Saudis unlikely to give Bush the lowered oil prices he'll plead for

[babylonsister]

Saudi smile likely for Bush on oil plea, not more
Mon May 12, 2008

By Tabassum Zakaria - Analysis

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President George W. Bush will likely receive little more than a smile and handshake when he asks Saudi Arabia to help lower oil prices during a visit to Riyadh this week to commemorate 75 years of a relationship that has developed fissures in the last decade.

Oil prices keep climbing to record highs, threatening to push the U.S. economy into recession, and economic issues are a top concern for American voters during this presidential election year when they will choose a successor to Bush.

Bush is scheduled to meet Saudi King Abdullah at his private farm on Friday to mark the 75th anniversary of the formal establishment of U.S.-Saudi relations.

His visit to Riyadh will follow a stop in Israel to mark the 60th anniversary of the Jewish state's creation, and precedes a stop in Egypt for talks with Palestinian leaders.

more...

http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSN0948939820080512?sp=true

[Prisoner_Number_Six]

1. What makes 'em think he's gonna "plead" for LOWER prices???

They wanna suck every penny possible from us before they're done.

[babylonsister]

5. I bet he's grasping at straws to try and improve his 'legacy'. Why

take this trip otherwise? He hasn't ever been too keen on diplomacy.

[Liberal Veteran]

2. How could they lower them? How will they pay for an imported marble spa for their 767

...if the prices are lowered. They might have to skip on the cashmere upholstery if they do that.

[dysfunctional press]

3. didn't he once say something about how he'd tell the saudis to open up the spigot if he were potus?

well...? :shrug:

[babylonsister]

4. He's tried and they're ignoring him. How the 'mighty' have fallen. Too

bad it's really not all about him.

[dysfunctional press]

7. it's not so much that they're ignoring him, as it is that they can't really pump it any faster...

without ruining the fields...that are already in decline. probably DEEP decline.

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

6. Two slimeballs, but one hold all the cards.

Thanks, Dumbya.

[scarletwoman]

8. This is nothing more than a pantomine for the plebes.

Bush and the Saudis are just gonna hang out together and have a big fat laugh.

[dflprincess]

9. Yup

n/t

[scarletwoman]

12. You'd think that people would have figured this out by now... (nt)

[Arctic Dave]

10. If he does "jawbone"them into raising production levels

and the price drops won't that mean that the oil companies have been lying about the high prices being the fault of the speculators, lack of refinement capacity, etc.?

[Warpy]

11. It aint their problem

What Stupid needs to do is release oil from the Strategic Reserve to glut the market and knock the futures price down and then staple his lips together so he's not tempted to priss around talking about war against Iran, to keep it down.

Unfortunately, he's protecting his hedge fund buddies who are gaming the commodities markets by bloating the Strategic Reserve with expensive oil while talking up a war he hasn't got the military to fight to scare people into taking oil at those prices.

[scarletwoman]

17. Thank you for a very sensible post. (nt)

[Canuckistanian]

13. Well, I'm shocked

No, wait, that's not the word....

[Somawas]

14. Trip isn't a total waste.

He can slip Abdullah some tongue again.

[curious one]

15. My prediction: oil prices will go down after Nov. election and Dems

occupying WH. Till then, we suffer.

[AlCzervik]

16. why would they? We're addicted and they're our dealer.

we need rehab in a bad way and then we say goodbye to our old lives and the people in them that enabled our habit.