Posted on 04/24/2006 8:03:31 AM PDT by SmithL
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 ...
Whats a weeeeeeee bit more?
So clearly, ANWAR is not a solution, simply a political tool to hammer the opposition.
"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 ?
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.
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 ?
Probably worried their kickbacks won't be proportionate.
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.
It might help a little but its far from a solution. At present there is no solution.
Yes, but it will take ten years to pump it out.
Gasoline taxes could be suspended or permanently reduced.
That tariff will help to mature the ethanol market here at home though.
Why stop at energy policy? Has any national policy in the past 25 years done any substantial good at all?
It really hurts to acknowledge that you are essentially correct.
Or heck, just EO the reformulation away.
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.
Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, 1002 Area, Petroleum Assessment, 1998, Including Economic Analysis
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.
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