Posted on 04/24/2006 4:59:57 AM PDT by FerdieMurphy
SAN JOSE -- As oil prices hit a record, drivers worried about $3-a-gallon gas and politicians feared the impact on elections, President Bush on Friday acknowledged the pain but seemed resigned to being able to do little about it.
"I know the folks here are suffering at the gas pump," the president said while promoting his competitiveness initiative at the Silicon Valley headquarters of Internet networking company Cisco Systems Inc. "Rising gasoline prices is like taking a _ is like a tax, particularly on the working people and the small-business people."
But to address the immediate problem, Bush offered only a pledge that "if we find any price gouging it will be dealt with firmly."
Bush said that lowering America's dependance on foreign oil imports will help reduce the country's vulnerability to global oil price fluctuations. On Saturday, the president was pushing his proposals to boost spending to develop alternative energy sources, particularly hydrogen-fueled cars.
Critics say Bush's ideas are too modest and focus on solutions that are far from being a reality in the marketplace.
Crude-oil prices broke through $75 a barrel Friday amid concerns about the standoff over Iran's nuclear ambitions, rebel disruptions of oil production in Nigeria, and tight U.S. gasoline supplies. Analysts say they are likely to climb even higher.
Prices at the gas pump also kept rising and were not considered at their peak, with the average price of a gallon of unleaded regular gasoline at $2.855. That's 3 cents higher than a day earlier and more than 60 cents higher than a year ago, according to AAA's daily fuel gauge report.
Democratic efforts to score political points by focusing on gas prices have Republicans worried that their majority in Congress could be at risk in the fall midterm elections.
High gas prices were hardly the only problem facing Bush's White House as he embarked on a four-day swing to California and Las Vegas. He was traveling with new chief of staff Joshua Bolten, charged with reinvigorating a White House rocked by public discontent with the Iraq war and a series of missteps ranging from an ill-fated Supreme Court nomination to a bungled response to Hurricane Katrina.
Bush's poll ratings are at their lowest point. Hundreds of protesters called for his resignation near the Cisco compound where he spoke.
Even his trip put the president squarely in the middle of a federal-state dustup.
Bush decided not to grant the pre-emptive federal disaster declaration sought for California's fragile levees by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, a Republican who faces a tough re-election fight and has had a chilly relationship with Bush. Instead, the president is allowing the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to help speed repairs at the state's expense.
Bush seemed aware of the precarious political landscape.
When Bush turned the microphone at Cisco over to Schwarzenegger, the governor said, "First of all, I want to say congratulations."
"For what?" asked the president, appearing genuinely surprised.
The governor, who had discussed the levee issue during a limousine ride with Bush, replied that he was glad to see the president "really paying attention" to the competitiveness issue.
Afterward, Bush talked privately with scholars from Stanford University's Hoover Institution, including former Secretary of State George P. Shultz, a Hoover fellow and early defender of the use of pre-emptive force to deal with Saddam Hussein's regime in Iraq.
Plans to hold the meeting at the Hoover Institution were scuttled when protesters blocked Bush's motorcade from going through the only entrance. Shultz, who was already hosting a private dinner for Bush later at his Palo Alto home, had the session moved to his two-story, gray-shingled house.
One reason for a weekend trip with a lot of downtime in beautiful places became clear even before Bush boarded Air Force One to leave Washington. Crew were seen loading two shiny mountain bikes _ one a red-white-and-blue Trek adorned with the presidential seal and "United States of America." With stays scheduled in picturesque Napa Valley and the Palm Springs area, the bikes weren't likely to remain clean for long.
"Tomorrow I'm going to be riding my bike in Napa Valley. I can't wait," Bush told his Cisco audience.
Before returning to Washington Monday night, Bush was making stops to raise money for the national Republican Party, visit with Marines and Navy sailors, and press Congress to break a logjam over the immigration legislation he wants.
I've had a number of similar such experiences. They're just getting their lifestyle subsidized by the unwilling taxpayers with the full connivance of the government.
Then slowly they changed the way execs were paid and rewarded and they earned their money off the backs of the workers who took on more and more responsibility as people were laid off or not replaced when they quit.
When they reached the point that didn't create even larger bonuses they started oursourcing (Jack Welch) and then insisting anyone doing business with them oursource and then other companies to remain competitive oursourced and the CEO's were rewarded with larger bonuses and retirement packages, and the American Middle Class.... they were left holding the bag, sure they can shop cheaper at Wal Mart, but I bet most would say they would rather buy more expensive goods and still have good, solid, well-paying jobs.
"They look down on the working man as a fool ans trot out gay marraige every election to rile people up."
So what does it say about "the base", that it always seems to work?
Clinton crucified him with "Its the economy, stupid".
C-span does not archive 1989. So you will have to go to your local library.
Clinton crucified him with "Its the economy, stupid".
C-span does not archive 1989. So you will have to go to your local library.
Then why even make the comment in 2000? My guess was two things: Inferring the current President was too weak and didn't have the contacts to have enough muscle to make things happen and when President he could make something happen.
Now we're left with the old saw of options are limited for the most powerful man in the world. I knew that back in 2000. Didn't the man who made the comment realize that or was it simply a sound bite?
AGain, in 2000 it was market forces. Candidate Bush suggested market forces could be influenced by him contacting OPEC folks to produce more supply.
It's especially hard for people who don't get that reimbursement.
Agreed, but rare to the tune of $400 million? Taking away a portion of this guy's retirement package alone would go a long way towards building a much-need refinery, or exploring alternate energy sources . . .
Nope, you asserted he said this; the burden of proof is on you.
Serious question: when there was a gas cost problem during the term of Bubba and the Hildebeast, I remember some comment about them taking the tax off the price of gas for a few months? Did they actually do this or was it lip service and just a coincidence that gas prices went down after that?
To be honest, I think it worked in the past but will not work in 06' or 08'.
Too many of us realize the ruse they pulled, especially in 04'. We were played for fools like never before.
The hispanderer in chief literally had an army of hundreds of thousands of volunteers, like myself, twice, go out in the streets for him. What did he do as a pay back? In early 05', he gave his "political capital" speech and proceeded to push his scamnesty disaster. From that point, he was a dead duck, not a lame duck. Look at his poll numbers, it started downward early in 05' when he started with scamnesty.
If I remember right, they released some of the oil reserver and it did bring prices down a bit.
So it's ok for the major oil companies to price gouge us all day long, but if the little guy at the local gas station tries it, well: "if we find any price gouging it will be dealt with firmly." This according to "Mr. nothing I can do."
Its a lot easier to go after a gas station owner than a huge company that make a lot of political donations.
The point is that it seems like no one is at the helm of the S.S. America.
There is no such thing as price gouging. (except in taxes) No one FORCES you to buy gas at any particular place. Go to the cheapest place. If you don't like the price buy less or none. Take public transport - ride a bicycle - drive less - spend less money on other things etc.
See, that's the thing . . .We can point out here on FR that the lack of refineries is one of the reasons gas prices are so high, and that refineries are expensive and difficult to build. All well and good---makes perfect sense. But in the end, as evidenced by a $400 million investment in one man's retirement fund over a $400 million investment in a refinery, it's apparent oil companies are simply uninterested in building more refineries. They like things the way they are.
We tout the market here on FR, but forget the market is not a vacuum---its forces are very unscientific and are easily manipulated by human beings. Oil companies are not unhappy that gasoline prices are extremely high. They could give a sh*t about finding a way out of this "crisis."
I'm not characterizing whether China has an obligation to do something about it and we don't. I'm just observing that China must have been cool to any overtures regarding global conservation (if it even came up, and I can't believe it didn't).
I have a hard time believing that "global conservation" of any kind would have come up in those meetings. In fact, for the U.S. to even suggest that global conservation of anything is a good idea is so silly it's childish.
That's exactly the way it should be. You are at the helm of the S.S. Chris1, I am at the helm of the S.S. Alberta's Child, and this country would be a hell of a lot better off if more people took control of their own lives and started piloting their own ships.
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