[SoFloFreeper]

Maxine, you remember, yearns to socialize the oil industry. The "Why So Socialist" JOKER is taking a step toward that dream today.

Democrats hate capitalism.

[woweeitsme]

This seems awful Carter-ish. Tell me...how did it turn out when Carter tried to regulate?

[Venturer]

It’s funny when Bush was President, gas prices were all the faultof he and his oil drilling pals.

Now with Obama it is someone elses fault and not his.

[Spok]

“Obama to pitch $52M plan to regulate oil markets”

Shortages, mismanagement, inefficiency, waste, apathy and corruption come immediately to mind.

[4yearlurker]

Say hello to gas lines again!

Odd or even?

[PGR88]

I’m convinced this sort of nonsense will carry on until the very day the US Gov’t goes bankrupt. Only then will it end.

[Army Air Corps]

Ping.

[abercrombie_guy_38]

I don’t know what his “plan” entails but someone needs to get to the bottom of the manipulation of the oil markets. That’s the primary reason why we’re seeing what’s been happening over the past couple of years. Investment banks and securities firms are making tons of money off of it and the American people being screwed.

[dennisw]

Yipee!!!!! More fat Federale paychecks for more dopes. Don’t bother applying if you are a white heterosexual male no-siree. These jobs in Obama’s new Petro-Administration are reserved for the usual affirmative buzzards that feast on your tax dollars....women, minorities, gays, trannies too I suppose

[Abundy]

Still, seeing a potential problem with speculators is not limited to Obama or Democrats or this election season. When gasoline hit $3 a gallon in 2006, George W. Bush launched an investigation, declaring Americans "don't want and will not accept ... manipulation of the market. And neither will I." Last year, as prices rose, Obama and Holder announced the creation of a task force to look into fraud in the energy markets.

So the third time is a charm?

I want to know which Obozo contributors will this enrich?

[3rdcoastislander]

Yep more government regulation is what we need! Just piss everyone off even more so they can drive up the price even more by speculating that these regulations will decrease production. Democrats are so eagar to throw away money it's ridiculous. Their only idea how to fix a problem is to throw money at it.

[Graewoulf]

Meanwhile the drumbeat of Dictator Obama grows louder:

regulate -— control -— destroy -— Regulate -— control -— destroy -— REgulate -— control -— destroy -— REGulate -— control -— destroy -— REGU

[tophat9000]

No Democrats love authoritarian dictatorship

[theBuckwheat]

But still no interest in properly regulating the silver market. Wonder why?

[pepsi_junkie]

Obama: "We've just got to do something about these gas prices, they're killing my chances! Any ideas?"

Hack #1: "Well, maybe open the gulf back up for drilling?"

Obama: "Are you crazy? Come on, people, serious ideas only!"

Hack #2: "Well, there was that whole keystone pipeline thing..."

Obama: "Now I'm getting mad. What is that thing, a vampire? I thought I put a stake in it's heart but it keeps coming back."

Hack #3: "I just don't see how we can do much without imposing a stifling beurocracy and excessive regulations..."

Obama: "Finally a good idea! Regulations! Fantastic!"

Hack #3: "But wait, I meant that would be bad"

Obama: "Not now, I'm on a roll! Quick, let's get a press release together, we're going to regulate!"

[ExTxMarine]

Oil speculation is only PART of the problem! INFLATION is the BIGGEST cause for our current gas prices!

A barrel of oil is selling for about $102 - which is only about $20 more than when Obama took office! This Administration has printed money at such a rate that the American dollar is not as valuable and oil is traded in American dollars!

This attempt to regulate speculation is nothing more than a ploy and distraction and BS! He is trying to act like he is doing something - and he already has - he created the INFLATION!

[bgill]

Dear Leader taking over the natural gas industry Friday and today it’s gasoline.

Tick, tick, tick.

[Texas Songwriter]

Did Obama just validate Mrs. Palin and Mr. Bolin by taking their advise on increasing margin on oil futures? I think he did. But, but, but,....Palin, they say, is ignorant and out of touch with no real life or managereal experience. How can the left, any more, criticize Palin as ignorant. They are duplicitous and corrupt and intriguers....also they are pricks.

[goodnesswins]

I couldn't BELIEVE this when I heard it this morning....Obomba must be getting skeered.....I SPY Radio talked with Dr. Fine about this last Saturday....and speculation was that he wouldn't pull this out until August or September....AND furthermore....THERE is NO NEED to spend ANY money....the DEMOCRATS have been BARRING the COMMISSION from taking action on the Speculators....see my colleague's comments below:

Obama could have fixed this two years ago. He's been sitting on the solution until he can score political points off of it. Here's the thing:

Oil speculators DO affect the price; however, speculation itself is not bad. That's normal market forces. The real issue is that, currently, speculators can buy oil contracts on very low margins, literally pennies on the dollar. So there's no risk--they can buy, say, $10 million in oil contracts for $500,000, sit on it and wait for the price to go up. The Dodd-Frank bill, passed TWO YEARS AGO, gave the Commodity Futures Trading Commission the authority to raise the margins or eliminate them all together. However, the CFTC has 5 members: 3 D's (one of which appointed by Obama) and two R's, and the D's have been purposefully delaying implementing the new rules on margins.

Once again, the R's miss the point because they were looking in the wrong direction. They've been out there saying it's Obama's policies, and now he's going to swoop in and "solve" the problem.

And get a $52 million slush fund on top of it (after all, why does he need $52 million to do something the CFTC already has the authority to do?).