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President Obama today embarks on a two-day, four-time-zone tour to highlight his administration’s efforts in both traditional and alternative energy production.
But despite the stated official purpose for the trip, there will be strong political undercurrents at each stop: three of the four states Obama will visit -- Nevada, New Mexico and Ohio -- are vital to his re-election chances, while the fourth, Oklahoma, is at the heart of a political maelstrom over exactly the issue Obama will talk about: energy production.
One other factor unites the four states Obama will visit: each suffers from stubbornly high gas prices, a reminder that even as the president seeks to highlight his administration’s efforts in energy production, there’s no substitute in voters’ minds – or wallets – for lowering prices at the pump.
Jason Reed / Reuters
President Barack Obama walks to Air Force One at Andrews Air Force Base. Obama is traveling to Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Ohio for events on his energy initiative.
Nevada sunshine
President Obama will first stop in Boulder City, Nev., to showcase the Copper Mountain Solar 1 Facility, the largest photovoltaic plant in the United States. This visit will allow the president to highlight his efforts to diversify the “country’s energy portfolio,” according to the White House -- one of the cornerstones of his stated “all-of-the-above” energy production strategy.
Nevada is also a critical part of the president’s re-election strategy in the West. He turned the state blue in 2008 with 55 percent, higher than George W. Bush’s 51-47 margin of victory in 2004.
Boulder City, where Obama visits Wednesday, is in Clark County (home to Las Vegas), one of only three counties Obama won in 2008, along with Washoe and Carson City. But they are population centers.
The president needs a strong performance in those two counties to win Nevada again, said Nevada political commentator and journalist Jon Ralston.
“The way Democrats win statewide in Nevada is generally to build up a huge bank of votes in Clark County, which has two-thirds of the population,” he said, “and then do OK in Washoe County to make up for the hemorrhaging in the other rural counties.”
But Ralston cautioned that Obama’s approval in the state has slipped recently; a poll conducted by Republican firm Public Opinion Strategies in late February found that 47 percent of likely voters would re-elect Obama, while 49% would elect a “new person” (the poll did not, however, test head-to-head matchups between Obama and hypothetical Republican nominees).
Potential slippage could be exacerbated by continued high gas prices (averaging $3.96 in Boulder City on Tuesday), as well as that the unemployment (12.7%) and foreclosure rates (one in every 278 Nevada homes is in foreclosure, according to RealtyTrac) are the highest in the country.
Ralston added that while Nevada’s sunny weather makes it a natural fit for the president to tout his solar energy plan, voters in the state, as elsewhere in the country, are likely more concerned about filling up their cars and keeping their homes than they are advances in solar-energy production.
“There’s a reason to wonder if this is the right message for Nevada,” Ralston said. “I think most people can’t relate to solar energy in Boulder City; they’re thinking, ‘What are you going to do to help me with my underwater mortgage or how are you going to help me get a job, Mr. President?’”
Nevada’s state politics do, however, offer the Obama administration a silver lining in an unlikely, probably unintentional advocate: Republican Gov. Brian Sandoval. Though unemployment remains the highest in the country, Sandoval has highlighted the 2-point drop in the rate since Sandoval took office – the conditions for which Obama could argue he helped create.
During an interview with CNN Feb. 3rd, Sandoval noted, “When I came into the office one year ago, our unemployment rate was 14.9. I think we have done well in terms of getting it down to 12.6.”
When asked by the interviewer whether President Obama could also take some credit in the falling unemployment rate, Sandoval answered, “Well, he can try to do that” before moving on to federal regulation of the mining industry.
“If I were the Obama campaign I’d pull Sandoval quotes out and put them on TV here,” Ralston said of the governor’s optimistic outlook.
Drilling in New Mexico
After the president speaks in Nevada, Air Force One will jet over to New Mexico, where the president will speak against a backdrop of federal oil and gas production fields to tout his administration’s “commitment to expanding domestic oil and gas production,” according to the White House.
While Obama won the state in 2008 with 56 percent, anchoring his victory in urban areas with large Hispanic populations like Albuquerque (60% of the vote), Santa Fe (77%) and Las Cruces (58%), he took only 27% in Lea County, where he will be speaking Wednesday.
Joe Monahan, author of the political blog New Mexico Politics, said Obama’s visit to solid-red “enemy territory” sends a message, intentional or not, that the campaign is looking to potentially expand its playing field in the key re-election battleground.
“Anytime he’s going to set foot in an area that’s traditionally Republican territory, that’s going to make them a bit nervous. He’s going down there showing his flag,” Monahan said.
But terminally high gas prices (averaging $3.75 in Lea County on Tuesday) will continue to plague him in New Mexico as it will in other top swing states, especially because those costs hit one of Obama’s key constituencies in the state – Hispanic voters, many of whom are low-income earners – particularly hard, Monahan said.
“It’s really a political thermometer, and it doesn’t surprise anyone that he’s down in Eddy County trying to show he’s doing all he says he can to promote a productive energy policy,” he added, referring to a county that houses Carlsbad, near where the president is touring.
The political pipeline in Oklahoma
The president begins the second day of his energy tour in Cushing, Okla., not to make a showing in a key re-election state -- John McCain won it in 2008 with 65 percent and is the only state in the country where every county voted more Republican than 2008.
Rather, it’s an effort to put his mark on a politically red-hot issue in both Washington and on the campaign trail -- the energy company TransCanada’s Keystone oil pipeline.
The Obama administration rejected a portion of the company’s plan that would have extended over U.S. borders from Canada, an international pipeline over which the federal government has diplomatic authority. But TransCanada is going ahead with plans to build a domestic line from Cushing to the Gulf of Mexico, which does not require presidential approval.
While President Obama has stopped short of taking responsibility for approving the Cushing pipeline, he has touted it in past appearances as an example of the kind of drilling he says his administration wants to increase.
““We're approving dozens of new pipelines. We just announced that we'll do whatever we can to speed up construction of a pipeline in Oklahoma that's going to relieve a bottleneck and get more oil to the Gulf -- to the refineries down there -- and that's going to help create jobs, encourage more production,” Obama said at a March 7th energy policy speech in Charlotte, N.C.
But Rep. Frank Lucas, whose Oklahoma district encompasses Cushing, says the president’s speech there Thursday, which he will make in front of pipes that will form the new Keystone pipeline, is “a P.R. event celebrating what private enterprise has done with private money without any influence of the White House.”
Lucas added that “while it’s good the president is celebrating what private enterprise and money is doing” he said it was “a shame he wouldn’t give permission” to the portion of the pipeline that would extend through Canada.
Republicans were also quick to pan news that Obama will announce during the Cushing visit that his administration will expedite the permit process for the southern portion of the pipeline, saying he is once again seeking to take ownership of a process that does not involve the White House.
“This is like a governor personally issuing a fishing license,” said Brendan Buck, a spokesman for House Speaker John Boehner. “The President’s attempt to take credit for a pipeline he blocked and personally lobbied Congress against is staggering in its disingenuousness. This portion of the pipeline is being built in spite of the President, not because of him.”
In addition to the national political undertones of his visit to Cushing, gas prices will also loom over the president there – while the average is on the lower end of the cities he’s visiting, it is still hovering around $3.62 in Payne County, where Cushing is.
Research in Ohio
Obama will end his trip in Ohio, a Midwestern state whose narrow 51-47 percent victory the president is looking to repeat in 2012. He’s already visited the state twice this year – once to make remarks on the economy and visit with a family at their home and once to bring British Prime Minister David Cameron to an NCAA basketball game.
On Thursday, Obama will highlight the capabilities of American universities in energy research and development at Ohio State University in Columbus, whose county he won 49-40 percent in 2008 (and whose No. 2-seeded basketball team is in the NCAA Tournament’s Sweet Sixteen).
Ohio is yet another key portion of the president’s Midwestern path to victory, and, in fact, a late February NBC-Marist poll found that while Ohio voters were split evenly, 45-45 percent, on his job approval, he fared better than Mitt Romney, GOP frontrunner, by double digits, 50-38 percent.
But Ohio’s gas prices -- as high as $4.03 in Columbus on Tuesday -- present a different challenge for the incumbent looking to win over the state’s key blue-collar voters.
Leave a Comment:
http://thinkprogress.org/romm/2012/03/19/447095/the-charts-that-prove-obama-doesnt-set-gas-prices/
Check this out. It should be self –explanatory but for those of you who do not or refuse to comprend it we will be back later the work on your comprehension problem.
The Cushing pipeline does not cross international boundaries and the Administration endorsed it just fine.
The alternative route for the Keystone that avoids the Ogallalla Aquifer has not been identified yet. Nebraska Governor said NO. No is NO.
Nothing has been agreed upon. The alternative route has not yet been identified. There is nothing for the President to approve of yet.
And while GOP Presidential Candidates are blaming the President, ordinary Americans are blaming oil speculators & manipulators for U.S. gas hikes:
In the latest Bloomberg poll, two-thirds of Americans blame rising gas prices on: "oil companies and Middle East nations who are taking advantage of the situation to make more money..."
In a National Journal poll, 66% of us lay the blame on: '"the manipulation of prices by large energy companies" or tensions in the Middle East."'
Who wins when oil speculation drives up the costs of gas? -It is Big Oil, Big Oil and Bigger Oil EVERY TIME.
Hey Obama blamed Bush for rising gas prices so turnaround is fair play in politics. Obama does nothing but blame everyone else for anything and everything that goes wrong. He is going to have a hard time deflecting this issue with that same strategy since people don't see him as having a sound coherent energy policy. People have heard Obama's own energy chief saying he wants to see Europe level gas prices in the US, and we are well on our way.
Obama's all of the above approach to our energy needs is nothing but talking a good game. He has done nothing but tout the efforts of Clinton and Bush as his own for the increases in oil production. Obama has wasted billions on failed green energy companies that amounted to nothing more then political payoffs in the form of crony capitalism.
This is an issue that is going to haunt Obama through the election as it should. We have a Middle East more unstable then ever. We have a weakened dollar due to massive deficits and over printing money. We have no coherent or even believable energy policy to help stabilize the market, and all Obama's doing.
There is little if any, factual truth in what you have written here.
New technologies, just like investments in the internet, computers & cellphones took a lot of research and experimentation. A lot of it failed. A lot. That is the process under ANY president.
GOP/Koch candidates and party are only looking out for Big Oil, Big Corporations and the most affluent Americans.
From the very beginning of his career, President Barack Obama has looked out for flesh and blood ordinary PEOPLE.
Pres. Obama COULD control, through legislation, what is done with oil produced here in the US. No US oil should be sold abroad UNTIL we produce enough domestically to meet our own needs and then only the surplus could be sold abroad. That would involve increasing US production which would definitely improve our nation's strategic position and we no longer would have to kiss any Middle East butt.
Maybe the president will start talking about research being done to convert a specific strain of algae into fuel, like he brought up last week.
The man is a dink !
USA Today Dec 16, 2011: The U.S. exported more oil-based fuels than it imported in the first nine months of this year, making it likely that 2011 will be the first time since 1949 that the nation is a net exporter of such goods, primarily diesel.
"It's dramatic. It's transformative," Edward Morse, a former senior U.S. energy official who now directs global commodities research at Citigroup, says of the historic shifts. He says the U.S. is importing a smaller share — 49% in 2010, down from 60% in 2005 — of the oil it uses, adding: "We're moving toward energy independence."
http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/energy/story/2011-12-16/us-oil-boom/52053236/1
Production is up (9 year high) and demand is down (15 year low) so both should result in a price drop. The real problems come from the Middle East, refinery production (shut downs) and speculators.
If you want to bring the price of oil down then stop all the talk about going to war with Iran.
Monsieur tony, Please get smarted up on BIOFUELS. Where've you been? Stop listening to the Grinchster.
The 'drilling versus algae' is a non-zero-zero-zero-issue.
Biofuel from ALGAIE has a ton of potential due to being low emission, affordable transportation fuel.
EXXONMOBIL and Synthetic Genomic opened a new greenhouse facility for research and testing ALGAE biofuels in La Jolla as part of their "ongoing commitment to advance breakthrough energy technologies to help address the world's long term energy challenges."
"Capable of converting sunlight and carbon dioxide into lipids and oils, photosynthetic ALGAE can typically generate 10 to 20 times more fuel per acre than agricultural commodities like corn, used to make ethanol. Moreover, ALGAE do not require arable land and so need not compete with food crops for growth space. And as voracious consumers of carbon dioxide, photosynthetic algae have the potential to abate greenhouse gas emissions. "
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/30/business/energy-environment/30iht-renalg.html?_r=2&src=busln
Rick - The liberals fall in line with Captain Kickass. They blame everyone but the president and democrats. The name of their home town is Double Standardville. The liberals by their own standards are perfect in every way.
Independent Redneck - you can post all the reasons for the high gas prices you want. None of it matters. Remember, perception is everything and the perception the general public has, is when gas prices rise, they blame the president, no matter who that person is. If you want to convince someone, get out a big banner so about 200 million people can see it... even then, they will still blame the president.
Old magister lingua Latina,
Should the president on his own tell corporations what to do? Isn't that a violation of their personal freedom, seeing that they are people and all of that?
Tony- Re Algae
Republicans from Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN), Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) to Sen. Mike Johanns (R-NE) have requested Department of Energy grants for algae research. All three lawmakers wrote that algae investments would reduce America’s oil use. For instance, Johanns wrote that an algae biotechnology center “would develop technology to decrease our dependence on imported oil.”
Republican allies in the oil industry have also invested in algae, including No. 1 oil lobbyist ConocoPhillips and Exon Mobil, which sunk $600 million in algae biofuel research.
Dennis, Columbus, Ohio
Do you think that inflation has anything to do with the price of gasoline?
Since oil is traded worldwide using the “dollar” as the
standard – what do you think?
So lets see here...
Big oil donates more money to the GOP than anyone, and gas prices magically go up before the election...
And its Obamas fault??
BS!! The American people are not as stupid as you think / wish...
Dennis - we jump from wind power that nobody wants, to solar power that is way to expensive and bankrupts solar companies to the tune of a half a trillion dollars and now to bio-fuels. The government is starting to sound like Baskin-Robbins 64 flavors.
While development of future alternatives to oil are good to undertake, there are still more questions than answers. I have about 2 dozen questions about bio fuels myself. Like - where are they going to grow the algae? How much algae does it take to produce 1 gallon of bio-fuel? What happens if it takes 1 acre to produce 1 gallon? Where will it be grown with perfect conditions with that much acerage and how much will it cost to maintain? Let's say they can grow it in tanks... how much energy will it take to keep light on it so it produces photosynthesis and reproduces?
I wouldn't get my wad all in a fancy just yet about algae bio-fuels. It may cost more to produce than it's worth in effective energy output.
Rick...back in 2008 Fox News stated over and over again that the president has no control over high gas prices. So, do the attacks come because turnabout is fair play whether it's right or wrong? Since they've stated that the president has no control back then does it mean that he now does have control of gas prices? Why would one president have control and not another? Or is it just about one side versus the other? What is the actual truth?
Why is it that it's not okay for liberals to point it out while defending Obama when he does something that Bush did as well but it's okay to attack Obama because the liberals attacked Bush when he did the same thing?
Why are double standards okay for either side? Also, how does Obama control the entire population of those in the middle east when he has done nothing more than perpetuate and complete the plans that Bush laid out? If a republican were in office would he be blamed for the destabilization of the middle east which began long, long before either of these gentlemen were in office?
Also, does the president tell The Fed whether to print more money or not? Does Congress? Obama isn't in some back room printing money on his own...is it really his fault? It's his fault that the economy isn't in better shape but he also didn't start two different wars while still lowering taxes, did he? So for him to take the brunt of responsibility for deficits is not only incorrect, it's infantile. It belies the person who perpetuates these things to either be ignorant or a liar; which are you, sir?
You're obviously right wing, so where do you expect Obama to succeed where no other president has? Or are you just hoping he fails at performing miracles that no other president has performed either because you're solidly on one side for no other reason than you're on one side?
I just want to understand the right wing mind a little more once the lies, ignorance, and duplicity is a non-issue.
WTF? Please read the clipping below.
What don't you get? The free market controls the prices not the President or Congress. Not even a Newt or a Mitt for that matter.
American Socialist - Source please. Show me where oil companies donate more to republican candidates than they do to democratic candidates. ThinkProgress does not count as a source.
devie - you are missing one huge point. The president is the chief executive of this country. In otherwords he handles as CEO, the business. The president can make a huge difference in the price of goods and services by his stance. In 2008, when gas reached over $4.00 a gallon in June, Bush got on the air and made some policy changes and opened up new areas for oil exploration and drilling. By November, gas prices dropped to under $2.00 a gallon. Obama won't do that... he doesn't care what the price of gas is in this country and how it hurts the American public. He's not about that. He has repeatedly stated he want's gas prices to rise to European levels and doesn't support low gas prices. How many Youtube videos would you like me to post?
Hey Brian....
http://www.opensecrets.org/industries/indus.php?ind=e01
you just got owned....
Dennis, what is it with Brian? I think he knows the facts, folks tell him often enough, but he keeps ON & on telling those GOP Faux Whoppers.
Global oil is peaking or has already peaked. We have to look to the future in alternative energies. Countries all over the world are doing that. Big Energy has to do that and they ARE doing that.
WIND: WE ARE SECOND IN WIND ENERGY PRODUCTION globally and considered to be pioneers of wind energy. Wind produces significant energy...and does not pollute.
SOLAR: It is well-known that solar energy has made enough technological advances that it is highly competitive with traditional energy sources. Now it needs to be funded and implemented on a larger scale.
And any President can only create the conditions for business, he is NOT a "CEO in charge of business". Brian, even you know that.
Also...
We produce TONS of oil right here in America, the problem here is that the companies export almost all of it leaving us no choice but to import it from rogue countries...and we the American people have to pick up the tab, while big oil gets rich.
We need legalisation that states "if a certain percentage (lets say %85) of you're oil comes from American soil, IT STAYS IN AMERICA!
Don't like it?? Take you selfish greedy ass over to the middle east and set up shop there.
As Independent Redneck said, "(presidents) don't set oil prices. However, their policies do influence oil prices. Be that as it may, one-issue voters aren't often in the habit of believing anything that conflicts with their notion of right and wrong vis-a-vis their pet issue. And the price of gas works against incumbents, regardless of party. It is an issue that crosses party lines.
Let the Republican dimwits make gas prices the biggest issue of the campaign. Let the Republican dimwits point out every $4 or $5 or $6 gallon of gasoline. Let the Republicans make it a hot button issue - push it - shout about it - demand the President do something. Go ahead.
Gasoline prices always fall at the end of summer. Just before the election. When Obama can take credit for lower gasoline prices.
Go ahead Republicans. You have developed shooting yourself in the foot to an exquisite fine art. Come on Republicans - use your political firepower to shoot off another one ...
May the price of gasoline drop and the dip@!$%#s become obsolete.
Couldn't happen to a nicer guy! lol
Captain Kickass - hmmmm.... it's got a nice ring to it!
Backhouse,
BB's been very busy studying the Karl Rove playbook - repeating something often enough, some people will start to believe it as the truth!
Captain Kickass/Biden 2012!
Be nice is you posted a link, Dennis. I tried to check your claim- and only found a Thinkprogress piece- that is mentioned in comments on other sites, (would that be you, I wonder?)
The only thing even close to what you are talking about is a request to study algae blooms as a result of hypoxia. Do you know what hypoxia is? It is a phenomena that results in fish kills- and feeds algae blooms. It is not something anybody wants to fund more of, by the way. The study would examine causes- and ways to prevent it.
As to algae- some of the drawbacks include the fact that it takes three hundred gallons of fresh water to create one gallon of algae oil.
Kind of a poor trade off.
Then, there is the fact that the kind of diesel fuel used by the Navy, (now provided by Obama donor T.J. Glautheir), which is a blend of algae and regular diesel, costs us, the taxpayers, $16 a gallon. Guess how much regular diesel costs. Go ahead, guess.
$4 a gallon.
Oh- and you need more algae oil than corn ethanol per gallon of fuel. The algae oil does not even come close to the mpg of ethanol- to say nothing of the mpg loss already inherent in ethanol blends.
Emits more carbon, too.
So, let's review- there is not enough fresh water on the globe to grow enough algae for fuel, it is WAY more expensive, less fuel efficient, and emits more carbon.
But it is invested in, heavily by Obama big dollar donors.
Yep. Sounds like a great idea.
There is a company that thinks they have a fix to the freshwater problem- grow the algae in salt water. Fair enough- and their research sounded pretty good to Dow Chemical. Unfortunately, in the real world, firms like to see results, rather than more story telling. Dow ended their relationship- say they will buy the plastics promised by the company if and when anything happens. Good luck and goodbye.
I'm guessing Obama will now try to shovel tax dollars into their coffers.
Why not? He has an election to fund.
1. GLOBAL GAS PRICES ARE NOT SET BY ANY PRESIDENT
2. Gas prices rise and fall together with other countries and have done for decades.
"America produces 200 times as much oil as Germany, but our gas prices rise and fall in tandem (we pay far lower gas taxes). Source: Energy Information Administration and NY Times."
Feisty.....let's keep the title 'Captain Kickass'!
As for NoNo above, we keep repeating for her what the rest of the world knows on so many issues:
ExxonMobil, Big Oil's biggest company in the world, invests in algae and biofuel research because it has to. Oil will not last forever.
"EXXONMOBIL and SYNTHETIC GEONOMIC opened a new greenhouse facility for research and testing ALGAE biofuels in La Jolla as part of their "ongoing commitment to advance breakthrough energy technologies to help address the world's long term energy challenges....Capable of converting sunlight and carbon dioxide into lipids and oils, photosynthetic:
ALGAE can typically generate 10 to 20 times more fuel per acre than agricultural commodities like corn, used to make ethanol. Moreover, ALGAE do not require arable land and so need not compete with food crops for growth space."
The 'drilling versus algae' is a non-zero-zero-zero-issue.
Biofuel from ALGAE is a low emission, affordable transportation fuel and Big Energy has to invest in it as well as wind and solar.
Wayne: actually it would be vetus magister linguae Romanae...(all of which is true in my case--including, alas, the "vetus" part)
Not exactly: The policy would have to be enacted by congressional legislation. I'm no fan of the executive branch usurping power. The idea is not without precedent. A somewhat parallel situation exists in the defense industry. The USA limits when and to whom technology is sold for obvious strategic reasons. We don't sell F-22s to Cuba or Iran. This would push the need for more domestic production which would put the US in a better strategic position. If a surplus occurs, by all means, sell it in the world market.
Nasty RedHead
Are you still stuck on that Karl Rove playbook BS??? You need new material because that old crap has been debunked a long time ago. That playbook was written by a liberal that tried to claim Karl wrote it. Same old BS from the far left. Just like Obama is good for the country. I am going to love reading your posts after the left gets kicked to the curb in November.
America will come back when Obama goes.
"Captain Kickass/Biden 2012!"
With apologies to the fictitious Beavis and Butthead, a more suitable wording would be:
"Captain Kissass/Biteme 2012"
Oh my lord are you Libs in trouble.
The desperation is palpable.
Keep screaming folks. No one can hear you, but yourselves.
White Collar...
Libs are in trouble??
The republicans cant even get their delegates in order...
The police had to shut down a caucus in Missouri because fellow republicans couldn't stop yelling at each other, not even long enough for the caucus to proceed, this is the first time in history anything like this has happened. The candidates have you fighting amongst yourselves like high school kids.
Keep up the good work ;)
No, quit bashing them :)
We just got Republican support for Nationalizing Domestic Oil, something we've been trying to do forever.
Let it ride!
You hear that, Obama? NATIONALIZE THAT SUCKER!
USA-FIRST!!!!
Not so fast on Wind Energy - Why is there always a double standard?
Unintended consequence of wind mills is the slaughter of birds flying into the blades. Palm Springs CA estimate that 100 golden eagles are killed yearly.
Healthland.org
Conservation groups worry about wind farms doing more than just despoiling scenic vistas. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reports wind turbines kill 440,000 birds each year, including many protected and endangered species. The wind turbines also kill prodigious numbers of bats, which are important for insect control and plant pollination.
Ramping up the number of wind farms will similarly increase the number of bird and bat deaths above current kill numbers.
“Ironically, [wind farm] proponents often overlook the impact wind turbines have on the environment. Advocates of public policy that subsidizes or mandates the increased use of renewable energy and, in this case, wind energy, seem to have a ‘renewable energy at any cost attitude,’ ” said Todd Wynn, director of the Energy, Environment, and Agriculture Task Force at the American Legislative Exchange Council.
‘Free Pass’ to Kill
H. Sterling Burnett, a senior fellow at the National Center for Policy Analysis, agrees, noting wind turbines are known as "the Cuisinarts of the air.”
“If coal-fired, nuclear, or natural gas power plants killed federally protected golden eagles, they would be shut down. If you or I killed a federally protected species, we’d be thrown in jail. Yet for some reason, wind farms are given a free pass. This has been going on for more than 20 years now.”
Navy, you need to quote your source when you cut and paste.
The article you cut from Thinkprogress was actually a NYT piece going back to 2009.
Yes, Exxon/Mobil gave Synthetic Genomics a $300 million research grant to study synthetic algae as a source of diesel. A greenhouse for that purpose was opened near La Jolla in 2010.
That's the whole story so far. Research takes time.
Now, here is where you and I differ- I have no issue whatsoever with private companies investing in research that may or may not pay off. That's the risk they take, and if their stockholders have a problem with it, the Board of Directors will make management answer for it.
I DO have a problem with my money being given to Obama donors who do not want to take a bath when their investments don't pay off.
Do you see the difference?
[Keep screaming folks. No one can hear you, but yourselves.]
...yet you chime in every opportunity you get...
Feisty,
Actually, he's not bright enough to study any playbook. Nor is he capable of critical thinking. He just repeats what the Right whispers in his ear--and thinks it's the truth.
American Socialist says, "So lets see here... Big oil donates more money to the GOP than anyone, and gas prices magically go up before the election..."
Yes American Socialist, magically! A gallon of gas was 1.79 the day Obama took office, it was 2.26 per gallon just five months later, it was 3.28 in December of 2011, and now of course it is 3.89 per gallon. Seems like it has magically gone up every month since Obama took office, making it a 3.5 year run toward the election.
Just in case you missed it American Socialist, big oil companies have made more money under Obama then they did under Bush. So have a whole bunch of green energy companies that shuttered their doors and windows right after their taxpayer guaranteed checks cleared.
teknishan
"We just got Republican support for Nationalizing Domestic Oil, something we've been trying to do forever."
That would be a disaster. The paper pushing, anally retentive, bureaucratic, desk jockeys of government can't even run themselves well...
Treat oil like it should be--a national security issue. Prohibit its sale abroad until domestic production exceeds domestic needs and then sell only the surplus. Private ownership of the corporations can stay as it is....
LOL.....
The gas prices are chasing Mr. Obama.....or is the gas prices chasing "The Monster" or his "Canadian built off-the-road atomic bomb proof RV" which gets about 1.5 miles per gallon of gas.
How about the jet fuel for Air Force One ?
Well, Mr. Obama.....just check the total cost of how much YOUR trips, including your entourage of folks, are costing the taxpayers.
Better for you to sit in the Oval office and tweet using Media Matters and your other networks, or maybe even the broken refurbhised $ 2,900,000,000 IRS computer system which cannot track fraudsters.
Obama doesn't have anything to do with oil/gas prices except the following:
One of these things alone is nothing, but when you put them all together we can see that obama is a hostile president when it comes to the oil and natrual gas industries.
Want gas prices to reach eurpean levels?
I don't.
How do we know that Obama can impact the price of gas?
Remmeber when he relased oil from the stratigic reserves? Even if there is a rumor this will happen oil prices are effected to the downside and gas prices follow.
Yet the liberal sheeple will argue he has no control. LOL what a joke.
I just don't get where the lack of reasoning comes from on the left.
ldo,
Do mean like this?
From January through April 2005, President Bush toured the country, stopping in over 50 cities across the nation warning of an impending "crisis". Initially, President Bush emphasized his proposal for personalized accounts would allow individual workers to invest a portion of their Social Security Tax into secured investments. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domestic_policy_of_the_George_W._Bush_administration#Social_Security
Backhouse & Dennis...
Geniuses...thanks for the scientific update...but what good does it do a president to discuss 'algae' when people's pockets are melting NOW from the price at the pump.
Get back to me in twenty years with the update on algae uses...it sure isn't going to solve anything now. We could quadruple the money for research tomorrow and the cars companies would not be thinking about drawing up new engine designs.
Dennis, yes
The President Bush tour across the country in 2005 to push privatizing Social Security is known as:
"The 60 cities in 60 days" tour.
In fact, the President spoke today on SOLAR energy in Colorado, the biggest solar facility in the country
Big countries like China want to develop alternatives because they are using more and more energy.
We want the US to be selling China alternative technologies, not the other way around.
ExxonMobil is already investing in biofuels. It has no choice because oil is a finite resource. Big Energy has to think of the future.
The U.S. has a window of time to compete for world markets on alternatives. GOP would like you to wait. But oil will not last forever and has already peaked globally.
As a handy reference, the price of gas can only go UP going forward into the future, because the easily accessible oil is all but gone.
Backhouse,
There is plenty of supply.
Inflation much?
Tony,
There is no short term fix so what every leader should be doing is working on any possible long term fixes.
If this would have been started 40 years ago we would be a much richer country.
It is absolutely ridiculous to say that US policy does not affect gas prices.
http://gasbuddy.com/gb_retail_price_chart.aspx
Click six months.....
We moved the fifth fleet toward Iran the first week of the year.
Global economy. Any questions?
Isn't it lovely being dragged around by the scrote by Israel?
Blame Congress that hasn't passed a budget in three years.
Blame Barack Obama that continues borrowing/printing money we DON'T HAVE to the tune of over $1,000,000,000,000 dollars this year alone. Yeah...Bush's fault...
Blame CONGRESS that will not ADMIT TO what is staring EVERY American in the face- INFLATION!!
Any of you liberals shop at the grocery store???
Are you SERIOUSLY going to tell me that you buy this Administration's lies that there is NO inflation???
My goddam CAT FOOD went from $12.99 to $14.99 in ONE FELL SWOOP....
GENERAL MILLS said today that commodity inflation is the worst in 30 years!
YET, Ol' Ben keeps feeding us this BULL@!$%# that it doesn't exist...
Why? Cause that would undermine his zero interest policy...propping up the stock markets, and all....
Even an idiot with a third grade education can see what's going on here...
Except for the sheeple liberals, that can't formulate a thought for themselves...
Rick-3416939...
Yup, you're right. Ever since obama took office gas prices have been rising. You forgot to mention that when Obama was elected all the republicans got together and made a back office pact that "they will defeat the president at ANY cost"
Republicans are having big oil keep the prices high to make Obama look bad as part of their "at ANY cost campaign"
Big oil has made more money under Obama because they are STILL enjoying those hefty tax breaks provided to them by Bush. Big oil gets over four billion in subsides ever year....that's YOUR tax dollars. And for what?? they were making money hand over fist before.
The "free-market" DOES NOT control prices when you have a President spending money he doesn't have like a drunk teenager on spring break with Daddy's credit card- and a Federal Reserve that facilitates it by printing money by the TRUCKLOAD.
Save your argument that the "FED" is non-political for some idiot that believes that CRAP.
The FED is propping up this economy and the stock market ARTIFICIALLY by his zero interest rates.
By the time you liberals realize what's going on, your box of Bran is gonna cost you $15...
I'm just hoping the @!$%# hits the fan before elections, so the uneducated populace cannot be lied to any longer.
the main reason for gas prices going through the roof is SPECULATION.
and yes obama does have the ability to put a stop to this but he wont do it.
one simple piece of legislation would stop speculation on oil and other commodities dead in its tracks and woulndt cost taxpayers anything to implement.
"if you can not take physical delivery of the product you can not buy futures contracts" BOOM all commodities speculation gone overnight and prices on oil and other commodities will drop like a rock. the law of supply and demand will set prices again and oil will drop down to what its really worth- around $40 a barrel.
Obama DOES have the ability to make this happen, but he refuses. keep in mind this is the guy who has said that $8 a gallon gas would be good for america...
You have to give credit to the Liberals~Progressives who TRY to spin everything in Mr. Obama's favor.
For example: The link provided by Independent Redneck Va. in the very first post is by Joe Romm who, LOL.......is a "Fellow at American Progress":
Now, just who is behind "American Progress" ? Oh yeah.....
Of course:
So, the link provided by Independent Redneck Va is nothing more than spin provided by no other than tentacles of Mr. Obama's network lemmings.
This diffraction from Mr. Obama's shortcomings WILL NOT WORK.
Let's get real here Eastern Liberals want wind and solar as long as those big white things are in corn fields in Iowa not anywhere near them. They won't want the solar panels messing up their view either. They have this strange idea that the whole country has bus stops at every intersection. Point of fact the bus seldom stops at the corner of corn and soy. So here everybody even the poor people need to drive. And high gas prices hurt those poor people. But more than that even if you live in a city you are going to pay because of high fuel prices. Those pretty John Deeres don't run on wishes the trucks that move goods don't run on wishes trains diesel don't run on wishes and the airlines are already worrying about high fuel prices.So it doesn't matter what you want the campaign to be about it will be about fuel prices.
Criticism, criticism and more criticism…..This is all the GOP has to offer, dishonest and empty criticism of the President. It’s almost like they believe President Obama just waves his magic wand and gas prices go up and down. I have never seen such a delusional bunch of Republican politicians in my life. Every day these Republican idiots lie about how they’ll swoop in and save us from “The evil Obama”. Of course you have to stop and consider the absolute FACT that it was the Republicans that destroyed the economy in the first place and that President Obama and the Democrats have dragged the country back from the brink; these two facts alone render all the GOP’s grandiose claims just a big pile of LIES. The more you think about it maybe we actually need to be saved from the Republican Party itself. To all voters; Republican, Democrat and Independent, do yourself and your family a big favor, vote against GOP lies and greed in November……
Ahhhh, the foolish fools of the right wing media have forgotten that there is TAPE showing that the attacks on Obama concerning gas prices are COMPLETELY driven by politics. http://mediamatters.org/blog/201203050007 ENJOY!!!!!!!
The ONLY thing ANY sitting president can do to affect the price of gas/oil is to initiate AGGRESSIVE investigations into the WALL St. speculators. Aggressive investigation is NOT being done by the April 2011 Dept of justice oil speculation task force that Obama set-up nor by reconstituting it this month. Oil speculation (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/20/wall-street-speculation-oil-price_n_1367896.html), threats of attacking Iran (http://business.financialpost.com/2012/03/19/oil-supported-near-126-by-iran-fears/?__lsa=dd763ab1) have both caused the price oil to increase dramatically. this excludes the increased usage by BRIC countries.
Brian B... Where are you? Haven't heard from you since someone SCHOOLED you on the FACT, repeat, FACT that the Grand Ole Plutocracy (GOP) receives (aka gets bribed) more money than democraps from the OIL INDUSTRY.
Price of gas double during the last three Obama years, what a coincidence. The energy policy to lower the cost of gas is reduce the consume doing frequent tune-up and checking the tire pressure. Secretary of Energy Mr. Chu give himself an "A" controlling the price of gas ( he ride a bike to work) This government is full of clowns.
notliborcon
See post 1.49. You can't argue the visual. It is foreign policy tied to the day. And who creates foreign policy?
No country, President or Congress can or could control global gas prices, even if they wanted to. Global gas prices exactly track each other up and down, no matter the size of country or how much it produces.
To Hater and his Inflation: There may be some accessible oil left here or there. But even deepwater oil is already past peak.
Accessible oil is a thing of the past. Almost all reserves remaining are hard to reach going forward and they are super-expensive, no matter what Romney/GOP/Koch/Big Oil tells you.
That is why Big Energy, like ExxonMobil, are investing and researching with alternatives and biofuels for the 21st century - at places like La Jolla, CA.
Backhouse
I totally disagree. When you shut off the spigot from the fourth largest oil producer, it will affect market price. It happened during Bush as well because of Iraq. So partisan politics aside, foreign policy affecting supply, affects the price. In that reasoning a President can affect the price of gasoline by his foreign policy.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_oil_production
Brianb-999431
Right you are. I still remember, when gas prices spiked during the Bush administration, the republican congress telling us that there was very little that the president could do to control gas prices.
http://www.gasbuddy.com/gb_retail_price_chart.aspx?time=24
Gasbuddy show in the last six years gas price rose to 4.12 in july 2008 to 1.61 in december 2008. Why did it drop so drastically?
john-737278... Did you not read my point about the threats on IRAN? Foreign policy has a definite affect on oil prices but ONLY because of actions (sanctions) that have an affect on the COUNTRIES (IRAN) where oil is produced. The threats toward IRAN by the Congress have as much effect, if not more, as the foreign policy (sanctions) established by the Executive branch.
When Obama became president he inherited an economy on the verge of depression therefore gas prices were low due to LOW demand and no CLEAR upswings to induce speculators to buy futures contracts. Since then the economy has improved and the speculators are back in force thereby driving the prices higher. Instability in the middle east is exacerbating this.
Where were you conservatives when oil hit an all time high under GWB? Partisans without the ability to see beyond your own opinions.
While there is very little the President can immediately do to counteract rising costs per barrel on fossil fuels, there is something that everyone seems to forget, and that a former President who was faced with a similar price in gas actually did for the American people (How effective it was is for the individuals to decide, but it at least let the American people know that the President was aware of the pressures put on already stretched budgets, the rising costs of food and other commodities all affected by energy costs) I remember Bush creating a watchdog group to prevent price gouging at the pump. In the real world, if the price of oil goes up speculatively on the world markets, that isn't what is being paid per gallon by the actual retailers of the finished product. There is a several week lag period between a price per barrel spike and the actual cost translating to the retailers....Unfortunately, everytime we hear about the price per barrel going up on the new, it jumps immediately at the pump, because our government is allowing retailers to do this. We don't benefit from the lagtime inherent in the speculative bidding on futures. However, if you hear a news report that says oil has gone down $6 per barrel, we do not see an immediate decrease in price at the pump. Therefore there is something that can be done by our government to protect our interests aside from setting price per barrel on world market. Secondly, our government also suspended some of the taxes on gasoline, imposed by the government, to make the pump prices more consistent and stable until the world economy stabilized....There is another thing, done in the past, that could be done again. But then a Democrat and a liberal never give anything back, taxes are engraved in stone and the only job is to find more ways to separate working people from their money, because after all, we don't know how to use it properly, only they have the answers. Does anyone responding to this thread realize that probably 50% of what we pay at the pump is taxes? And if the price of gas goes up, so do the taxes? Given the climate of spending in our government, is there any reason on the planet that government wants gas prices reduced? And if the costs of all commodities goes up due to increased fuel costs (forget about arguing about inflation-which they deny is going on anyway)....taxes, in the form of sales taxes increase as well. The harder the American people are squeezed is generating a ton of tax revenues for the government to spend for us.
Obama will continue to spin incessantly explaining why it's the other guy's fault. I'm sick of it. Just lower the gas prices period or move over and let somebody else do the job. It doesn't matter who.
The President and Vice President promised Solyndra would save the day, that gas is obsolete. The President's friends, the Solyndra executives, took the money and ran. Minus 1100 jobs for $0.5 Billion.
Sue, thank you for using your own mind instead of regurgitating things.
Scott... you have NO idea what you are talking about. The DOE NOT, I REPEAT, NOT Obama gave the loans to solyndra.
Do you understand ANYTHING about how oil prices are established? I think not.
If they ask that of Romney, he'll tell them to vote for the other guy because his government won't be there to do it for you.
Ursula - Romney isn't the president. Is it so hard for the current president to come up with solutions? Why do you have to deflect the question to someone that isn't sitting in that seat?
Captain Kickass has had 3 years to make some headway into the economic problems but we are still sitting at bad unemployment, a very weak dollar, inflation's rising and the next thing out of the gate will be high interest rates. It's past blaming everyone else. Obama has to start taking the responsibility that was his on inauguration day.
Re underwater mortgage - negotiate a payment plan or short sale with your lender. If that fails, declare bankruptcy like normal people whose debts cannot be repaid. Property values fluctuate, that is no excuse to breach your contract. If the value goes up, the bank does not enjoy your windfall. If the value goes down, they don't take the hit either. Time to grow up and honor your promises. Government has no business intervening unless it is the courts interpreting your agreement.
Re jobs - eliminate obamacare and relax regulations. Lower corporate tax rates. Jobs will appear. Or apply for a government position.
All Romney said, and I'm no supporter, was "if you want free stuff, vote for the other guy." And I for one do not want government to be the primary job provider or enable people to wiggle out of contracts.
Ursala, there is a very simple answer to the question-
First, a robustly growing economy will provide plenty of jobs, and
When the housing market recovers as a result of a robustly growing economy, the mortgage will no longer be underwater.
Pretty simple.
You're absolutely right, no joe - hit rock bottom then pull yourself up by your bootstraps...simple as pie.
Our mortgage is underwater, and although we've never missed a payment and our income is very strong, banks weren't willing to refi until Obie finally told the banks that his refi plan was 'not voluntary'. We are starting the refi process now, which is gonna help our bottom line quite a bit, and finally get us in line with all the deadbeats who skipped out on their mortgage contracts even though they could afford the payments.
Thanks, Obama. Glad someone is pushing for a fair deal for those of us trying to do the right thing.
Snakebone,
Now you can spend that extra money you saved refinacing your mortgage on gas.
Thanks, Obama
Yup.
Thanks for nothing, Barry...
Well Obama did nothing for me. So if he helped you that is nice but it didn't happen for everyone.
One of our hugest problems as a nation is that fact that people do not try to work out their own problems any longer, take no responsibility for their own training or education or marketability in the workplace....they want government to give them a job, tell them that they can't be fired, even if they don't perform the job, promise that if they are fired or laid off, they will receive unemployment, food stamps, housing assistance, energy assistance....their children will have free health care and free meals at school......the list goes on and on....I don't expect the government to give me a job, but to create an environment where businesses flourish and are willing to hire workers. An environment where all salaries go up instead of hearing about how our companies cannot afford to give us more salary because they are paying more in taxes and insurance and operating costs, so there is not extra for raises or bonuses regardless of how hard you work. I dont expect the government to pay off my house, but create a economy that encourages and enables people to earn the money to pay for their just debts. If you bought a million dollar home, regardless of what any realtor, banker, mortgage broker told you, you owe that million dollars. They risked loaning you the money, and you took a risk accepting that high a debt. The same is true for student loans, in which you agreed to borrow money against the potential for future earnings....it isn't the lender's fault if those expected earnings were exaggerated, or the number of opportunities was exaggerated. You go the money, and got what you wanted, which was education, and now you need to pay for those things.
Hey, I'll agree with Sue here, so long as we include the market price of gas in that list. It's funny: for the republicans on this thread, government has no business interrupting the 'free market' in trying to offer affordable health care, but oh my god, they'd better get us cheap gas, screw the market!
Domestic oil production is up (that's the new drilling environmentalists hate so much), domestic demand is down (that's the new mileage standards anti-regulatory conservatives hate so much). So why is the price going up? Well, just go over to the commodity exchange and watch those speculators driving up the price, on fears of war with Iran and competition with the Asian markets, etc.
Really, about the only thing left for the POTUS to do is to rein in this out of control speculation with some good old fashioned market regulation. You folks up for that?
Lonereb, lahater and Mike... Ignorant comments from ignorant fools. If you read anything about the financial crisis, underlying problems of the mortgage industry and understood how OIL (and consequently) & gasoline prices are established then you wouldn't be able to satisfy your tiny egos by Obama bashing.
I recommend you read " A failure of capitalism" by Richard Posner to get a better understanding of the finance industry and the securitization games they played and the subsequent exponential increase in risk due to these shenanigans.
Oil prices are set by the futures market see CFTC. Plenty of information out there on oil pricing if you aren't too lazy to look.
Not everything is Obama's fault but don't let stop your fact-less ranting.
If he would release 20million gallons from the national reserve. This would sink the hedge funds who keep creating this problem .They buy the gas cheap and hold it creating the inflated prices ..The hedge funds are protected buy the GOP ..Once again so their friends make a bigger profit at the expense of the American people !
I think you mean 20 million barrels which covers the US usage for 1 day.
The Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) is the emergency fuel storage of oil maintained by the United States Department of Energy. It is the largest emergency supply in the world with the capacity to hold up to 727 million barrels.
The current inventory is displayed on the SPR's website. As of May 31, 2011, the inventory was 726.5 million barrels. This equates to 34 days of oil at current daily US consumption levels of 21 million barrels per day.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strategic_Petroleum_Reserve
Ursula...
How does that have anything to do will the article about fuel prices ?
Yea has anyone see the prices other countries pay?? Even Russia pays less the $3.00, Saudi Arab pays less then $2.00. So way do we have to pay so much? Why can't we refine our own oil into gas and sell it to our people at lower prices, like other countries. We have enough oil that we are exporting it now! SO who is making all the BIG MONEY now?? European countries don't have as much oil as we do, so they are paying even more per galleon over $5.00. So again, if we have so much oil that we have to export it now, why can't we refine our own and bring down the price of gas here too like these countries. and don't tell be it's about supply and demand, that's BS.
In Palm Springs Ca,
You have no idea what you are talking about. Thank you Dennis for some clarification.
We already pump the oil and refine it to gas here. But, the prices reflect the world market. We could nationalize the oil industry but that wouldn't necessarily help. Our consumption would be greater than our production so we'd still have to import. Then, there's that whole socialist aspect of nationalization of private enterprise.
Derf, I'd like to see somebody propose to build a refinery. They'll need flak jackets- and earplugs.
Know how many the EPA has shut down?
03/15/12 - PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — If all goes according to plan, an old zinc smelting plant site on the Ohio River in Monaca will be transformed into a multi-billion dollar petrochemical plant/refinery.
http://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2012/03/15/site-near-monaca-chosen-for-new-refinery/
I actually went off to find the article that so succinctly summed up the refinery issue.
http://www.fcnp.com/commentary/national/10979-the-peak-oil-crisis-on-closing-our-refineries.html
Simply put- businesses exist to create profit. When the price of raw materials, wages, and government regulation combine with decreased demand, businesses lose money.
So, they shut down.
Now, the GOOD news is, government regulations make actually closing those refineries cost exorbitant. It is far cheaper to "mothball" them- that is, keep security around, keep the machinery in repair- generally, keep them in turnkey shape. Therefore, when the price of crude goes down- which it will, right after Romney gets elected, as that will signal an increase in supply coming- and demand goes up- those plants are ready to roll.
Do I need to mention that will cause a spike in high paying jobs?
I'm sorry people are hurting-I'm one of them because everybody is getting kicked at the pumps- but I must say that I am glad that Obama is sticking to his stubborn refusal to confront reality head on.
It makes him so much easier to defeat.
Dennis, that's an etheline plant- not a gasoline refinery.
Good lord.
Let me rephrase my statement- try to open a gasoline refinery.
The enviro-nuts are crazed about crude coming from Canada, for crying out loud.
Oh, and don't for one minute think they are not gearing up to stop this plant, either. They'd like to shut down cracking- and will, if Obama gets re elected.
From your link
I only hope there are enough people out there telling the people who work in that industry what the EPA plans to do with their jobs if he does, heaven forfend, win.
Cause, they'll all be eligible for 99 weeks of unemployment.
I can see why certain people remain poor ..after reading the comments it vexes me . Your getting screwed because you don't understand how they screw you .
So, no worries about pollution, contaminated water, stunted crops. No need to search for alternate energy sources, no need to fund any kind of research, no need for any attention to solar, bio, wind.
As long as you get your oil. Now. Just drill away.
Nice.
And go back to the last election, back when it was common for 30-60 body bags to be coming back from Iraq or Afg. per month, the issue for alternative energy was being bantered around by both candidates, McCain went around using the "clean coal" alternative, every energy alternative was brought to our attention. Funny, I never recollected a Keystone pipeline as an alternative. Back then the political selling point was to try anything to get away from reliance on the middle east, so as to decrease any reason to have political/ military interest in that part of the world. That was the entirity of the last presidential election.
Now, it has little to do with Iraq/Afg. Now it has something to do with how do we compete in the global market for cheaper oil and our economic success. So all these people yaking about Obama's energy policy now and his solar power investments and algae based energy, the whole energy policy is changing in the last 12 months right in front of our eyes. I would say Obama has a right to ebb and flow his approach to energy policy, almost like you have to.
It's easy game for a Romney and Gingrich to take pot shots at the President, they weren't in office back when the last energy debate was engaged.
What is it about rural areas that swing right? Is it a conservative personality that rejects urban life in favor of a quiet, country lifestyle? Or are there less progressive influences in a rural environment? New York state is reliably blue, but if you cut out NYC, I'm sure it'd be solidly red.
Rural areas contain more self reliant people. Urban areas contain more of those who live off a government check, whether a unionized fat-pensioned liberal bureaucrat, or a government dependent.
Bob, I said nothing insulting about rural conservatives...I was merely asking the question whether it's the environment that creates the person or the person who creates the environment. Urban areas contain more people, but statistically, rural areas have a higher percent of people living in poverty and relying on government assistance.
http://www.sullivan-county.com/nf0/dispatch/pov_myths.htm
http://www.carseyinstitute.unh.edu/publications/FS_foodinsecurity.pdf
They, country folk, live under the illusion of being self-reliant. Rural living only makes the ILLUSION of being "self-reliant" seem more real. It is a fantasy and a delusion.
You don't seem to know much about "red" states. For instance, in Kentucky there are far more democrats registered than republicans, but the democrats just don't bother to vote in numbers that allow for a majority in national elections. Locally, we have a democrat governor, democrat house, and a republican senate. The richest and most powerful city, Lexington, has a gay democrat mayor (noone even mentioned or cared about his sexual orientation BTW) and the biggest city also has a democrat mayor.
Are your stereotyped glasses fogging up yet or would you like a little more reality?
As for your question, why would anyone want to relay on a faceless government for anything important when most are fully capable of taking care of themselves?
Also, newsflash most people in the Midwest and South LIVE IN CITIES!!!!
Paul, way to bigot up the thread with ignorance. You have no clue.
Derf - You do know that in Russia the President can set the price and they also have a much lower standard of living; in this country prices are set by a free market. I thought that is what you people wanted, and, it is the oil companies that are bragging about all the jobs they create, so why have the been closing refineries that only causes prices to go up.
If you have to ask why prices in Saudia Arabia are only $2.00 a gallon we might not be able to help you at all.
Obama does have a little payback coming for blaming G.W. but he blamed him because G.W. started the wars that began all this price craziness in the first place.
The right promised us $20 a barrel for gas after the invasion of Iraq, now you have the Republican candidates talking about starting a way that could end up closing all the shipping lanes out of the mid east?
Rural areas have a lot more uneducated folk who get their thought from TV and preachers.
Yeah right Bob, and Virginia depends on the government...Ya know all them military folks and other government employees. (Hmmm wonder what YOU do for a living). Don't forget that "government" shed over 500,000 jobs in the last three years and the private sector is growing jobs. Yet good ol Bob is bitching about those mean evil job killing unions that account for 11% of the workforce.
Go figure..Never confuse a conservative ideologue with facts!
Frankly you remind me of the No-Nothing Party of the last century.
Your educated base lives in cities.
Democrats usually are more educated than their republican counterparts.
It's easier to ignore the pain of others when you don't see them every day. Isolationist-theory at work. Much harder to ignore the pain of others when you see them sleeping under a bridge.
Democrats tend to be much more social and more experienced across the spectrum. Comes from inner-city living. Once you get sick, or see how 'bad' it gets out there...you pretty much don't 'fear' it any more. Fear is caused frmo the unknown, and the GOP peddles fear as a baseline. Gotta be scared of something external, and with which you've little or no knowledge (Iran. Iraq. Secularism. 'Taliban' and 'terrorists'. Other guy 'stealing your money for handouts'. Etc.)
Once people overcome their fear and get to know the issues, they trend democrat.
Case in point, I was a republican right until I spent time in the middle east.
Father was republican right until he got diabetes.
Etc.
Remove the fear, you remove the Republican party.
Just get one person to quit fearing, and start learning (sometimes first-hand), about their 'issue' and they go democrat every time.
Its time for change, ABO 2012
I think it is valid to say that there is a higher concentration of union workers in urban areas. Factories have to be accessible, not only to a work force, but to the supplies and materials as well as delivery of completed goods. Transportation alternatives abound in urban areas as does a pool of workers.
It is also valid to say that there is a higher percentage of "working poor" exist in urban areas. Due to the high concentration of people, there are more fast food outlets, discount shopping centers, etc...McDonalds is not about to put the Golden Arches on a street corner intersecting a corn field and a hay field...they rely on volume traffic.
Proximity means that urban people are by necessity more self reliant. There aren't free community clinics within blocks of their residence. There may well not be another residence for a mile or more, let alone stores, entertainments etc. And in an urban environment, there is no access to public transportation. Distance and time are such that it is not practical to walk or ride a bicycle when the nearest town might be three to five miles away, and then there would be the logistics of how to get the purchases back home. For many living in rural areas, there is no Streets and Sanitation Department, they have to absorb the expense for drilling, maintaining and repairing a well and septic system for basic human needs. There are still many who are not served by municipal utilities for heating fuel. Most urban dwellers maintain a backup generator, because they are absolutely the last to have power restored and usually the first to lose it due to weather events.
I have lived both in rural areas and urban areas, and the reality is that urban living is quite inconvenient on many levels. Trade offs are more quiet and privacy, usually a lower crime rate, but alot more work and effort and planning are required for daily tasks-things urban dwellers take for granted. You can't run to the corner gas station because your forgot to buy milk or bread on the grocery trip. You have to plan your commute carefully not to be caught out somewhere short of fuel as you may travel several miles to get to the nearest fuel station. Small town America has very little 24 hour stores, restaurants-with a smaller labor pool, there isn't anyone to man 2nd and 3rd shifts....if you work, you must make sure that your errands fall within the open hours of businesses. You don't get to pick and choose Drs or medical facilities, because you are tied to what is reasonable distance in the event of emergency.
LIE!
Let's see how well Obama pans to crowds outside of the Union halls. Have him come to Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, Iowa and see how well he is received. I am particularly encouraged by the number of people speaking out against Obama in the working 90% and the 95% of us who do pay our mortgages on time. We are getting closer to having a better leader and example of American work ethic in the White House.....
UAW what say we get rid of them gubment farm subsidies (Welfare to you) and other bennies in your state for big agriculture? We can start with ethanol! And why do you continually carp about unions?..They represent 11% of the work force! Wassa matter you scared of working people standing up for themselves. Newsflash...Most Americans pay their mortgages on time.
Another NO- Nothing!
Torpedo, I think we agree on alot of things. Those farm subsidies really need reformed. Talk about wasting money subsidizing millionaires. Ethanol has to be one of the biggest wastes of government money there is. Michael Moore needs to get off his fat A$$ and do a documentary on the waste of farm subsidies.
Don't confuse my dis-approval of Obama bribing the UAW and AFSCME for votes with tax payer money with being against workers. (some how liberals always seem to twist a common sense rejection of government waste with some sort of "War on Workers" or "War on Women".
My point is Obama needs to get out in front of the people who funded the UAW bribe, get out in front of the people who are paying for the Fannie and Freddie Mac losses. In 2008 Obama was a .3 term Senator with no history of leadership. It will be harder for the liberal press to hide him from the people who will be paying for Obamacare and his first 3.5 years of government waste.
..and that would be Windsock Willard?
RTyp0,
ABO
Every cloud has a silver lining. I hate it every time I have to fill up, but I hope I'm not alone, and these gas prices will be remembered in November.
Do you blame the high gas prices on Obama? How do you think Obama caused gas prices to increase? Why do you think he did?
Mark Thomas, how? Let's see. First realize that oil is based on the US dollar. The dollar is weak because of the over $6 trillion of additional debt, the stimulus, and overspending by obama. We have to print money to pay for it. When Bush was President, oil hit $140 per barrel and about $4 per gallon in gas. Oil is around $108 per barrel and $4 per gallon of gas. There's the proof. Obama suspended all new permits for drilling in the gulf. Obama refuses to let companies drill off the coast of Florida, even when China is putting up rigs to drill in international waters and angle drill to tap in to our oil. He refuses to open up Alask, refuses the keystone pipeline, refuses other drilling. Drilling is down 10 percent in public lands and up 20 percent on private lands, which most were approved by George Bush. Obama and his energy secretary chu has stated before that they want $10 per gallon of gas, like Europe. H**l yes, he is partially responsible for the price of gas. He sent his people to Saudi Arabia just last week to ask the Saudis to increase production. So when obama and others say increasing production in the US will not help or he cannot do anything about the prices, it is an out and out lie to the American people.
It's funny how the "big government must stay out of the free market" conservatives are griping about Obama supposidly not doing anything about gas prices or relieving people in under water mortgages. Hypocrisy.
I do Mark. If Obama would have granted permits over the last 3 years prices at the pump would not be at record highs. More drilling in Alaska and the gulf would be nice. Rerout the Keystone pipeline - not kill it. Also no need to send billions to south america to help them drill? Wtf. The speculators know the price will only go up at this point due to bamsters green agenda and desire to kill consumers at the pump so his agenda will be embraced. It is going to get expensive this summer.
..and how was it killed exactly? So proceeding cautiously requiring enviornmental impact studies is killing it? Or should we just build it and "see what happens"?
It's not going to reduce gas prices even TransCanada says so. It benifits big oil becuase they don't have to pay transportation costs, road, rail or shipping through the Pacific or Atlantic. A net loss in jobs when completed in 10 years or so.
@Mark Thomas-371822
You ask how Obama is responsible for gas prices? I'll try to explain, though this explanation may be too complicated for you to comprehend.
Gas price is a derivative of oil price. Oil price directly depends on the ME situation, doesn't matter real or perceived. The region was thrown off balance by so called Arab Spring, and that is, at least partially, Obama's fault.
When the Egyptian disturbances started all Obama should have done was to say clear and loud something like "We expect the law and order to be restored soon". Read: "we don't mind a crackdown, will not jeopardize aid because of that, and will provide coverage at UN if it comes to that". Instead both BHO and Hillary mumbled something about human rights and democratic liberties that was decoded as "don't dare to crack down, it will affect your aid and international standing, up to UN sanctions". The result - Muslim Brotherhood (of which al-Qaeda is an offshoot) is in charge of Egypt.
The next - Libya, by the way a major oil producer and influential OPEC member (in the past). Why we needed to waste taxpayer's funds to bomb the dictator who really changed his ways from anti-Western past and for last decade was bending over backwards to be on good terms with the West? Now we get yet another bunch of al-Qaeda linked groups in charge of the country, and oil export infrastructure badly damaged. Do you think all that was not priced into oil futures?
Add to that BHO's opposition to Keystone line and drilling and development of domestic energy resources in general, and his declared intent to tax the exhaust gases - and the result you can see at the pump at a gas station near you.
If the Keystone pipeline when west to the Pacific Ocean, who could refine it there? Are there refiners on our west coast? Would the TransCanada company want to go through the Rocky Mountains with the pipeline or go south through fairly flat land???
OldSchoolLatin Teacher... Not so. Congress would be needed to accomplish what you're suggesting. In fact, a Democratic Senator put to vote that if the Keystone Pipeline is run through our country, the oil should stay in the country. The Repubs voted it down. How well do you think additional legislation would be received?
You got a source on that vote?
You all do know that the Keystone Pipeline is to be built to move CANADIAN oil, right?
"Keystone Pipeline is to be built to move CANADIAN oil" to AMERICAN refineries that for obvious reasons are concentrated at or near Gulf of Mexico coast.
Never occurred to you that it's much more sensible economically to move crude to where refineries are than to build refineries where the crude is?
And for all of the information out there at everyone's fingertips, a whole lot of people choose to stay ignorant on this subject.
Gas prices "chase" Obama? They are right where he and his "energy" Secretary want them, if not lower than what they want, in their zeal to shove "alternative energy" down our throats.
Shu in Congress yesterday said that he's working on "long term" projects. That sure does help all of our paychecks today, doesn't it? 100 BILLION dollars poured into failing "green" energy projects, most of it to Obama and Democrat staff members, bundlers, and supporters. Yet all Obama and Democrats whine and cry about is the 4 Billion that went to the oil companies.
How's it feel all you union coal miners, knowing that Shu and the EPA are shutting down coal plants, costing YOU your jobs? How's it feel all you union construction workers, knowing he cares more about tree huggers than he does about you and a single 1800 mile pipeline in a land with 1.5 million miles of oil and gas pipeline already? Even though you are going to pour tens of MILLIONS of dollars of your dues into his re-election campaign.
We all know that the pipline won't reduce prices nor will it create any more than 10,000 jobs, temporarily at that.
We do know that one of the largest aquifers in North America, a fragile resource much more importtant to us than the relative benefits of flowing oil over it rather to the west coast, lies right beneath that proposed pipeline.
The lie that the President wanted higher gas prices is the dumbest most idiotic thing you right wing lying F#$%s have yet to say. You got to give me one reason he would not lower them if he had the power until after he was reelected and then rasie them through the roof. You people don't want to give the most honest man we have had in that office any credit, you cannot tell me he is stupid.
Vote him out and it will be the biggest personal mistake you will make. These consevatives are only saying freedom but talking total big government control over our personal lives.
Bill,
You've made a couple of really good points today. How the hell could anyone believe that the President wants to cut his own throat?
At the same time, everyone on the Right ignores the reason the President wants to develop alternative sources of energy. It's the future. But these guys can't see past their "I, Me, Mine--What's in it for Me?" ideology.
Bill-314065,
He promised, he did not deliver, and for your honesty comment, there is no such thing as a honest politician.
How many gals of oil is in barrel of oil?? How many gals of oil does it take to make a gal of gasoline?
Derf... The Europeans are paying a lot more (and have always paid a lot more) due to the significant taxes on that gasoline and not supply. I guess if you're running around in a Suburban or a H2 Russia is the place to be!
A president has no control over the price of any commodity - not Bush, not Obama, not anybody. Hasn't anybody learned that from past history? There is really no one to blame. People would see that if they let logic rule instead of emotion.
Politics are all about emotions. When the president says that Republicans are going to throw Grandma out into the street, is emotion politics.
Ray, You are correct. The president does not control these prices, at leaset not yet, and when gas prices went up in 2008, I was on here saying the same thing you are but the libtards don't want to hear it because it did fit the narrative of See Bush is bad. But now I see a different tune. I wonder why? But I do knopw why, Obama can do nothing wrong and it is always someone else's fault.
But Bush did do some things that helped to bring gas prices down. He opened up more off shore drilling, he made it easier to get drilling permits on fed lands. Just the speculation of drilling helped to bring prices down.
On the other hand, Obama has pretty much stopped the off shore drilling and has made it impossible to get permits on fed lands.
Oil production/export is up because it is comming from private lands where Obama has not yet figured out how the government can stop you from drilling on private property, but I have faith in Obama and he will figure out how to stop them.
Well, from a political standpoint, the good news for the president is by the time the general election campaign gets underway the worst of the gas prices hikes will be over and should be on a steady downward decline leading up to November.
That's the good news. The bad news is just how high will they have spiked over the summer??
I'm not worrying about the good or bad news for this big eared no talent loser. I'm worring about his destroying any more of this Nation before his incompetent ass is voted out of the White House.
4 years, 10 months from today !!!
What has he destroyed Bob? ...*crickets* ... Thought so..
Dennis, Columbus, Ohio
ABO
RTyp0,
He has destroyed the national debt.
The GOP has been quick to fault Obama for excess spending. But more than three-quarters of the $3.5 trillion in added red ink can be explained by what is still a rich diet of tax breaks (Bush tax cuts) continued by this president.
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0312/74109.html
wtf is ABO ? A derogatory slang term for native Australians? I'm caucasian btw.
"Destroying" the national debt would be a good thing no? If you mean adding to it sure, but where do the unfunded war costs fit into our national debt?
Right Ray! It's amazing that same old lame attacks continue. Ridiculous and they wrong but will never admit it.
...."ridiculous and they wrong"....
Were you educated in Kenya too?
In 1887 Alexander Tyler, a Scottish history professor at the
University of Edinburgh,
had
this to say about the fall of the Athenian Republic some 2,000 years prior:
"A
democracy is always temporary in nature; it simply cannot exist as a permanent
form
of government. A democracy will continue to exist up until the time that
voters discover that they can vote themselves generous gifts from the public treasury.
From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates who promise
the
most
benefits from the public treasury, with the result that every democracy will
finally
collapse
over loose fiscal policy, (which is) always followed by a dictatorship."
"The average age of the world's greatest civilizations from the beginning
of history, has been about 200 years. During those 200 years, these
nations always progressed through the following sequence:
From bondage to spiritual faith;
From spiritual faith to great courage;
From courage to liberty;
From liberty to abundance; This
is a FACT!!!!!!!!
From abundance to complacency;
From complacency to apathy;
From apathy to dependence;
From dependence back into bondage."
The Obituary follows:
Born 1776, Died 2012
It doesn't hurt to read this several times.
Professor Joseph Olson of Hamline University School of Law in St. Paul ,
Minnesota ,
points
out some interesting facts concerning the last Presidential election:
Number of States won
by: Obama:
19
McCain: 29
Square miles of land won by: Obama:
580,000 McCain: 2,427,000
Population of counties won by: Obama: 127 million
McCain: 143 million
Murder rate per 100,000 residents in counties won by: Obama:
13.2 McCain: 2.1
Professor Olson adds: "In aggregate, the map of the territory McCain
won was mostly the land owned by the taxpaying citizens of the country.
Obama territory mostly encompassed those citizens living in low income
tenements and living off various forms of government welfare..."
Olson believes the United States is now somewhere between the "complacency
and apathy" phase of Professor Tyler's definition of democracy, with some
forty percent of the nation's population already having reached the
"governmental dependency" phase.
If Congress grants amnesty and citizenship to twenty million criminal invaders
called illegals - and they vote - then we can say goodbye to the USA in fewer
than five years.
If you are in favor of this, then by all means, delete this message.
If you are not, then pass this along to help everyone realize just how much is
at
stake,
knowing that apathy is the greatest danger to our freedom.
This is truly scary!
Of
course we are not a democracy, we are a Constitutional Republic.
Someone
should point this out to Obama.
Of
course, we know he and too many others pay little attention to The
Constitution.
There
couldn't be more at stake than on November 6th, 2012.
If you are as concerned as I am, please pass this along.
Great post.; I have read this before.
http://www.factcheck.org/2009/01/unreported-stats/
Hey RCM............ Your partisanslip is showing......... as is your ignorance of facts and their relevance!
You left out ONE fact: the debt in 1981 was lass than $1T. The debt at the end of FY 2009, BUSH'S LAST BUDGET, was $11.9T PLUS a $1.3T deficit left for Pres. Obama to deal with. What is truly treacherous is that the GOP did this DELIBERATELY, to cause a debt crisis, so they could try and convince us that privatizing SS and Medicare etc are the ONLY solution ( which they are repeatedly doing as we speak)., regardless of the fact that neither SS OR Medicare adds to the deficit/debt. Research "starve the beast"!!
With all due respect! As long as gas prices are high and families are struggling to keep gas in their cars- just to get to work.
NO body gives a F___k about future solar energy. That's decades away! We need solutions NOW! Gas prices are raising now and for no good reason!!! Our government needs to impliment a policy that buts a halt to speculatory bidding on the market of commondies - that is all that is needed - DO IT NOW. Then watch gas prices fall like boulders from a mountain.
This is all greed and BS and thievery - stop playing with the American people livihood and do your freakin jobs!!!
TRUTH - not crap
Thank you and GOD BLESS AMERICA
Speculation in oil by people and corporations who are not "end users" of the large quantities under their "control" was something that the liberals attempted to get under control and eliminate through legislation. The Republicans wouldn't allow it to be a practice reserved only for "end users" like Airlines.
World demand for oil is not going to go down significantly unless there is a major change in world human population and its GROWTH. Speculation adds maybe 50 cents to the cost of a gallon of gas in the USA. World demand is the biggest driver of higher gas and oil prices. It is a finite resource vs. an almost infinite demand equation. All the drilling in the world isn't going to add to the supply in a way which will keep pace with the demands of 7 BILLION people.
I think some folks want President Obama to nationalize the oil industry so that the govt. can control the price of gas.
Congress needs to ban exports of gas. Ban capping wells. Put time limits on leases. Drill it and pump it or lose it. The oil companies control the supply thus the price.
I am almost completely convinced that the puppeteers that pull the strings of the GOP are changing the price of gasoline to try and manipulate the American public.
June 2008 $4.11 a gallon
Nov 2008 $1.99 a gallon
Did the puppeteers drop the price drastically between June and November to try and get McCain Elected?
Now, again election year 2012 and this time Republicans need gas prices to go up, if they even have a chance of beating Obama and gas is, you guessed it, spiking.
Does any of this seem suspicious to anyone
Do you think that President Hope Dope's cutting all domestic production on Government lands has anything to do with it Joe the Dumber?
Lord....why Did you make life so hard by making liberals so friggen stupid???
Oil production is up, right bob? Wasn't that the objective?
BOB: And Dubya was your notion of "smart"???
"Fool me once, shame on me, fool me twice, er, em, ah, oh, uh........ won't get fooled again".
That's the kind of smarts your boy Dubya has. "Mission Accomplished", We'll be greeted as liberators", "the war will only cost 40 to 50 Billion and we'll be repaid with Iraqi oil money". "it's a slam dunk", "Bring it on", "you're with us or your with the terrorists", "I'm the decider"........ yep, that sure is one smart dude.
Joe, you have not been paying attention. The price raise in 2008 had a lot to do with the summer comming up when they always go up. Bush also did not have this talk about a possible war with Iran as obama has. But the price of gas has been going up slowly since obama took office over the last 3 years. remeber, it is is and chu's stated goal to have gas prices go up to europes levels. Obama wanted a slow increase so we would not notice it but Chu wanted it as fast has he could get it.
Bob, if production is down then how are we exporting oil and gas?
Bush isn't in now, Skuzzi Boy, President Oblumbles is and drilling and production on PRIVATE LAND (A particularly hard concept for liberal [communists] to grasp) is the only thing that the lying moron can point at and have stupid people like you convinced he's trying to up or have anything to do with increased production.
Lord why did you make little boys like Skuzzie Boy here so damn friggen dumb?????
I'm a moderate democrat and I didn't hate McCain. He's not an extremist like most of the teapublicans. I probably wouldn't have voted for him anyway but choosing Palin as his running mate sealed it for me.
Is the POTUS using those $1,000,000 Canadian buses or is he using the $100,000/hr Airforce One?
FUDGE: Guess what buddy??? the Secret Service purchases those buses, not the Obama Administration. FYI, John McCain used a Canadian built bus during his campaign as well.
Guess you'll have to puke up a new reason to blame all our nation's ills on Obama.
And you of course kept track of how many hours your boy Dubya flew on Air Force 1, didn't you???
To engage in petty horse@!$%# like this merely reveals what a shameless, partisan hack you are who will use any excuse, however weak, to blame Obama and justify your hatred towards him.
I think both Buses were used to transport President Erkle's daughter "Sasha" or "Sheha" or "Whata" on her spring break down to Mexico. Eric Holder made it so dangerous by his illegal gun sales down there that twenty five agents at the taxpayer's expense were necessary to insure yet another pleasure trip for an Obama.
Ozzie boy Dude,
De-caf! It was a question is all. No blame. No accusations. Just a simple question. chill out a bit please.
Oh BTW, the only boy I have is a 130 lb Rottie. He's my boy and I keep close track on what he does and how he does it.
FudgeFactor out.
PS. I ain't your buddy
Well ozzie here are some ills that I see. Healthcare law costs that almost doubled with the recent rescoring of the law last week. 500 billion taken away from medicare to be spent elsewhere, let's not even begin to talk about the cornhusker kickback or the louisiana purchase or the the sweetheart deal that kent conrads cronies got by taking over student loans.
5 trillion to the debt in 3 yrs.
a trilion dollar stimulus that was nothing but a union slushfund and the justice dept. buying 250,000 automatic weapons that went to the mexican cartels. operation fast and furious. Solyndra, solardyne.
The union buyout of gm and chrysler then selling chrysler for 8.5 billion dollar loss.
just a couple of things for you.
Trico.... i can tell by your ICON that you are a racist pig! Nothing that comes out of your mouth is worthwhile!
The Campaigner in Chief is clueless. He will give the same tired speech to his hand picked audience. He's an embarrassment and so far in over his head it's scary.
'The Dukakis in a tank' photo op is coming soon...
The green zealot President Obama at an oil drilling site may try to make a 'citizen's arrest' of the oil rig for causing the 'rise of the oceans" and Hurricanes....
I'll give President Obama high marks for stubborness - but alternative energy is decades away from becoming a cost-effective replacement for oil, natural gas and coal. It's nothing but hot air.
His message is going to fall on deaf ears all over this country regarding energy policy. We can drill enough right here to meet our needs for 18M barrels a day and pay no mind to the liberals who say otherwise. And we can force the oil industry to keep the oil here at home at prices below the world market.
It won't be wage and price controls - it will be a quid pro quo that allows the producers to make plenty of money while lowering prices at the pump. It isn't rocket science and it is doable.
Renewable energy is the fastest growing sector in the energy industry. It is going to become a larger and larger part going forward as fossil fuels become a smaller part.
I'd say the president is looking long-term, not just as far as the next election (like Newt could actually deliver $2.50 a gallon, yet so many believe him). Too bad there aren't more people looking long-term.
REBEL; Right, new technologies are decades away so let's pretend nothing is wrong and just keep on relying on oil so ten or twenty years from now we'll be totally screwed.
I remember the Right mocking Jimmy Carter when he put solar panels on the White House and The Gipper had them removed. Just think where we would be today had we really gotten serious about energy 35 years ago???
Let's keep on driving those SUVs and 3/4 ton pickups cause oil will always be around and be cheap and plentiful.
Stubborness. He just don't have a clue. Its not that he is stubborn. It's the fact he is half witted.
Ozzie - let's ignore alternative energy because the simple fact is that alternative energy cannot compete in the marketplace.
Do you want to pay 35% more for your electricity because coal is penalized or you are forced to rely on a producer who has to use windmills or some other eyesore to produce power?
Drill and drill now. The simple psychology of the marketplace will drive down the cost of a barrel of oil if we start issuing drilling permits that promise to meet demand here at home.
Hey, Republican bloggers on here.
If your uncapped every well that is capped, drilled every lease that is held, and pumped all that oil onto the market guess what;
The price of gas will still go up. Why? Because gas is a refined product and there is not enough refinery capacity in the U.S. to handle what is being pumped now.
Also, since the oil pumped is not a government owned product the market forces will determine just how much that oil is worth. Now, if you want the U.S. government to NATIONALIZE the domestic oil industry that is another thing. But if that is your wish, how can you say that you are in favor of FREE MARKET PRINCIPLES?
You Republicans are absolutely friggin crazy after 3-years of ODS.
Go ahead and elect yourselves a CORPORATE RAIDER IN CHIEF. Mr. Romney knows a thing or two about jobs alright. One thing he knows is how to outsource them, the second thing he knows is how to create minimum wage jobs - which makes him more like Bush than anyone else.
Remember, under Bush hamburger flippin and assembly was categorized as a Manufacturing job.
WJithin ten miles of where I live in Tennesse, Wacker, a German company, is building a 2 billion dollar plant to make polysilcon for solar panels An Olin chlorine plant next door to Wacker and suppiles materials make polysilicon, is remodeling and expanding. These two companies are creating sever hundred new jobs. So the Republicans who dismiss alternative and green energies as fantasies, are way off base. But what can you espect from a party whose base accepts the supernational creationism over the science of biology.
lets hope we chase him outta the white house come november...lol
Let's hope your anal cyst explodes and kills you.
“The next time you hear a politician say that he or she will bring down oil prices, understand it’s complete BS"
Bill O'Reilly --- Fox News commentator
The next time Thermen merman posts anything remember it is complete and factualy BS.
O'Reilly is on the speculator bandwagon as the root cause of high oil prices which is moronic.
These gamblers are just as apt to lose their arses as they are to make money betting on higher prices or shorting the market for oil.
Stating it is our goal by the end of this decade to produce 20M barrels a day for 100% of our domestic needs will have a definite impact psychologically on the price of oil right now and it will come down.
Liberals smugly say the world market forces will carry the day and no matter how much we produce it will not lower the price at the pump. Sure thing - and Henry Ford never reduced the price of a car by introducing mass production to the marketplace. I know the difference between a commodity and manufactured hard goods but drilling will make a difference.
Fact is we could ruin the world prices for OPEC oil by dumping it on the market cheaper if we really wanted to assuming we drill to full capacity.
In Palm Springs...
You liberals need to get your stories straight...
I thought the Democrats said it's NOT a supply issue...
Therman Merman...
You're an idiot.
How about listening to the ENTIRE segment by O'Reilly????
Typical asinine liberal taking his quote OUT OF CONTEXT!
You need to go over to FOX and read the REAL NEWS.
And that would be who?? Monday Nitro, or Monday Night Raw. They're ALL BIASED reporting.