[sgtbono2002]

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 S/

[PeteB570]

And they still ask me for money.

FOOLS

[Recovering_Democrat]

WHAT THESE GUTLESS WONDERS NEED TO DO IS...

use this occasion to point out how the liberals and NIMBYs in America are keeping the SUPPLY of oil low. Drilling in Alaska and off the coasts of Florida is needed to begin to increase the supply. Of course if "gouging" is going on it ought to be stopped if it is against the law...that isn't what is happening here.

Frist and Hastert need to do SEIZE THIS MOMENT TO EDUCATE the American people about what happens when the John Kerrys and the Hitlery Klintons are allowed to keep us more dependent on FOREIGN OIL.

Gee, if someone like me can figure this out, you'd think at least one conservative in D.C. can do the same.

[Paladin2]

Probes got fairly good fuel economy, but Frist should really be asking for a turbo-Diesel. Besides, wouldn't asking for a car be tantamount to seeking a bribe?

What the heck are these critters thinking? They all appear to be idiots.

[Nathan Zachary]

Maybe these "leaders" should spend the first 4 hours of their day on the trading floor on wall street. Then they won't have any questions, just a headache.

Just WTF do they expect the President to do? If they want cheap oil, get serious about fighting terrorism. Enough of this PC crap.

[Jeff Chandler]

Note to Senate: DRILL FOR OIL IN THE U.S., MORONS!!!!!!!!!!

[EBH]

"I like to keep the tanks full," he said. "but we have been sort of running them low lately. There's no gas shortage. It's logistics."

This has less to do with supply and demand and more to do with the Energy Policy Act of 2005. There is NO SHORTAGE it is simply the transition to ethanol laced fuel.

[goldstategop]

Republicans ought to be defending the free market. Instead, they shamelessly want to out demagogue the Democrats on oil. The oil companies are being rapped for making a profit. But as Rush said, don't look for the politicians to ever propose repealing federal taxes on gas.

(Denny Crane: "I Don't Want To Socialize With A Pinko Liberal Democrat Commie. Say What You Like About Republicans. We Stick To Our Convictions. Even When We Know We're Dead Wrong.")

[backhoe]

I just want to rip my hair out every time I see these demagoguing, pandering, economically-ignorant "critters" in Congress or the Senate hold yet another pointless, fruitless "hearing" where they browbeat oil company executives.

Allow me to drop out of Lurk and Link Mode for a brief bit of commentary- we all need to get serious about our dependency on foreign sources of energy, and use our own resources.

Our consumer-based economy is driven by and dependent on readily-available, reliable energy-- choke that off, and we'll all be back to using one rotary dial phone in the dining room, watching one TV, and driving one car per family-- probably a Hudson Hornet or a Rambler...

We need to

1) end the nonsensical ban on offshore drilling off California and Florida--read & weep:
Castro Plans to Drill 45 Miles from US Shores, But We Can't

2) build a lot of next-generation nuclear power plants, not just for electricity, but for any process requiring heat, power, or steam.
And if we replaced our existing nuclear plants with this one there would be significant benefits.

3) end Jimmy Carter's idiotic ban on recycling nuclear waste, and reprocess the stuff rather than fighting over where to bury it. Europe has done this for decades.-- what to do with spent nuclear fuel? Answer here: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1468321/posts?page=50#50 hattip:  Mike (former Navy Nuclear Engineer)

4) use the 300-500 years worth of coal we have on our own land, using the new clean-coal technology.
-Clean Coal Centre--

5) and finally, there's nothing wrong with conservation, we should all practice it- but you can't conserve your way out of a shortage. Nor is there anything wrong with "alternative" energy sources- except they don't supply the vast ( not to mention readily-available ) amounts of power we need at a price competitive to more conventional sources.

We do need to get serious about this before we get strangled by a bunch of petty thieves and dictators who don't like us much.

My tongue-in-cheek collection of energy-related links:

Sticker Shock-$3 a gallon gas? Click the picture:

And kindly note, and note well-- the first reply to this post ( when gas was $1.45 a gallon ) was derisive... so, who's laughing now? Drudge reported $4.04 a gallon gas in CA yesterday...can you say "$6.00 a gallon" class?

[ThreePuttinDude]

I keep getting mail requesting donations from local and
national GOP candidates/groups. Lately I've been saving
my cash gas receipts and sending them in the SASE's and
including a little note telling them that I've spent their
donations on GAS.

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

[tobyhill]

This is the best move the Republicans can make, don't target the free market system but target POSSIBLE problems and illegal activities within the free market system. This is where the Republicans can take the high road where the Rats only solution is to destroy the free market system.

[greasepaint]

the gasoline formula law, changes on May 6th.

that is a big part of the problem.

Bush could fix part of this, with the
stroke of a pen.

I urge him to do so.

I'm getting tired of this.

[Dustbunny]

Probe, what a joke.

DRILLING IS WHAT IS NEEDED !!!!!!

[johnny7]

Moe, Larry cheese... !

[georgia2006]

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

[facedown]

Every stinkin' spring, fer cryin' out loud.

[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.

[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

[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.