Not long ago Barack Obama accused Republicans of playing politics with gas prices:
“Only in politics do people root for bad news, do they greet bad news so enthusiastically,” Obama said before a crowd of students.
“You pay more and they’re licking their chops. And you can bet since it’s an election year, they’re already dusting off their three-point plans for $2 gas,” Obama said. “I’ll save you the suspense: step one is drill, step two is drill, and then step three is keep drilling.
“We heard the same line in 2007 when I was running for president,” Obama said. “We hear the same thing every year. We’ve heard the same thing for 30 years.”
And it continues that nothing, inclusive of gas prices, is his fault.
Things were different four years ago when Bush was President. Back then everything was Bush’s fault. Barack Obama said that high gas prices were caused by Bush’s failed energy policies. Nancy Pelosi blamed “two oil men.”
Take, for example, this 2008 article, entitled “’Two oil men’ to blame for high gas prices, Pelosi says.” You guessed it: the two “oil men” Pelosi blames are former president Bush and former vice president Cheney. The story focuses heavily on Nancy Pelosi’s attacks on Bush and his administration. CNN does not point out any “political realities” such as “there is almost nothing a politician can do about” gas prices.
Obama himself was quite harsh in 2008:
“Washington’s failure to lead on energy,” which was “turning the middle-class squeeze into a devastating vise-grip for millions of Americans. For the well-off in this country high gas prices are mostly an annoyance, but to most Americans they’re a huge problem, bordering on a crisis.”
Now high prices are “progress.”
“Our domestic oil production is at an eight-year high, and our use of foreign oil is at a 16-year low. So we’re making progress.”
Of course, the left wing media never informs you that that is because of Bush-issued permits.
Then Obama said:
You know there are no quick fixes to this problem.
Apparently someone didn’t get the memo.
Sen. Chuck Schumer (iDiot-N.Y.) wants Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton to press Saudi Arabia, OPEC’s dominant oil producer, to boost output as rising prices are hitting consumers at the gasoline pump.
A letter to Clinton on Sunday from Schumer, a top political strategist for Senate Democrats, comes as Democrats are trying to blunt constant GOP attacks over soaring gasoline prices.
These skyrocketing fuel prices are directly linked to the global energy market, particularly Iran’s recent efforts to manipulate oil prices and the worry of impacts on supply from an escalation of regional hostilities,” Schumer writes.
“To address this situation, I urge the State Department to work with the government of Saudi Arabia to increase its oil production, as they are currently producing well under their capacity,” adds the letter, which was first obtained by Reuters.
Increase production? Drill more? Say what?
Ed Markey (iDiot- MA) chimes in:
Rep. Edward Markey (D-Mass.) called on the Obama administration to release more oil from the nation’s 727 million-barrel reserve in order to bring down gas prices, the Melrose, Mass., Free Press reported Monday.
“The Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) is to the oil industry what kryptonite is to Superman,” said Markey, the ranking member of the House Committee on Natural Resources. “The U.S. government has the power to deploy millions of barrels of oil to drive prices down.”
Markey, as does Schumer, tries to convince us that increasing supply will drive down prices! More drilling is the answer.
Hmmm.
Obama says nothing is off the table in considering the price of oil. Not true. Things that would actually work are off the table.
Listen to Pelosi here about 40 seconds in:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6X7z0zlPYy4[/youtube]
“years of Bush administration’s policies…have resulted in record dependence on foreign oil”
So what has been Obama’s response to that? To cripple domestic exploration.
…while in office, Obama’s done everything he can to limit production — slow-walking offshore permits, killing the Keystone XL pipeline, making it even harder to get oil out of federal lands.
In 1995 Bill Clinton vetoed a bill that would have allowed drilling in ANWR. His rationale for doing so has become the left wing zombie lockstep catch phrase: We wouldn’t see any oil for ten years.
The feckless Ed Markey in 2003:
“We won’t see a drop of oil from the refuge for 10 years. … 10 years from now [production] might reduce gas prices by about one cent.”
Maria Cantwell 2001:
“oil extracted from the wildlife refuge wouldn’t reach refineries for seven to ten years.”
Jeff Bingaman 2001:
“drilling in ANWR wouldn’t get us any oil for at least ten years.”
John Kerry 2001:
“If we opened ANWR today it wouldn’t produce any oil for at least ten years.”
And of course, Barack Obama
“Offshore drilling would not lower gas prices today, it would not lower gas prices next year and it would not lower gas prices five years from now.”
“Believe me, if I thought there was any evidence at all that drilling could save people money who are struggling to fill up their gas tanks by this summer or this year, or even the next few years, I would consider it, but it won’t.
“We Will Not See A Drop Of Oil From Any Offshore Rigs For At Least Ten Years. We Would Not Have Full Production For Twenty Years.”
In 2008 Schumer even knew what the precise effect of more drilling would be on gas prices:
“I rise to discuss rising energy prices.” The president was heading to Saudi Arabia to seek an increase in its oil production, and Schumer’s gorge was rising.
Saudi Arabia, he said, “holds the key to reducing gasoline prices at home in the short term.” Therefore arms sales to that kingdom should be blocked unless it “increases its oil production by one million barrels per day,” which would cause the price of gasoline to fall “50 cents a gallon almost immediately.”
It’s seventeen years since Clinton insisted that dependence on foreign oil continue to increase. And just about every democrat since then has been on the train to Dependenceville. Yet when when gas prices rise and democrats feel the anger from their constituents democrats go schizo and drilling for more oil and increasing oil supply to lower prices suddenly becomes reasonable.
And as for playing politics?
DrJohn has been a health care professional for more than 30 years. In addition to clinical practice he has done extensive research and has published widely with over 70 original articles and abstracts in the peer-reviewed literature. DrJohn is well known in his field and has lectured on every continent except for Antarctica. He has been married to the same wonderful lady for over 30 years and has three kids- two sons, both of whom are attorneys and one daughter on her way into the field of education.
DrJohn was brought up with the concept that one can do well if one is prepared to work hard but nothing in life is guaranteed.
Except for liberals being foolish.
This article is a lot of wasted words. If oil companies didn’t export so much gasoline, so as to make it our number one export now, we would have plenty of gas and lower prices.
@Liberal1 (objectivity): Then tell us why Obama is considering tapping into the SPR.
Tell me why increasing supply would lower prices! Tell me why Schumer would even say it!
DrJ
Why do you think?… the talk of doing that might get some of the speculators to be wary of gambling on higher crude prices. That should bring down the price of a barrel of oil. And I think liberal1 makes a great point… we are producing gasoline at record levels and EXPORTING it which drives up prices nationally (due to increased competition for the resource). What is your explanation for the Bush Administration? Gas was $4.12 a gallon in 2008? That was having two oil men in the White House for 7 years!
oh fer heavens sake, blast… the tapping of the SPR wouldn’t do squat. We are not having a supply/consumption problem here. And if our cheaper refined oil products are not being sold here in the US because of declining consumption (due to prices, as history constantly shows), then exporting them is the ticket. The US collects revenues in taxes on such sales and benefits.
The problem is the global market has many events that are effecting the global “demand”, which is different than consumption, because they do not have enough production underway, the ME upheaval (Libya, Iran etal) promise possibilities of interruption, and the Saudis will not increase the production because of their limited spare capacity.
Why the heck do you think that Chuckie Schumer is telling SOS Clinton to pressure the Saudi’s into opening their oil taps? Because of exactly what I said in in my post a couple of days ago, about Newt’s $2.50 per gal gas prices, and increasing the non OPEC global supply.
Yet more proof of stupid government policies is the 18% decline in North Sea oil production following the UK’s 50% tax. New E&P activities are finding that a very uninviting price for new permits and production, when they are having a hard time treading North Sea water for financing as is.
The more that governments, or potential wars, hamper oil production, the higher the price climbs. The global economy, nor the US economy, can handle this hit, blast.
Under Obama, as many have mentioned here, the production is only up by bypassing the Obama admin by production on private lands, or because of production permitting done under the previous admin.
But there’s not enough in the SPR that will significantly affect oil prices per barrel because it won’t be released to the global market. And it will put our nation at risk because that was never the purpose of the SPR to begin with.
@Liberal1 (objectivity):
I’d say that you cannot see past your own nose on the issue, Lib1. Typical that a lib/prog would choose the most convenient evil “BIG” industry to lay the blame on.
@Liberal1 (objectivity): Liberal1, when will you kick the Kool Aid and dump the blame game?? Why is it that liberal wachos like you fail to see the obvious right in front of you and rather look for some mysterious explanation?? Hint, you need to stop blaming everyone else and realize that 0-bama has failed his Presidency. I know this is a difficult reality for you but none the less the blame everyone else strategy is no longer acceptable.
So if we have all this oil and gas (and I beleive we do), couldn’t we produce more to use for both domestic and foreign exports? What is wrong with exporting petrol? Wouldn’t that help our balance of trade? It seems that everyone knows how to not do something, how about doing something for a change!
@MataHarley: Totally agree.
democrats fanatically oppose anything that would really work.
@blast:
Hilarious.
When Bush said he was going to open more areas to drilling, prices fell.
Did you have to repeat that brain dead Pelosi mantra?
Ah, here it is:
@blast:
OK, let’s test that theory. Obama has been floating that for a few days. The result?
Gas prices rise for 22nd straight day; oil recovers late in day to close above $107 a barrel
I guess maybe it’s not working. They know Obama is full of crap.
We now know that SOB Obama (he is you know) is lying if you can see his lips moving. He will try to tell us all is well. What BS. I suspect the darkest motives. What these idiots do not understand is at some point, and that has not been reached yet, the people will rise up, armed, and remove the blight.
Southern California is awash in oil.
It is just below our land and water’s surfaces.
Was a time when you bought property, you bought the mineral rights UNDER that property, too.
(Not anymore.)
I own the mineral rights under two properties.
I get checks every quarter from Chevron Oil.
But the wells, and derricks are nowhere near my lands.
AND those wells are only tapped for a few minutes per day!
ALL it would take is the word and those well could be tapped 24/7.
(I’d love the bigger check.)
IF we got word from Obama to allow more oil out of the ground today we could have it tomorrow!
He’d probably have to permit a new refinery or two to keep up.
MEANTIME we could also bring new areas into production.
ANWR, the Gulf, all over the place.
And the point in drilling for more oil when we have a gigantic glut and will only sell the excess to socialist Brazil is what? How does selling our distillates to Brazil help us?
Anyone? We’re awash in oil/fuel in the US and the price is skyrocketing.
I’m sorry I feel the need to give many of you a reality check, but you never seem to address this salient point?
Still haven’t bothered to learn yet, eh Ivan? Your less than “salient” point has been addressed many times over.
Then again, any half-trick monkey who confuses refined fuels with prices per barrel, consumption with demand, and thinks spare capacity means the space between his ears, probably isn’t capable of learning.
Ivan… if supply and demand sets the PRICE.. then drilling HERE, and increasing the SUPPLY, dropping the overall price.
Plywood prices, for example go thru the ROOF after each Hurricane…. WHY?? Less available. for a bit, but, once MORE plywood is cranked out, GUESS WHAT? Prices go back down…. Economics 101.. try taking it…..
@Hankster58:
Econ 101.
Not one of the many classes you can get an A in just for exhibiting a strong sense of self-esteem.
Therefore, not popular with the Lefty crowd.
@Hankster58:
Hi Hank! I’m all for drilling, buddy. You and others thought can’t seem to get that we have totally screwed up the S vs. D equation by linking ourselves to the global economy.
Take care and God bless!
Ivan
Yo braintrust, unless you want the US to nationalize US oil companies and plunder, we will always be linked to “the global economy” Surely you aren’t standing with Maxine Waters here?
@MataHarley:
Hi Mata! You realize that it used to be the law that all oil drilled for in the US had to be used for US consumption, right? It changed when the Republican congress took over in the 90s.
Bad move as we’re now shit out of luck and screwed.
Night.
And what “law” would that be, Ivan? Sources please.