Dems, GOP trade shots over gas prices

The Hill ^ | June 14, 2008 | Mike Soraghan

[jazusamo]

Congressional Democrats and Republicans used their Saturday radio addresses to continue their war of words about gasoline prices, each accusing the other of blocking efforts to reduce the cost of fuel. Rep. Peter Roskam (R-Ill.) said Republicans want to increase domestic energy production, clear the bureaucratic path for new refineries, push for more nuclear plants to generate electricity and enact tax breaks for “green” homes.

But he said Democratic leaders who control Congress have refused to advance the energy legislation he has introduced.

“Rather than hearing bipartisan solutions, the Democrats have insisted on a partisan agenda absent of any solutions that would bring real relief to the American people,” Roskam said.

Senate Democrats tapped a father of three from Auburn, N.Y., to make the case that their efforts to repeal tax subsidies for oil companies, enact tax incentives for development of alternative energy and fight climate change is the best response to the rising cost of gasoline.

Jeff Alberici said the cost to fill up his gas tank has doubled and the family’s weekly grocery bill has shot from $125 to $200.

“Republicans are spending their time blocking Democrats from getting anything done at all, including those three bills to lower energy costs,” Alberici said. “And that’s the difference: Democrats are trying to change things, but Republicans only want more of the same old ideas that got us into this mess in the first place.”

The average price of gas Saturday was $4.07, according to AAA, $1.04 higher than a year ago.

The two parties have been sniping back and forth as the price has shot up. Republicans have dubbed the run-up in prices since House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) took office in January 2007 “the Pelosi Premium.”

Democrats say prices started going up after President Bush took office and have started highlighting the petroleum background of Bush and Vice President Cheney.

“Two oil men in the White House, cost of oil four times higher, price at the pump $4 a gallon,” Pelosi said last week.

Democrats also scored against Republicans when it was revealed that a favored Republican talking point in the debate – that Chinese are drilling off the Cuban coast 60 miles from Florida – is false. Cheney, who’d used the line in a recent speech, issued a statement acknowledging the error. Pelosi is pressing Republican leaders to do the same.

[MNJohnnie]

Go ahead and do the enitre Democrat agenda on Energy. You will not decrease gas prices a $.01 You will in fact increase prices since the Democrat proposal would put additional regulatory roadblocks in the way of domestic Energy production.

[jazusamo]

Exactly...Don’t know how they can keep a straight face when they keep trying to push their supposed plan through.

[MNJohnnie]

Democrats also scored against Republicans when it was revealed that a favored Republican talking point in the debate – that Chinese are drilling off the Cuban coast 60 miles from Florida

So a bunch of Leftist bloggers who have been screaming this line with utterly NO evidence to back it up are suppose to know what is going on according to AP but CNN and the Times does not? Is this what the Democrat Press is claiming today? That CNN and the Times are wrong and their tame partisan bloggers are correct? Let turn this around. Yo Leftists, prove these reports wrong. Don't just claim it, provide your proof.

http://money.cnn.com/2006/05/09/news/economy/oil_cuba/index.htm

[rabscuttle385]

Yo Leftists, prove these reports wrong. Don't just claim it, provide your proof.

The problem is that the leftists believe that the laws of logic are whatever they say they are. And, in that scenario, by definition, whatever they say is right, no proof needed, while you are wrong.

[jazusamo]

I remember that piece, glad you linked it.

[gidget7]

Semantics! The Chinese WILL BE drilling off the coast as soon as the rigs are up and running. They have the ok, and they will.

Guess Pelosi doesn't see the rigs sitting there being worked on or maybe she thinks they are building them for the exercise, who knows. The point is, they will be any day. Were those our rigs, I would be saying we are drilling. Saying it's a lie is just another demoncrap propaganda tool. Twisting and distorting is all they know how to do.

It strikes me as way to coincidental by far, that the dnc's donations come from elitists, and people who do not work for a living. The rnc by and large gets theirs from working class Americans. Some may be rich, but the majority are not. These gas prices help the dnc in keeping money out of the middle and upper middle class hands, and out of the rnc's pot.

[chris_bdba]

“Exactly...Don’t know how they can keep a straight face when they keep trying to push their supposed plan through.”

I just said this same thing to my Dh a short time ago. How in the world can they say some of these things without laughing?

[Myrddin]

The RATS hornswoggled a useful idiot to spew their lies this week. Everything the RATS have on the table is about punishing the energy producers with punitive taxation and squeezing the consumers by telling them to get along with less. The typical leftist approach of managing shortages instead of producing surpluses.

[Jacquerie]

Last year's Shamnesty bill was in the bag, guaranteed to pass. Until, that is, the people stood up and overwhelmed our Congress-critters with phone calls, faxes and emails.

We can do again. The old saying is true - When politicians feel the heat, they see the light. We must keep up the pressure to kick start domestic energy production.

[Myrddin]

“Two oil men in the White House, cost of oil four times higher, price at the pump $4 a gallon,” Pelosi said last week.

No mention is made of the two socialists in the leadership of the House and Senate. That is the real problem.

[Luke21]

Conservatism is something you believe. Liberalism is something you are. Therefore, it’s nearly impossible to convince a liberal of logic based truth.

[C210N]

The 'Rats plan is simply to furthur their agenda.

Raise taxes on oil companies, so the government gets their cut, and another chink in 'Rats preference to have a nationalized oil industry, as they take a stake in oil company profits.

Doing anything like more drilling, nuke plants, oil shale conversion, more refineries would only decrease prices, and cut into 'Rats share of the 'profits'.

[Earthdweller]

These gas prices help the dnc in keeping money out of the middle and upper middle class hands, and out of the rnc's pot.

This is so correct. It is also incorrect that it is the Dems or the pubs doing this to one or the other, it is both in concert against the public. Take a look at the lineup of those who refused to open up resources just this week.

Dems and pubs are milking the average American for all they are worth.

Mug shots...

Interior: MAJORITY

Chair: Norman D. Dicks (WA)

James P. Moran (VA)

Maurice D. Hinchey (NY)

John W. Olver (MA)

Alan B. Mollohan (WV)

Tom Udall (NM)

Ben Chandler (KY)

Ed Pastor (AZ)

Dave Obey (WI), Ex Officio

Minority Ranking Member:

Todd Tiahrt (KS)

John E. Peterson (PA)

Jo Ann Emerson (MO)

Virgil H. Goode, Jr. (VA)

Ken Calvert (CA)

Jerry Lewis (CA), Ex Officio

[jazusamo]

I agree, we should contact out Reps and keep the pressure on.

I emailed my two Sens and one Rep over a week ago who all just happen to be RATS. Only recieved a reply from one and that was a canned response that didn’t address a thing I asked about. Monday I will be calling all three and ask for specific answers.

[MNJohnnie]

“Two oil men in the White House, cost of oil four times higher, price at the pump $4 a gallon,” Pelosi said last week.

And of course none of the clowns pretending to be journalists bothered to say

Excuse us Ms Speaker, since you took over in Jan 2007 the price per gallon has almost doubled. That despite the Democrat promise in their "6 for 06" agenda to reduce gas prices.

[SERKIT]

My Energy Manifesto:

* Cease all ethanol production. It takes away from food production and the unintended consequence is higher food costs. As diesel prices go up, the cost of farming tips the balance of cost to make ethanol a bad idea. Just say "no" to ethanol! Even Jimmy Carter says that diverting farm production from food to fuel is dumb – even HE gets it. This will create only ONE "blend" of gasoline and will cease regional "boutique" blends (gasohols) which are stupid, costly, and meaningless. Trucking custom blends around the country is wasteful. Ethanol blends may actually lead to fewer miles to the gallon, and adds to the cost of production and transportation. Newer cars do not need oxygenated fuels.

* Lift the restrictions in order to drill for oil in Alaska, Gulf of Mexico, and other sites in the CONUS as a matter of national security.

* Encourage the petro industry to construct state-of-the-art refineries and/or retrofit current and dormant ones and crank up production for our newly-accessed oil in the CONUS.

* Make all “carbon credit” scams unlawful. Discrediting Algore should have been a slam-dunk a long time ago. Stop electing Reps who buy into the Global Warming / Global Cooling / Climate Change Hoax. CO2 is not our enemy!

* Construct SEVERAL, regional Pebble-Bed Modular Reactors (or other similar modern designs) that are rechargeable, and cleaner than any current nuclear generator design. Refine spent nuke fuel for recycling. DO SOMETHING NUCLEAR to resolve energy problems.

* Use the residual heat from the reactors above to process motor fuel from coal and/or shale. Even though Clinton "stole" some of the best coal reserves, we still have a lot to use.

* Become independent enough to make the cartels (i.e. OPEC) inconsequential.

* Convince local taxing bodies to lift or cap the sales tax on gasoline so that as gas prices go up, the local tax collectors don’t see a windfall revenue jump at the expense of the consumer. The Federal government could compel the states (and locals) to cap the fuel taxes.

If you squint real hard, and read between the lines, the ‘manifesto’ will require fewer RINOs and LibDems and the election of some clear-minded conservatives to even consider the above.

[Earthdweller]

I’m find that I am a total Libertarian on the economy so I blame both parties but Pelosie is such a bad liar. She going to take her party to h@ll and back with these stupid stunts.

[Jacquerie]

Our government once again refuses to act until a serious problem becomes a crisis.

IMHO, we are just about there.

It is past time to pass emergency legislation to suspend the thousands of laws and regulations that have strangled domestic energy production.

[Ben Ficklin]

Cuba has 59 blocks in the deep gulf and 28 have been leased to oil companies from 7 different nations. China is not included.

The GOP was spreading the China mis-info in 2006 to try to influence public opinion as they were trying to pass the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act. Now, some republicans are spreading the mis-info again.

That act passed in 2006 and opened about 2 million acres to drilling. Drill that.