Democrats to Obama: Tap strategic oil reserve

Politico ^

[Sub-Driver]

Democrats to Obama: Tap strategic oil reserve

By: Darren Goode February 25, 2012 06:26 PM EST

Gasoline prices are on a dramatic rise, and everybody's got advice for the White House.

No surprise, Republicans are reviving their "Drill, Baby Drill" catcalls from 2008, but liberals in Washington are getting nervous and asking President Barack Obama to tap into the Strategic Petroleum Reserve as a potential panacea for escalating gasoline prices.

Picking up on the themes of a speech he gave Thursday at the University of Miami, Obama used his weekly radio address Saturday to remind Americans of his view that if prices at the pump rise as expected in the coming months, “there are no quick fixes to this problem, and you know we can’t just drill our way to lower gas prices.”

He also warned that rising gas prices could hurt any economic recovery. While there is “no silver bullet that will bring down gas prices or reduce our dependence on foreign oil overnight … what we can do is get our priorities straight, and make a sustained, serious effort to tackle this problem,” Obama said.

The potential danger to the economy — and the president's reelection chances — have liberals urging the White House to unleash the SPR now, before it's too late. The national average for a gallon of unleaded gasoline was $3.65 on Friday, according to AAA.

“Selling reserve oil on the open market is the one step that we know will reduce oil and gasoline prices in the immediate term,” said Daniel Weiss of the Center for American Progress Action Fund. “Every time we sold reserve oil it has lowered oil and gasoline prices. We know it works.”

[thackney]

But it does require moving vast quantities of oil over very long distances.

The reason the SPR in several sites along the gulf coast, is because it is close to most of our refineries.

Most of the oil we currently use travels farther to the refineries than the oil from the SPR would travel. And it travels through the same pipelines.

[thackney]

[Aglooka]

The strategic reserve is for real emergencies, like if a war breaks out or another Katrina.

[reasonisfaith]

So you’re telling me a spill is not likely if the reserves are tapped. Thanks for the logical explanation. Just don’t expect liberals to follow it.

Point I was making: in the liberal mind, an oil spill is always inevitable. In reality, a spill is not likely in any scenario. (That is, as long as we keep the earthfirsters under close scrutiny.)

[Lmo56]

What’s that - like 2 weeks of oil at current demand?

[clearcarbon]

If the SPR isn’t empty, he may be
running out of time to finish the job.

[thackney]

Since the oil from the SPR never leaves a pipeline, it is far less likely to create a spill than oil first moved by Tanker from an OPEC nation, then off-loaded, then shipped by the same pipelines as the oil the SPR would move through.

[mowowie]

I don't understand what's so surprising here.
I thought hussein PROMISED HIGH carbon-based fuel prices to all of his constituents BEFORE he was elected POTUS.
He said that 5+ dollars/gallon was a necessity for his change to a green economy, or something like that.
Green meaning the Millions/Billions his high $$$ campaign crony bundlers and their BS solar companies received through guaranteed federal loans they know they will never have to pay back, That is as long as a percentage finds it's way back to the big O.

I hope to god the IRS audits hussein after he leaves office next year.
Better yet i hope the IRS waits 4 or 5 years first......Then pounces!

[mowowie]

How about we just burn the liberals?

What is their BTU rate i wonder.....

[reasonisfaith]

Sure.

But irrational hysteria about oil spills is still just that—irrational hysteria. So what you’re doing is you’re making half my point.

[clearcarbon]

"How about we just burn the liberals? What is their BTU rate i wonder....."

It probably depends on the fat content.

[SumProVita]

I posted this would be the case....about a month or so ago.

It was the most idiotic thing I could think of at that time.

[thackney]

Can you show me one article or even blog post connecting SPR oil to spills?

It really sounds just like something you made up.

[House Atreides]

“Did they ever refill it from last time?
EVERYTHING seems like a frigging joke now.”
*********************************************
In May 31, 2011 the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) was filled to capacity (726.5 million barrels). In the summer of 2011 Obama released about 30 million barrels in response to the so called Libya “situation”.

The current level is 695.9 barrels (see link) so it looks like the Obamamites refilled NONE of the SPR reserves “spent” that release.
http://www.spr.doe.gov/dir/dir.html

[Nik Naym]

That’s it!

This is where the top of my head blows off!

(rant)

Hey, Democrats: You stupid mother f ers! You say NO to running a a pipeline that would carry OIL down to the US from Canada and THEN you want to extract the OIL we have IN RESERVE FOR EMERGENCIES to bring down the price?

Are you people STUPID or do you actually JUST HATE THE USA????

I don’t know how much more of this LUNACY I can stand!

(/rant)

[matt04]

Found this on the DOE website regarding authority for a drawdown of the SPR:

http://fossil.energy.gov/programs/reserves/spr/spr-epca.html

[Antoninus]

These guys have no answers. Just the same old tired BS.

[mowowie]

Thank you for the info.
:)

[rawhide]

Do not ever tap the reserves, unless it’s a REAL emergency!! This is not one.

What do you mean? obamma is up for re-election! This is a real emergency!

[mowowie]

frigging UNBELIEVABLE!

ARGH!!!!

arrrrrrrrr..........
rrrr...
fffff.....

I am in a REAL bad mood tonight.
I have no true idea why but i am just pissed off for some reason.
and it’s not the usual typical daily dem,com,soc,lib,prog,gay,marx,trans,bi BS thats being shoved down my throat EVERY FRIGGING DAY.

Maybe i just neeed a nice hot bowl of soup....