove protectionist barriers to our products and services, we're the fools.

[entanglement]

115. Here we go again

It's so , SO easy to blame someone else for our economic woes, isn't it? Chinese, Mexicans, Indians, Japanese, Saudis, OPEC.... Propagating the dangerous myth that all of America's economic problems have external causes and external solutions does no one any good.

[bluestateguy]

21. Here "Mr. President", I'll tell you how to fix the problem

1. Open the damn Strategic Petroleum Reserve.

2. Pull out of Iraq.

3. Stop threatening Iran and Venezuela.

4. Tell your buddies in the oil industry to knock off the gouging, or the Justice Department will crawl up their asses.

We'd have gas back down to $1.50 in a couple of months. Problem solved.

[Kiouni]

24. why can't they

reduce the amount of tax on gasoline? the oil company's are making more money so they pay more tax it'll even out and people at the pump would pay alittle less too.

[Jayhawk Lib]

30. Cut taxes!!??

You have got to be kidding!! That would really benefit those wealthy people that drive suvs.

[newspeak]

85. the tax at the pumps

maintains and builds highways--unless you'd rather privatized foreign entities own our roads!!! Also, the federal government has decreased funds to the states--the states then must raise taxes to support the infrastructure. My mother-in-law was talking with family and said, name one thing Bush has done that was good for the country? Auntie piped up and said he cut taxes. I told her he might have cut federal taxes, but since he cut federal monies to the states, the states will have to tax you through increased property taxes. state taxes, sales taxes and fuel taxes. No one gains anything, except the rich!!!!

[wordpix2]

90. no, BushCo & Congress need to TAX BigOil on their price-gouged profits &

make BigOil pay for leasing our national lands and continental shelf that we ALL own.

[Chico Man]

Corporations don't pay taxes

If corporate taxes are raised, prices will go up accordingly.

[auburngrad82]

119. If you lowered the taxes the oil companies would raise the prices to the

level before the tax cuts. More profits for the oil companies, same prices for the consumer. Less money to fix roads in the states. Who wins? The oil companies.

The answer might be to tax the oil companies on the huge profits they are making. If you start taxing them at a higher rate for profits over a certain percentage, they may lower the prices to avoid paying the taxes.



Liberal bumper stickers

[WhiteTara]

22. just like the cia agent name leak?

price gouging it will be dealt with firmly." we've seen that sad act monkey boy and no oe is impressed.

[C_U_L8R]

25. All the Republicans may as well go home...

this is ALL their great big fat MESS.
If you want to know why gas price are so high... ask a republican.
On second thought.. save your energy... they'll only lie to you.

[pfitz59]

26. How about we tax this guy?

http://www.forbes.com/static/execpay2005/LIRUZ74.html?passListId=12&passYear=2005&passListType=Person&uniqueId=UZ74&datatype=Person

"Lee R Raymond
Total Compensation: $25.8 mil5 (#44)"

http://business.bostonherald.com/businessNews/view.bg?articleid=134886

"ExxonMobil CEO fills tank with huge pay perks

The tale of Texas oil industry greed that unfolded yesterday is a wonder to behold.

I’m not talking about the Enron trial, but the executive pay figures released by ExxonMobil.

Chairman Lee Raymond, who retired on Dec. 31, walked away after 12 years running the company with more than $430 million.

You read that right. It includes $48.9 million he collected last year.

With gasoline prices now $2.63 a gallon, guess who paid for it?

Raymond left with shares worth $220 million, options worth another $70 million, and a pension plan valued at $98.4 million, along with a host of other goodies."

Piggy, piggy, piggy....sooo-ie!

[Media_Lies_Daily]

27. Of course not! His oil buddies are more important than us.

[Disturbed]

29. Of course he cannot do a damn thing about it.

He is a Sock Puppet.

[truthisfreedom]

28. "little can be done" sounds so much like "i doubt we'll find the leaker."

"If someone committed a crime, they will no longer work in my administration" sounds so much like "if we find any price gouging it will be dealt with firmly."

this administration is always proud to be helpless with respect to huge corporations profiting from disasters and war.

[vickitulsa]

50. "...proud to be helpless" -- I like that!

I think this may become Dubya's new way of dealing with all the disasters he and his gang have brought about. He cannot admit he ever made a mistake -- at least he cannot think of a single one he has made. He is a one-note johnny whose worldview is so simplistic he can't adjust and adapt and learn and grow.

BUT, he has figured out he's gonna have to come up with something to say, some way to reply when he is increasingly confronted with the catastrophes he has created or been party to. So why not just act like it's all beyond his power to fix? "It's in God's hands, after all." Fits perfectly with his mindset.

[pinto]

31. Remember when he said he could pick up a phone and talk

to his friends in Saudi Arabia about oil supplies? It was back in 2000 - light years ago, it seems, now...

[Triana]

32. No. He's REFUSING TO DO ANYTHING ...

...about high gas prices. Much of his cabal is in/from oil companies and his family is very intimate with the Sauds and other oil business interests. He's not ABOUT to do anything about oil prices.

He certain CAN. But he WON'T.

[The Backlash Cometh]

33. The man is so devoid of new ideas, did anybody really think he

was capable of rolling with the punches, and coming up with fresh solutions to novel problems?

Geez, Bush is exactly the kind of person those dumb-ass Republicans were looking for. Someone who would stick to the same brand of beer, no matter what.

[AuntiBush]

34. Didn't

his father invest in ethanol/corn not long back? No link, sorry, but recall hearing that in the last 6 months and today thought of this very subject.

Bushies, Cheney, Rice all of them, reps for BIG OIL took us for our last dimes. Now, they leave us in a peak oil panic when they ignored Carter's push for the same thing, eons ago.

They all make me :puke: Wish they'd leave the country with their golden calves, keep their damn hands off the treasury and let us rebuild whats left.

[frylock]

35. Bush Would Use Power of Persuasion to Raise Oil Supply

The national average at the time of printing was $1.65 per gallon. Crude was going for $30 a barrel.

WAYNE, Mich., June 27 -- Gov. George W. Bush of Texas said today that if he was president, he would bring down gasoline prices through sheer force of personality, by creating enough political good will with oil-producing nations that they would increase their supply of crude.

"I would work with our friends in OPEC to convince them to open up the spigot, to increase the supply," Mr. Bush, the presumptive Republican candidate for president, told reporters here today. "Use the capital that my administration will earn, with the Kuwaitis or the Saudis, and convince them to open up the spigot."

Implicit in his comments was a criticism of the Clinton administration as failing to take advantage of the good will that the United States built with Kuwait and Saudi Arabia during the Persian Gulf war in 1991. Also implicit was that as the son of the president who built the coalition that drove the Iraqis out of Kuwait, Mr. Bush would be able to establish ties on a personal level that would persuade oil-producing nations that they owed the United States something in return.

http://www.nytimes.com/library/politics/camp/062800wh-bush.html

[wordpix2]

91. * "would bring down gasoline prices through sheer force of personality"

hahahaha, well his personality has only brought us higher prices, not lower. :rofl:

[AuntiBush]

36. You Know. Bush has a LOT OF NERVE!

How many oil companies did he run into the ground, only to file bankruptcy on?

How many have died for all that OIL in Iraq?

He knew. They knew. They should go back to Germany and leave us to clean-up their messes! Can't repeat the words I'd like to say right now. Not in public!

"Bush said that lowering America's dependence on foreign oil imports will help reduce the country's vulnerability to global oil price fluctuations. On Saturday, the president was pushing his proposals to boost spending to develop alternative energy sources, particularly hydrogen-fueled cars."

Ba$tard$!

[Notoverit]

41. "Tax on you - dividend for my dad&our buddies. Sucks to be you!

It did strike me that he understood quite well that poor people are straining to fill his inheritance.

[shanti]

55. assume the position

is what he's saying :(

[young_at_heart]

42. Will the masses buy his "explanation"?

What do you want to bet he won't find any price gouging?

[gordianot]

46. If they get hungry enough they won't buy it.

Bush investigating price gouging is like having Al Capone investigating bootlegging.

[bullwinkle428]

43. Hydrogen cars? Nice to see "the decider" thinking on a short-term basis!

I'm sure the only reason he keeps bringing up hydrogen fuel is a substantial financial interest on the part of the BFEE. Let's get real about the deity he actually worships...hint - it's green in color.

[gordianot]

44. Bush's friends are cashing in on a panic his administration has created.

He is supporting his base while creating terror

[Polemicist]

45. Bush has directly CAUSED high gas prices...

By his warmongering and saber-rattling about Iran. It's a nice little gift to all his close Petroleum industry buddies.

Every time he threatens Iran, the price of oil skyrockets in the futures market, raising the price of gasoline at the pump.

Bush can lower gas prices, simply by either shutting the fuck up, or publicly stating clearly that America will take no military action against Iran.

And this asshole says he can do nothing.

Another suggestion. Windfall profits tax on the 80 billion dollars that the big oil companies have made recently in profits. And a rebate back to the poorest hurt the worst by high oil prices.

Bush won't do anything, cause high oil prices are directly his fault. Including the reduction in oil production in Iraq since our invasion and the continued violence there due to our troop presence.

[ixion]

48. if the 'gas money' for Air Force One, and it's entourage came out of

chimpy's own pocket, he might feel different. :evilgrin:

[kurth]

51. Bush: Can't lower gas prices until we get more tax cuts for the rich

[wordpix2]

92. Bushlogic: cutting taxes for the rich improves the economy for all:

Trickle down, tinkle on economics :crazy:

:mad:

[Name removed]

52. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Miss Chybil]

53. Quit threatening to nuke oil producing nations - that might help.

Ya think?

[goforit]

56. Bring it on George!!!...The challange is on!!!

[icymist]

57. It's more of Bush's war on the middle class and working people!

He said it himself.....
snip
"Rising gasoline prices is like taking a _ is like a tax, particularly on the working people and the small-business people."]/i]

[Julius Civitatus]

58. Translated: "You are on your own, suckers!"

"And if you want my help, better get yourself a lobbyst, like Exxon, Texaco or Halliburton."

[NEOBuckeye]

75. That's about it, too. n/t

[tanyev]

103. Welcome to Yeronyerownistan.

Population: us.

[depakid]

59. There he goes again

with the hydrogen cars bullshit....

[struggle4progress]

61. "Hundreds of protesters called for his resignation near the Cisco compound

where he spoke ... Plans to hold the meeting at the Hoover Institution were scuttled when protesters blocked Bush's motorcade from going through the only entrance."

http://www.ohio.com/mld/beaconjournal/14400642.htm

[lovuian]

62. He really doesn't give again!!!

:argh:

[HuffleClaw]

63. 'IF' we find any price gouging...

that is one big 'if'.

[Raster]

65. this coming from the village idiot exxon paid to have installed in

the White House. yeah, bud. sure you will. And monkeys are gonna fly out of my butt.

[yellowcanine]

79. And you can be sure this pro-big oil administration WON'T find any,

either.

[Dogmudgeon]

66. In one respect, he's right

A lot of people think this is solely price gouging. Although I'm sure a lot of gouging is happening, most of it is a consequence of "Peak Oil". Prices are highly volatile because there is decreasing confidence that the supply will hold out.

On the other hand -- and this should be the major issue -- Bush proposes to do nothing about it other than to stick his thumb up his ass and whistle Dixie.

--p!

[dweller]

68. whistle-ass!

Sally Baron was right all along.

dp

[judaspriestess]

70. sure dude, just like outing a cia agent won't be tolerated either n/t

[borlis]

123. my thoughts exactly!!!!!n/t

[DanCa]

72. This coming from an oil man.

I wonder how money the Chimp has in his bank account

[SlavesandBulldozers]

it's hard work ya know.

hard work.

freedom demands that oilmen get rich, says so in the Bill of Rights somewhere he's sure but there's not a picture version of it so it's basically an instinctual thing like looking into pootie-poot's soul via pooty-poot's eyes.

[Mythsaje]

73. He's going to put the Repugs in a position where

they either have to go after his oil buddies themselves, or lose every election they're in this year.

People aren't going to put up with this for long.

[ima_sinnic]

76. are da fweeps buying this one too?

I always have to laugh at the way they defend Jr. Shit-Stain's lack of blame in the Katrina atrocity. It's always some technical thing, a bureaucratic snafu, or even "it wasn't his responsibility." Ditto for before, during, and ever after 9/11 for the dittoheads, "there was nothing he could have done differently ...")

Well, knuckledraggers, I s'pose there's NOTHING poor persecuted misunderstood widdle georgie can DO about the fact that his pals in the oil business made record profits in 2005, more even than WAL-MART, RIGHT?

can we get out the torches and pitchforks YET?

[William Seger]

77. "Little can be done..."

"... and rest assured that little will be done."

[SlavesandBulldozers]

83. lol

exactly.

great point.

[yellowcanine]

78. It's not just gasoline. It's natural gas, home heating oil, electricity

as well. This administration's energy policy is in shambles. You can talk all you want about the fact that energy costs are not high by inflation adjusted historical standards, but the fact is that wages have not kept up either so for many people so that is small comfort.

[wordpix2]

94. amen.

[Hugin]

81. No... It's *NOT* like a tax. We get something for taxes.

It's like a profit for a few people.

[stepnw1f]

82. The GOP MEME..."Nothing Gets Done"

"You are on your own."

I love it!

[young_at_heart]

86. How can we trust a former oil "executive"?

Oil has been a big part of his life.......now he has changed to hydrogen? I'm a little skeptical.

[wordpix2]

89. who makes secret deals with BigOil to devise energy policy...

[Rex]

93. Whatever, Idiot Leader. Your energy buddies think you're a tard

because they all know how much energy companies are fucking up the planet. Idiot Leader is to stupid to understand how much he is hated for allowing gas prices to get so high. Idiot idiot idiot.

[Jim__]

95. Not trumping up a phony crisis with Iran would have helped keep

energy prices lower.

[progressivebydesign]

100. His sabre-rattling constantly in the Middle East is a BIG issue! n/t

[ast_liberal2008]

97. We should replay the "I'm the decider" clip over and over

Like that song on the Huffington Post: http://decider.cf.huffingtonpost.com/
He can do it if he decides to, but he just doesn't want to, for obvious financial reasons.

[Lisa]

98. "red-white-and-blue Trek adorned with the presidential seal"

Gee. I guess Comedy Central's "Schwinn One" wasn't too far off the mark (except for the brand name). Either Jon Stewart or Stephen Colbert came up with that, a couple of days back.

[progressivebydesign]

99. Oh. BS! Oil companies are making RECORD profits right now!

We're talking 9 billion PER QUARTER in PROFIT. PURE profit! Are most Americans so unaware of business practices not to understand what PURE PROFIT is?

[Donkeykick]

101. Yep!

it sure is!:mad:

[DainBramaged]

102. Just think how much they've hidden to prevent it seeming

even more obscene! Remember how much profit was "repatriated" by these huge corporations when Bush gave them a tax holiday?

Washington has become a lair of scumbags who haven't figured out how much is enough, just like the Romans before the demise of their civilization.

[Zynx]

109. Oh and that's just Exxon.

The others add up to quite a pretty penny.

[Raine]

104. B-U-L-L S-H-I-T!!!

WHY hasn't he worked toward weening this country off of oil the way other countries like the Scandinavian ones are doing instead of cutting funding to alternative programs!!!! That asshole is full of shit!!! :mad: :nuke:

[mvd]

107. In other words..

"There's nothing I'll do to reign in the oil companies." This will be a definite issue in the rural areas - shows how out of touch Bush is. And I think these shortages are staged and avoidable. The oil companies are just mad that some states require ethanol because it's more environmentally friendly.

[Haole Girl]

110. But to address the immediate problem, Bush offered only a pledge that "if

But to address the immediate problem, Bush offered only a pledge that "if we find any price gouging it will be dealt with firmly."


With a firm hand shake, no doubt!

[Roland99]

112. Typo in the headline. Should read: Little *will* be done about high prices

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

113. Funny...That's not what Bush said in 2000

This is from the archives at Time:

Bush’s campaign was swift in firing back, blaming the rise in prices on the Administration’s domestic energy policy as well as Gore’s crusade for stringent clean-air fuel, which is at the center of fast-rising fuel prices in the Midwest. At a well-scripted press conference last week, when asked about the increases and the suggestion that Bush’s oil ties made him a culprit, the Governor replied, “There seems to be an effort out of Washington to blame me for rising energy prices. I am amazed that they are trying to shift the blame away from people that are holding the office.”

Bush blamed the Clinton Administration for allowing gas prices to rise to levels that would be considered a bargain compared to what we're paying today. Bush was quite clear that the Clinton Administration's energy policies were directly responsible for the price at the pump.

Let's always remember to keep "lying" as one of this Administration's core incompetencies. Damn, they've done it so much, you'd think they'd get better at it after six years.

[RamboLiberal]

116. Even Schwarzenegger is calling these prices outrageous

Schwarzenegger encouraged buying fuel-efficient vehicles and pointed to California's policies as an example for the nation, saying, "We want to inspire people that desire cars that are fuel efficient and also drive less, do more carpooling and so on. Because remember, the oil price is all based on supply and demand."

Regarding the issue of rising gas prices at the pump, Schwarzenegger said, "I think that's absolutely outrageous. And believe me, I am all for profit. I love when businesses are booming. But there is a certain point when you have a product that everyone needs and that everyone is relying on because of the situation that you have created. … We've got to protect the people."

Schwarzenegger did not overtly support a windfall profit tax, but did not rule it out entirely, choosing instead to focus first on combating "gouging" at the pumps.

http://abcnews.go.com/ThisWeek/Politics/story?id=1879785&page=1&CMP=OTC-RSSFeeds0312

[Sugar Smack]

117. "Dealt with firmly". Fuck him.

What a waste of oxygen.

[LeftHander]

118. If anyone in my administration broke the law....

They will be fired.

::::chirp::::chirp::::chirp::::

[Imagevision]

120. BUSH: Hey! - The oil companies contributed to my election campaign

screw off, I told you yesterday we're going to have a tough summer!
And this is Bush's stance to high gas prices.

[coolhandlulu]

121. this is bushit!

bush doesnt know when to make a call...if i were him, i would start calling my favors in..."hey man, remember that time when we were at that party and you were a little more fu'd than i was...and i held youre head while you were puking your guts out...remember that? well, chill the f out with the gas prices dude. its making me look bad and costing me votes. k? i mean, i never told anyone about the time you fondled my balls so do me this one favor!!!!!!!!!"