Leaders Question Gasoline Prices (Hastert, Frist to ask for Probe)

Washington Post ^ | April 21, 2006 | Steven Mufson and Timothy Dwyer

[Harrius Magnus]

SEIZE THIS MOMENT TO EDUCATE...


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That would require LEADERSHIP (a quality found in STATESMEN), something that takes much more thought and time, than simple demagoguery. We will continue to lose as long as we play the left's game

[Dan Evans]

History often turns of perception, rather than reality.

It would be better to educate people so that their perceptions coincide with reality rather than to reinforce false perceptions. Or have the RINOs gone off the deep end with the liberals in believing there is no such thing as absolute truth?

[Coldwater Creek]

Don't forget OPEC has a hand in this as well.

[Harrius Magnus]

You speak the truth, and the truth will set you free...

[Dan Evans]

When gas goes to 6 or 8 bucks a gallon, it all right because 'they' have the supply and 'we' have the demand? It's just the free market at work so it's a ok...

You can't change laws of economics any more than you can change the laws of gravity. If you pass a law limiting the price of gasoline, you will immediately create a shortage.

So you have a choice. Long gas lines or high prices.

Then only way to fix it is to increase the supply or reduce the demand.

[Dan Evans]

You should lurk less and post more.

[johnny7]

Moe, Larry cheese... !

[Dan Evans]

I also told them if they want my donation to the GOP, do something about the GAS GOUGING.

Whatever the government does about gas price will hurt a lot more than it does now. Price controls will result in long gas lines (how much is your time worth).

Some fools want to raise taxes on gasoline. Jimmy Carter tried that. He wasn't re-elected.

[georgia2006]

they ought to probe themselves for requiring Ethanol and not giving protection to MTBE

[facedown]

Every stinkin' spring, fer cryin' out loud.

[backhoe]

Thank you both... I try to subscribe to that old theory, better to keep your mouth shut and be thought a fool than open it and remove all doubt...

[Unicorn]

Go for it.

[meyer]

Oh goody - nothing like throwing a bit of politics into the mix. That'll get us cheap gas.

If these idiots really wanted to help the situation, they would open up Alaska to more drilling, and streamline the pile of regulatory BS that is preventing the building of any new refineries. Oh, and get rid of the overreaching environazi policies that require wasting good ethanol on cars.

[meyer]

One other point - as expensive as my gasoline bill is every month, it is absolutely insignificant in comparison the the huge amount of tax dollars that the federal government steals from my paycheck. I may pay almost $1000 for gas for this entire year. Income tax alone is much larger than that, not including social security tax and all the other excise and sales taxes that dot-gov gets to steal from me (primarily to buy liberal voters).

[Moby Grape]

I agree that this issue CAN be turned on the Dems (but you and I both know how inept the GOP is with such a task) Dems are FAR better at exploiting an issue (plus that have media's help).

However, I am finding in my conservative circles much suspicion THIS time towards big oil, even anger. Bush's downward poll numbers, as some have pointed out, follow the up tick of gas prices. The prices spiked considerably before crude prices began their rise....I am, and continue to be, a FREE market guy, but there is something amiss here....the prices began rising before the crude prices, so I want to know why....Big Oil could be handing control of Congress to the Dems by this.

I am convinced that Frist and Hassert are making this move BECAUSE they are HEARING from GOPers, not simply picture posing for the media.

[NELSON111]

It would seem that a lot of the Congress are as stupid as the rest of us in here for believing gas companies may be gouging us. Maybe we should heva some of our free marketers go have a talk with them.Its just supply and demand

Or maybe we should send some of those same people and they could tell them that if you are "tired of paying for high gas prices, you should open your OWN oil and gas company."

Which is MORE BRILLANT and (very)practical advice. /sarcasm

After all, we can ALL open our OWN oil company. Right?

[greasepaint]

prices go up in spring,
because federal law changes the content
of summer gasoline

Bush could make this beter, with the stroke
of a pen

[Moby Grape]

I am hearing reports from some of the financial gurus that futures investment is the single largest contributor to the spike in prices (don't know if this is true). IF this is true, it should be investigated...there COULD be some players interested in getting DEMS elected that are pouring money into the futures.

The last spike was caused, the experts said, but the Hurricanes effect upon distribution and refining....so if the prices fell again to below $2.00 (briefly), and there are NO hurricanes, no winter storms, and crude prices had fallen, then WHY have the prices spiked, sometimes more than 20 cents per gallon over a three day period....there is SOMETHING else at play....I want to know what...and so do VOTERS.

[verity]

" instruct the Environmental Protection Agency to issue waivers that might make it easier for oil refiners to produce adequate gasoline supplies, Hastert spokesman Ron Bonjean said."

Let's see: Congress is criticizing the EPA for implementing the laws that Congress passed.

[dalereed]

"...because the DEMS WILL and they are already making gas prices a campaign issue."

It's the democraps constituants that are being hurt by high gas prices.

Personally I would benefit if prices went even higher and a lot of the democraps constituants got parked by lack of funds to fuel their cars and greatly improved traffic.