Bill Scher: What Bush Didn't Promise: Lower Gas Prices

[marmar]

from OurFuture.org:



What Bush Didn't Promise: Lower Gas Prices
By Bill Scher

July 14th, 2008 - 1:39pm ET


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President Bush just announced a lifting of the executive branch ban on most coastal drilling. It does not actually open up the coasts to drilling, because Congress would need to follow suit. The political intent is simply to put pressure on Congress to cave on drilling.

Bush's Rose Garden statement was artfully crafted. He lamented the high price of gas. He called for drilling off the coasts to "expand oil production."

But if you read it closely, you'll notice Bush did not explicitly claim that coastal drilling would significantly lower the price of the gas.

Because it won't. There's simply not enough oil there to make an impact.

Don't believe me? Ask the White House yourself.

Reporters already did last month. And the White House spokeswoman conceded the point. When answering a question how coastal drilling isn't a short-term solution, she said, "...there's not a real good short-term answer. And we've been very explicit about that from the beginning...There's not going to be a short-term response, and it would be irresponsible for anybody to suggest there would be."

Sen. John McCain also admitted that he doesn't see "immediate relief" from coastal drilling, but only a "psychological impact."

That's because based on numbers from Bush's own Energy Department, drilling in the banned areas off the coasts and in ANWR would only produce enough oil to reduce the price of gas $0.06 a gallon from where the cost would otherwise be two decades from now. ......(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.ourfuture.org/blog-entry/what-bush-didnt-promise-lower-gas-prices

[IDemo]

1. Sorry, but you can't have it both ways mr bush

Claiming to be aware of the facts about drilling and gas prices, but simultaneously using the power of suggestion to make voters think you're going to reduce their pain at the pump, isn't going to work.

Oh, wait a minute, we're talking Amurka here.Maybe it will work...

[tulsakatz]

2. if Bush really wanted to affect oil prices..........

...why hasn't he done anything about it before now?

Oil prices have been rising for the past 7 yrs and he's done nothing about it!! Even if there was a remote possibility that more drilling might work, why would we believe he is interested in lowering prices now?