With gas again at $3, Congress is mum

[RamboLiberal]

Source: MSNBC/AP

When gasoline prices first hit $3 a gallon in 2005, irate lawmakers quickly assembled top oil executives for a public grilling.

Pump prices are again above $3, yet the outcry from Congress is barely a whimper by comparison — even after this week’s warning from Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke that oil near $100 a barrel is a serious economic threat.

The change in tone since Nov. 9, 2005 — when Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., castigated oil executives for reaping multimillion-dollar bonuses while “working people struggle” — reflects an altered landscape in terms of energy economics and politics, analysts said.

The American public is more accustomed to high prices, despite the financial pinch.
Oil industry profits are retreating from year-ago levels as the soaring cost of crude crimps refining revenue.

The outrage many Democrats expressed back then over high energy prices has been tempered by the fact that their party now controls Congress, making finger pointing more difficult.





Read more: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21713574/

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Well I for one would like to see them addressing this. If nothing else work on and jawbone getting this country to cut its dependence on oil! And investigate how speculation and Chimpy and Darth's Iran war-mongering are driving the prices!

[Double T]

1. What did you expect? The exxon mobil checks are in the mail.

[Solar_Power]

13. How true

[bluestateguy]

2. Flashback: Bush Criticizes Clinton Administration For High Gas Prices

Bush In 2000: Bush Blamed Clinton Administration For High Gas Prices; Promised "Immediate Relief" By Using His "Capital" With Saudis And Kuwaitis. "Campaigning for president in a state particularly hard-hit by high gasoline prices, Texas Gov. George W. Bush on Tuesday blamed the nation's predicament on the Clinton administration, which he said is operating without an energy policy. "This is an administration that is hoping the issue goes away,' Bush said. ... 'The vice president seems to forget who's been in office for seven years,' Bush said. 'This is an administration that has been in charge, and the price of gasoline has risen steadily since they've been in office.' Asked what he would do as president to address the price at the pump, Bush said he would confer with oil-producing allies and ask them to pump more crude. 'I would use the capital my administration will earn with the Kuwaitis or the Saudis, to convince them to open up the spigot,' Bush said. 'That's where we will get immediate relief.'" (Houston Chronicle, 6/28/00)

[struggle4progress]

12. George W. Bush Blames Clinton-Gore Administration for Rising Gas Prices (June 2000 transcript)

... "And this is typical of an administration that refuses to accept responsibility. This is amazing. They've been in office for seven years, the price of gasoline has gone up during their period of time ..." http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0006/23/se.02.html

Average US regular price:
4 Nov 1991 - $1.09
8 Nov 1993 - $1.07
6 Nov 1995 - $1.06
3 Nov 1997 - $1.06
8 Nov 1999 - $1.23
5 Nov 2001 - $1.21
3 Nov 2003 - $1.53
7 Nov 2005 - $2.38
5 Nov 2007 - $3.01

Retail price of California gasoline:
8 Nov 1999 - $1.33
6 Nov 2000 - $1.79
5 Nov 2001 - $1.42
4 Nov 2002 - $1.56
3 Nov 2003 - $1.71
8 Nov 2004 - $2.34
7 Nov 2005 - $2.66
6 Nov 2006 - $2.40
5 Nov 2007 - $3.23

http://www.eia.doe.gov/oil_gas/petroleum/data_publications/wrgp/mogas_history.html
http://www.energy.ca.gov/gasoline/margins/
http://www.energy.ca.gov/gasoline/margins/2006.html
http://www.energy.ca.gov/gasoline/margins/2005.html
http://www.energy.ca.gov/gasoline/margins/2004.html
http://www.energy.ca.gov/gasoline/margins/2003.html
http://www.energy.ca.gov/gasoline/margins/2002.html
http://www.energy.ca.gov/gasoline/margins/2001.html
http://www.energy.ca.gov/gasoline/margins/2000.html
http://www.energy.ca.gov/gasoline/margins/1999.html

[SleeplessinSoCal]

3. Congress can't ignore this: WaPo article

Oil Price Rise Causes Global Shift in Wealth
Iran, Russia and Venezuela Feel the Benefits

By Steven Mufson
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, November 10, 2007

High oil prices are fueling one of the biggest transfers of wealth in history. Oil consumers are paying $4 billion to $5 billion more for crude oil every day than they did just five years ago, pumping more than $2 trillion into the coffers of oil companies and oil-producing nations this year alone.

The consequences are evident in minds and mortar: anger at Chinese motor-fuel pumps and inflated confidence in the Kremlin; new weapons in Chad and new petrochemical plants in Saudi Arabia; no-driving campaigns in South Korea and bigger sales for Toyota hybrid cars; a fiscal burden in Senegal and a bonanza in Brazil. In Burma, recent demonstrations were triggered by a government decision to raise fuel prices.


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/09/AR2007110902573.html?hpid=topnews

[Nederland]

4. What should Congress do?

High oil and gasoline prices reduce consumption (and thereby greenhouse gases) and spur the development of alternatives. High prices are all in all a good thing and Congress shouldn't do anything about it...

[silverojo]

5. Thanks for your concern about the poor and middle class

Not everybody can afford a Prius, you know. :mad:

[physioex]

17. Yes....

But everyone can afford to conserve, and you don't need a Prius to conserve. And I am not talking specifically about you but there are a whole lot of people who aren't....

[demodonkey]

6. See this. And thanks for caring about those of us...

...who are just hanging on (or maybe soon NOT hanging on.)

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=3061433&mesg_id=3061447

[bluestateguy]

15. Typical environmentalist, elitist, Upper East Side cocktail party bullshit

That's a real winning message that the Democrats should just try in West Virgina and Missouri.

[physioex]

16. Hmmm....

Remember Republicans make the other half so they also take some of the responsibility. Anyways people like myself have been begging for conservation and research into alternate fuels have been ignored while people drive around in their Hummer H2.

I would rather that people start changing their ways from making simple changes to demanding more from their politicians but I am sorry to say that I don't see it happening any other way....

Finally it doesn't matter what we say or don't say the markets determines the price for a barrel of oil not the politicians or the oil companies (although they have been taking in their fair share of profits), and the scary part is we maybe at a peak in production with ever increasing demands...

[brentspeak]

18. Hey! It's Mr. DLC, at it again.

[Orsino]

7. Finger-pointing is easy.

We consumers who burn hydrocarbons are at the root of the problem, as are the corporate interests who silence Congress with petrodollars. Oil executives love the near-monopoly they have, and will not release our "representatives" to explore renewable energy in anything more than a token fashion.

[Larry Ogg]

8. What more could be expected,

when bank robbers and mafia types control our elections and run the country? Might I say, “you ain’t seen nothing yet”...

[leaninglib]

9. They may as well be "mum," for they have NO control over the oil market.

[Delphinus]

10. Congress is mum on the falling dollar too.

Or, if they're talking about it, I've not seen it.

[mountainvue]

11. Gee. I don't recall Congress being responsible

for gas prices while it was lead by the Republicans.

[brentspeak]

19. Exactly. This is more like a hit-piece against the Democrats than anything else.

[Solar_Power]

14. Even DailyKos is sponsored by Chevron these days

Just see his site. Makes me sick,