Bush in 2000: "I would work with our friends in OPEC to convince them to open up the spigot"

[sabra]

2000

http://www.nytimes.com/library/politics/camp/062800wh-bush.html

Bush Would Use Power of Persuasion to Raise Oil Supply

WAYNE, Mich., June 27 -- Gov. George W. Bush of Texas said today that if he was president, he would bring down gasoline prices through sheer force of personality, by creating enough political good will with oil-producing nations that they would increase their supply of crude.

"I would work with our friends in OPEC to convince them to open up the spigot, to increase the supply," Mr. Bush, the presumptive Republican candidate for president, told reporters here today. "Use the capital that my administration will earn, with the Kuwaitis or the Saudis, and convince them to open up the spigot."

Implicit in his comments was a criticism of the Clinton administration as failing to take advantage of the good will that the United States built with Kuwait and Saudi Arabia during the Persian Gulf war in 1991. Also implicit was that as the son of the president who built the coalition that drove the Iraqis out of Kuwait, Mr. Bush would be able to establish ties on a personal level that would persuade oil-producing nations that they owed the United States something in return.

"Ours is a nation that helped Kuwait and the Saudis, and you'd think we'd have the capital necessary to convince them to increase the crude supplies," he said.

2008

http://abcnews.go.com/US/GasCrisis/Story?id=4141964&page=2


Bush Asks Saudi King to Open Oil Spigots
Makes Personal Appeal After Public Rejection


<snip>

Earlier, Bush told ABC News' Terry Moran how he would lobby the king.

"I will say to him that, 'If it's possible, your majesty, consider what high prices is doing to one of your largest customers,'" Bush said. "In other words, the worst thing that can happen to an oil-producing nation is that the price of oil causes the economy to slow down, because that will inevitably lead to fewer purchases (of oil)."

Bush said he's worried about an economic slowdown in the United States and around the world because of those high oil prices.

"These are smart people. They know that the price of oil can affect our economy, and they know that if our economy weakens and there's less purchasing power that it will affect their ability to sell barrels of oil," the president said.

[liberal N proud]

1. He didn't say when he would ask them to pump more oil

He wanted to make sure he made his billions and his friends made their billions.

[sabra]

2. good point... and prolly the answer Bush would give if asked about his 2000 comments...

[liberal N proud]

6. He would more likely just act like he didn't make those comments

[sabra]

8. indeed. maybe even throw in a few "I don't recall" and "blame games"

[Virginia Dare]

7. Very true, "Mission Accomplished"...n/t

[wake.up.america]

3. As Hillary put it, "It's pathetic."

[Virginia Dare]

4. The Moran played the "jawbone" tape from 2000 on ABC last night..

during that piece....:rofl: The chimp really comes off like a Dickensian street urchin doesn't he, "if you please sir, may I have some more oil?"...:eyes:

[Beausoleil]

11. The maturing of the "President"

GWB, 2000 - "convince them to open up the spigot", smirk, smirk.

GWB, 2008 - "If it's possible, your majesty, ...", smooch, smooch.

[shain from kane]

5. "These are smart people." --- That's why they have a cartel, OPEC, you dumbass.

[Virginia Dare]

9. Also why they're playing him like a violin..

from what I've been reading this week, it's a pretty established belief among the Saudi Royals and most others in that circle that the dimson is a far cry from his Poppy. They basically have no use for him, but then again, not too many do anymore.

[ladjf]

10. At this point, the only discussions about Bush should be those

that are constructive toward his prosecution as a traitor, perjurer and war criminal. All other
comments about whatever he is saying or doing are a waste of time.

[gratuitous]

12. Looks like Bush's political capital is kind of worthless

The force of his personality seems to have ebbed quite a bit in the last few years as well.

Thanks so very much, Republicans, for this criminally clueless asshat you saddled our nation with.

[Wednesdays]

13. Maybe he meant the spigot to the beer barrel?

:shrug:

[HeraldSquare212]

14. Remember when his father asked them to decrease output? nt

[maxsolomon]

15. Pumping more kills their golden goose earlier

They've got nearly all our money & they're running out of things to cover in gold leaf. Supply won't increase until demand drops. And that ain't happening on this planet.

SA's supplies are finite. Peak Oil is here, your Sociopathicness.

[Ganja Ninja]

16. Failure once again.

At least he's consistent.

[Johonny]

17. Err

Isn't the price of oil so high because the value of the dollar is so low... and it was his plan not Saudi Arabia to devalue the dollar.

[MadHound]

18. I really don't think that it as simple as opening the spigot

I think that a great part of what's driving this is that the ME simply doesn't have the oil. Saudi Arabia is already pumping near capacity. There hasn't been a new well of any substantial size discovered for forty five years, and their old giants, like Ghawar, are drying up. This is happening throughout the ME. About the only place that it is known there are substantial reserves is Iraq, which is why we're there.

Other non-ME countries, like Venezuela have political and economic reasons for not opening the tap.

We as a country need to learn to live without oil, and start developing the alternatives and infrastructure that we'll need now. Otherwise this country will be collapsing in relatively short order.

[SammyWinstonJack]

19. Open up the spigots at $100/per barrel thus more profits for his oily bidness buds.

Time of your life, eh georgie? Rat bastards!

That quote by george regarding the price of oil affecting our economy and therefore affecting their ability to sell barrels of oil is rich coming from him. :eyes: