Remember This? Governor Bush in 2000: Jawbone OPEC

[Phred42]

Remember This? Governor Bush in 2000

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0001/26/se.02.html

First in the Nation: The New Hampshire Debates -- GOP Presidential Candidates Square off

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: I am Wolf Blitzer in Manchester, New Hampshire.

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BROWN: Governor Bush, last week in New Hampshire, the wind chill temperature dropped in some places to 30 below. Also last week, home heating oil prices spiked 40 percent to where it now averages $1.72 a gallon. There are shortages of heating oil and kerosene and diesel fuel.

Yesterday, Energy Secretary Bill Richardson said he would not tap U.S. strategic petroleum reserves in order to drive down prices, saying those reserves are for emergencies. But given the shortages that exist, do you consider this an appropriate time to tap those reserves?

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

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

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

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NOW IN 2008


Bush’s Energy Policy: Begging for More Oil

http://www.alternet.org/blogs/peek/73941/
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As Hillary Clinton noted in last night's Democratic debate, Bush has been reduced to pathetically begging the Saudis to sell us more oil at nearly $100 per barrel.