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Soaring gas cost may mean worry for Bush, GOP
Sacramento Bee ^ | 4/24/6 | James Rosen

Posted on 04/24/2006 8:03:31 AM PDT by SmithL

Prices at the pump are third in list of top U.S. worries in poll.

WASHINGTON - Unseasonably high gasoline prices are causing a new political headache for the White House and Republican lawmakers already on edge as they head into their re-election campaigns.

President Bush's sagging approval ratings over the Iraq war and a host of other problems have led him to begin a White House staff shake-up. New polling data suggest the rising cost of gas could cause more political damage.

Three-quarters of Americans said they disapprove of Bush's handling of the gas price surge, according to an ABC News/Washington Post poll.

Fuel and oil prices jumped to third place - behind Iraq and immigration - in a Gallup Poll survey asking Americans to rate the country's most pressing problems.

One problem for Bush is that oil traders' fears of geopolitical instability have been fueled by his major foreign policy initiatives - first in Iraq, where the war is into its fourth year, and now in Iran, which is defying warnings from Bush and other world leaders over its nuclear ambitions.

Fifteen Democratic senators, including Dianne Feinstein of California, wrote Bush on Tuesday, asking him to convene an emergency energy summit and to back legislation dealing with price gouging.

"In the absence of leadership or cooperation from your administration, we will soon be moving ahead with our own set of real solutions, which will spur the kind of innovation and investment America needs to secure its energy future for the 21st century," the senators wrote.

Republican lawmakers, meanwhile, have shown little interest in Bush's appeal, in his State of the Union speech this year, to reduce Americans' dependence on foreign oil by investing in alternative fuel technologies. Such initiatives could bring down gasoline prices in the long term, but...

(Excerpt) Read more at sacbee.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Extended News; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: bluestatewhine; drillanwarnow; energy; gas; malaise; thissweaterishot
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To: jneesy
no just a weeeeee bit more

Whats a weeeeeeee bit more?

61 posted on 04/24/2006 9:30:06 AM PDT by jec41 (Screaming Eagle)
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To: trubluolyguy
Republicans ARE responsible for the high gas prices in that they refuse to take action that would reduce the price of gasoline. Gasoline taxes could be suspended or permanently reduced. Regulations could be eased or eliminated. Oil companies could be granted immunity from lawsuits regarding the MTE standards.
62 posted on 04/24/2006 9:33:55 AM PDT by Ol' Sparky
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To: jec41

So clearly, ANWAR is not a solution, simply a political tool to hammer the opposition.


63 posted on 04/24/2006 9:36:01 AM PDT by zarf (It's time for a college football playoff system.)
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To: The Mighty Kong

"Oh, wait. The Dim's don't control Congress. Well, it's still their fault! "

LOl.. Sounds like we can blame alot of people. China, Saudi Arabia, Gas Guzzlers, tree huggers, democrats and the republican congress.. I have to wonder if Ethanol would really be cheaper or would the price of that go up and surpass what we currently pay for gas due to increased demand ?


64 posted on 04/24/2006 9:44:08 AM PDT by Independentamerican2 (Senior at Uni of MD)
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To: tractorman

Oil that won't be delivered for eight years is not going to affect the price of oil that is going to be delivered in June.


65 posted on 04/24/2006 9:57:18 AM PDT by Rutles4Ever
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To: mysterio

Yeah, I'll bet the price "crashes" all the way to $2.60 a gallon before they start their "here come the hurricanes" propaganda and drive it right back up.

Did you see how much Exxon's profit increased year over year..CEO recieved a 400 million retirement package..Can someone here educate me how Exxon posted record profits last year ? Was it due to just increased demand ?


66 posted on 04/24/2006 10:01:14 AM PDT by Independentamerican2 (Senior at Uni of MD)
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To: SmithL
Soaring gas cost may mean worry for Bush, GOP

Probably worried their kickbacks won't be proportionate.

67 posted on 04/24/2006 10:04:08 AM PDT by eskimo (Political groupies - rabid defenders of the indefensible.)
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To: Independentamerican2

The real cost of a barrel of oil increased slightly while the speculators drove up the market price exponentially using uncertainty and natural disasters. We haven't built a new refinery in 30 years, and in fact, we've closed some while demand has continued to grow.


68 posted on 04/24/2006 10:10:32 AM PDT by mysterio
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To: zarf

It might help a little but its far from a solution. At present there is no solution.


69 posted on 04/24/2006 10:14:46 AM PDT by jec41 (Screaming Eagle)
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To: zarf
1 year of oil in ANWAR?

Yes, but it will take ten years to pump it out.

70 posted on 04/24/2006 10:26:19 AM PDT by RightWhale (Off touch and out of base)
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To: Ol' Sparky

Gasoline taxes could be suspended or permanently reduced.



Didn't you get the memo? The Democrats won't let them do anything like this.


71 posted on 04/24/2006 10:28:53 AM PDT by trubluolyguy (It wasn't the spikes that kept Him on the cross.)
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To: defenderSD

That tariff will help to mature the ethanol market here at home though.


72 posted on 04/24/2006 10:35:58 AM PDT by P-40 (http://www.590klbj.com/forum/index.php?referrerid=1854)
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To: 1Old Pro
failure of any kind of national energy policy over the past 25 years

Why stop at energy policy? Has any national policy in the past 25 years done any substantial good at all?

73 posted on 04/24/2006 10:36:32 AM PDT by RightWhale (Off touch and out of base)
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To: Ol' Sparky
Oil companies could be granted immunity from lawsuits regarding the MTE standards.

The MTBE protection, which an oil company should not have to need, failed already.
74 posted on 04/24/2006 10:38:26 AM PDT by P-40 (http://www.590klbj.com/forum/index.php?referrerid=1854)
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To: Independentamerican2
record profits

Are you asking about gross or net profits?
75 posted on 04/24/2006 10:40:20 AM PDT by P-40 (http://www.590klbj.com/forum/index.php?referrerid=1854)
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To: 2ndClassCitizen
Don't worry W and Congress passed that giant energy bill not six months ago.

The one with no new drilling, no new refineries and let did not simplify the number of distilling grades.

But it did have some 70,000 pages of 'give aways' and tax breaks ....just wait it'll help ....any minute now.
76 posted on 04/24/2006 10:47:04 AM PDT by Blackirish (Hillary is angry AND brittle.)
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To: Blackirish

It really hurts to acknowledge that you are essentially correct.


77 posted on 04/24/2006 1:26:14 PM PDT by 2ndClassCitizen
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To: defenderSD

Or heck, just EO the reformulation away.


78 posted on 04/24/2006 3:47:07 PM PDT by kenth
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To: zarf
Isn't there just 1 year of oil in ANWAR?

ANWR (only one "A") would supply up to 10% or more of the oil we import today. And that amount would flow for about 20 years.

Addendum to The Effects of the Alaska Oil and Natural Gas Provisions of H.R. 4 and S. 1766 on U.S. Energy Markets

US Imports

Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, 1002 Area, Petroleum Assessment, 1998, Including Economic Analysis

79 posted on 04/24/2006 3:47:30 PM PDT by thackney (life is fragile, handle with prayer)
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To: trubluolyguy

Last time I checked, the Republicans hold a majority in both houses of Congress and could reduce or eliminate gasoline taxes if they choose to. If the Democrats want to filibuster that, let 'em.


80 posted on 04/28/2006 1:58:39 PM PDT by Ol' Sparky
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