Oil Prices Top Issue In Public Mind, Congress Feeling Pressure

WASHINGTON -- Senator Susan Collins, Republican of Maine, said anxiety over fuel oil costs is at crisis proportions in her state. Senator Amy Klobuchar, Democrat of Minnesota, said oil drilling advocates weighed in from the sidelines as she marched in a Fourth of July parade.

Senator Bob Casey, Democrat of Pennsylvania, heard it even closer to home, from his own teenager. "My daughter said, 'Dad, what are you going to do about gas prices?' " Mr. Casey said.

After spending a week in their states and districts with angry and frightened consumers, many lawmakers have returned to Capitol Hill convinced that Congress cannot afford a prolonged stalemate over energy policy.

Read the whole story here.

Comments

[Paul]

A forward-looking politician would be doing something to keep gasoline prices high. It is the only way we are going to change our behavior. We cannot continue to be 5% of the world's population and use 25% of its resources. As China takes over as the world's leading manufacturing center, the energy resources will flow to them.

Our focus should be how to use less imported oil.

[Tator]

But, but ,but Nancy promised gas prices would be lower than when they took control of Congress.....

[MGhamma]

Ya, but, but, she found out the reality of the limits of a one vote majority. I myself will wait and see just what a super majority of democrats, or should I say democratics,( is that PC?) accomplish. and it will be a super majority. I'd be suprised if the repugnitans retain a 10% presence.

[WIpatriot]

...and Bush promised to be a uniter, catch bin Laden, blah, blah, blah....

[darthdarcy]

Read this report on Phil Gramm and Sub Prime Crisis and the manipulation of the Oil Prices they are related not just due to Gramm being behind them, but also due to the Commodities and Futures Modernization Act...written by Enron and Gramm submitted at midnight in 2000 on the last days of ther session in the Senate It's by Democracy Now at Alternet.org....

http://www.alternet.org/blogs/peek/90937/?cID=950097#c950097

It's a combined effort among a few organizations..

[research]

McCain's Enron Loophole.

Why won't congress close this loophole now?

BushCo's spying has dirt on dems.

Been to any naughty web sites?

The Judge would like an explanation please.

[WIpatriot]

Indeed it is, dd. They are getting away with it. Congress under pressure?? What a laugh....

[Veri]

First Americans bemoan the fact that we are held hostage by Big Oil. Then the economic hits start coming and you are willing to jump back in bed with them.

Make up your minds. Slaves.

[researcher]

americans are much cheaper than slaves

slaves you had to feed and provide for

with americans you dont even have to provide for them just use them and lose them to cheap labor

capitalism at its best

high gas prices are the best thing to happen to america

will curtail our imperialism and wars for profits

in time it will take americans time to figure our super power status is destroying america

americans love being the big wheel on earth


soon to change as russia stated america is history

we now borrow from communists socialists and kings and still americans cant figure it out

it is the system not the politicans

capitalism self destructing truly karma doing its thing

with communism man exploits man with capitalism it is the other way around

[Binckeslaw]

Speculation trumps the influences of a collapsing dollar and the supply/demand arguments. How else can one explain the $11. leap in one day that took place several weeks ago. The dollar didn't fall off the end of the earth that day. The world didn't increase it's demand for oil by 8% that day. As recently as April of this year the price of a barrel of oil was $110. The world didn't increase its appetite for oil by 25% since April. The dollar hasn't depreciated much since then either. War hysteria trumpeted by the Bush/Cheney/Israeli orchestra provides the background music that distracts us from recognizing the market manipulators who are making fortunes for all of them. Remember that Iranians, Russians, Saudi's, oil companies, Bush/Cheney (and their sponsors), and Iraqi's all benefit from higher prices when disruptions in oil supply or fear that the supply will be cut off can be coordinated!

[Veri]

What, you mean we should eliminate the middle-men and have the Oil Cartels sell only to people who actually demand and use the supply? Hah. Smoking crack are we?

Sorry. Poor jest. Well, maybe not. :) Let's put it this way. War makes for instability in supplies, raising prices on oil. The price increase, in this regard, is based on the perception that, in the future, oil supplies could decrease. Especially if Iran manages to land a missile on Saudi oil production facilities. It is this perception that causes the rise in prices. Effect before cause.

War is only good for those who already have most of the money and are in a position to abuse their power to increase their own personal wealth.

[WIpatriot]

Effect before cause, good point, Veri.

[nogimmicks]

Thank to the careful smoke screen of the Media, the voters apparently have difficulty connecting their previous vote in 2004 with the current gas prices. They also forgot the promise of the Cheney office that the occupation of Iraq will lead to cheap oil. Well, the politicians will be quick to tell the naive Republican voters what they want to hear.

[Egalitare]

It's a bit more complicated than being naive. There happen to be a large number of GOP voters who accept that it is their lot in life to be one of the have-nots, that they are destined to suffer while a handful of the cream of society reap the fruits of everyone's labor. Those who are religious see it echoed in their sacred text as well as in the pulpits of the ministers who preach that wealth is God's gift of special, select favor. Those who are struggling small business owners or middle management simply accept that, for whatever reason, they are not "apex hunters" in the economic food chain. It is, in effect, the cost of allowing "the natural order of things" take its course, even if that course is run straight over them.

They certainly resent the notion that the redistribution of income is an acceptable function of government, even as many of them cash SSI checks or many of them go to appointments at VA hospitals (the closest thing to socialized medicine we have in this country).

[infinity]

The terrorists have won again.

[KillTheMessenger]

Which terrorists? The one driving their SUVs and supersized trucks down US highways? Yep. They have won a ticket to even higher gas prices.

:-)

[WIpatriot]

Don't leave out the terrrsts that are running this country...into the ground.

[darthdarcy]

Ridiculous...KTM you bring nothing to the table...

[TurgidCaterwauling]

Where can I get some of that cheap $4.15 gas? I'm having to pay $4.74.

[WIpatriot]

It's that (this morning, anyway) here in WI.

[Veri]

Saudi Arabia or Iran.

[joebaggadonuts]

If my guess is correct and we will have the Iraqi oil on stream in time for the elections, then we can release the SPR oil now. If I'm wrong, we won't have an SPR come November.

For those of us who cannot afford to suck up the price of gas. . .

Welcome to the hell created by the supply-siders, anti-regulators, and secret energy policy leaders we elected. Thanks a lot.

[KillTheMessenger]

Both guesses are false. Neither the SPR nor Iraqi oil will put a dent into this one.

[Veri]

Yep. No dent. There are a myriad of reasons why oil is so high in price. Most people tend to focus on speculation, ignoring all other reasons. Why? Because speculators represent a indirect, nebulous "someone" who is constantly out to screw you over for a euro. That is a threat that you have no control over. An "conspiracy" one can conveniently blame for all of life's woes.

They are out to get you! Just who is that "they"? Can you name them. Better to blame than take responsibility.

Ever try to do something nice for a stranger while expecting nothing in return? Probably. What are some of the first reactions you get when you do so? Suspicion. Hostility. Incomprehension. Many people respond with these because they perceive that the do-gooder ultimately wants something from them at their expense. Dirty do-gooder rip-off artist.

So convenient. The nebulous enemy. Blame games. Lack of responsibility. There are real threats out there. Like our very own Demo-Republican Party in the rubberstamp Congress. Like this current Administration. Like yourselves, refusing to do anything and buying into the perception that you are powerless.

[MetalCanuck]

AGAIN they mislead people. ITS NOT OIL PRICES ITS THE DOLLAR FALLING IN VALUE!

[darthdarcy]

It's not the dollar you are quite mistaken the dollar can only account for 15% of this past years increase tops..and that's the highest approximation...

[BrettnCalgary]

It's a combination of forces, the declining dollar, supply constraints mixed with growing potential demand, and money fleeing tanking equities and taking refuge in commodities, and geopolitical fear. Not a nice mix.

[SaulGoode]

The problem is that the Marxist left wants to destroy the US economy and will not allow any additional drilling.

[WIpatriot]

Uninformed hosehead trolls drop stink bombs and run away.

[Veri]

Time for a schooling. Karl Marx wrote about establishing socialism. He barely mentions communism. Socialism, as recognized by Marx, leads to Communism where a few control the economy. Kind of sounds like what is happening here in America. Actually, under lassiez-faire capitalism, this is exactly what happens. Oil Barons. Railroad Barons. Etc... Barons. Instead of a State Committees, we get Oligarchs.

The Capitalists here in America are doing a fine job of destroying us. And they call themselves Americans.

[BigRube]

That statement is pure BS. You have no idea about how much drilling is going on in this country. Drilling is going wide open right now and it is not the politicians that is holding it up. So check your facts before you open your mouth. Go to bakerhughes.com and check the active rig count for today compared to a year or two ago.

[Bettysdad]

Who are the Marxists, and why do they want to destroy the economy they live in?

[darthdarcy]

You're crazy and it has nothing to do with drilling, where do these people come from,,?

There's been Senate and Congressional hearings even the VP of Exxon say it has nothing to do with supply and demand it's all due to market manipulation..Futures Trading..it's above your head apparently...