Posted on 08/14/2006 8:04:30 AM PDT by Dane
RENTON, Wash. -- The evening rush hour has begun in earnest, and "Gas Pump Man," a comic book-like character with a costume made of foam, is on the scene, waving his pump and urging harried drivers to honk if they want lower gas prices.
By his side are volunteers for Darcy Burner, the Democratic challenger to Republican U.S. Rep. Dave Reichert in this suburban Seattle district, holding a homemade banner urging motorists to "Tell Congressman Reichert to take back the $14 billion in subsidies he gave to big oil."
In the battle for Congress, the high price of gasoline has become a rallying cry for Democratic candidates eager to prove Republican indifference to voters' economic concerns, as well as incompetence in addressing complicated, long-term challenges facing the nation.
"It's obviously incredibly frustrating for lots and lots of people," said Burner, 35, a former Microsoft executive and a newcomer to politics. "And it's particularly frustrating when we have an administration that absolutely refuses to do anything constructive about it."
snip
Republicans complain that Democrats are the "party of no," voting against one bill after another intended to boost the energy supply, increase refinery capacity and stabilize gas prices. Democrats, on the other hand, blame the GOP for giving billions of dollars in subsidies to the very oil companies earning record profits out of American pockets.
"I think Americans are rightly concerned about high energy prices, but I think it is the Republicans who, over the last 25 years, have voted consistently to increase the supply, increase the funding for alternative sources, while it was Democrats who stood in the way of more production, more refining capacity at each and every turn in the legislative process," said House Majority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio).
(Excerpt) Read more at chicagotribune.com ...
Oh that's correct, Clinton's veto of drilling in ANWR is Bush's fault as was monica and hillary's shrill voice, according to you all in the MSM.
A federal level effort by republicans to temporarily suspend the federal gas tax would probably kill whatever marginal poll numbers the dems are getting on the issue...
didn't Al Gore and his supporters call for $5 a gallon gas in that Earth in the Lurch book???
The federal gas tax IIRC, is about 18 cents a gallon(per the avg. of 43 cents per gallon tax levied on every gallon of gas(i.e state and local gas taxes are more than 50% of taxes levied on a gallon of gas).
That would be a good start(getting rid of the federal gas tax), but also a good idea would be to spur more drilling and that seems to get left out by some on these threads.
"how come no mention of Clinton's veto 10 years ago(1996) of drilling in ANWR, which would mean by now 1,000,000 barrels of oil on the market today. "
Time for the RNC to start hammering the RATS with that.
I think ultimatly we need more refineries, supplies are in good shape.
I'd love to see both state federal and local taxes repealed or suspended, but I think simply suspending the federal tax (through what would be a mostly or exclusivly republican effort) would knock out any chance the dems have of capitalizing on gas prices as a political issue.
Exactamundo
But, they want the gov. to get the money not evil corporations.
And just how much OIL has the Democratic Party produced with its policies? Snake Oil excepted!
How is it going to help Democrats when gas hits their $5 per gallon target?
You are correct, that is a good economic and PR move, and I think that it would pass the House(now that highway to nowhere baron Bud Schuster is retired) but the Senate is another bird(mccain et al).
Can someone post a graph of gas prices from July 2004 thru December 2004?
I seem to remember a odd trend during that timeframe.
IIRC, on the NYMEX(where oil is traded) it was an upward spike, of course it would be tin foil to suggest that Soros and his allies were buying the market on such rumors as saudi king had a hangnail.
You make very good points but I'm afraid that the average American voter can't see past the gas pump.
Man, I hate to say this but it's looking more likely every day that they'll be referring to Nancy Peolosi as "Madame Speaker".
God help us; and pleae hurry.
I doubt that and your believing the MSM word as "'the word of God" .
We shall see in November.
Currently we consume 20,463,000 barrels per day of petroleum products.
We send 15,996,000 barrels per day to US refineries.
We only produce 5,100,000 barrels per day of crude oil in the US. We also send some Natural Gas liquids to the refineries.
Which do you believe is the bigger shortfall, US oil production or US refining?
If we add 1,000,000 barrels per day to our oil production, we will reduce our imports by 1,000,000 barrels per day.
If we add 1,000,000 barrels per day to our refining capacity, we will import less refined products but offset it by importing more crude oil to send to those refineries.
We need to increase them both, but the low oil production is sending those royalty dollars to fund foreign governments instead of our own.
No democrat proposal yet would help me a bit. They do nothing to lower prices at the pump. They are only interested in getting more money for the government.
The problem the rat has on gas prices is simple: simple minded people that is. The ash holes who don't know that the rat is the cause of the oil shortages are already in the rat's rank and file. People who actually vote are more likely to understand who is really at fault. "High" gas prices have not hurt before, I don't see them doing so now. The rat's weakness on national security will over whelm EVERY OF ISSUE. PERIOD!
Prices always drop after Labor Day. Less demand.
Gas prices are critical to our success in November, not with RATS (they were not going to vote for our candidates, anyway) but rather with GOP and independent voters in what is now called ex-urbia (commuters in SUVs beyond the suburbs).
If they fail to show up at the polls, that is a big problem for the GOP.
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