Obama News Conference Addresses Japan Tsunami, Rising Oil & Gas Prices

The White House says President Barack Obama will address rising oil and gasoline prices at a news conference on Friday.

Fuel prices have been rising amid continued turmoil in Libya, an oil-producing country. News that police opened fire to break up a protest Thursday afternoon in Saudi Arabia also has sparked fears that the unrest could spread to that country. Saudi Arabia is the world's largest oil exporter.

Oil prices soared $3 per barrel in just 12 minutes after the news broke in Saudi Arabia.

At the pump, gasoline is averaging $3.52 a gallon -- 41 cents more than last month.

The president was expected to discuss the situation in Japan and on the West Coast at the news conference. In advance of the media event, Obama talked by telephone to Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan.

Later, the president and first lady will welcome their hometown, Stanley Cup-winning Chicago Blackhawks to the White House.

Following that get-together, first lady Michelle Obama, National Hockey League Commissioner Gary Bettman and USA Hockey Executive Director Dave Ogrean will preside over a street hockey workout and clinic on a rink set up on the South Lawn.

The clinic for local youngsters is part of a new collaboration between Mrs. Obama's Let's Move! initiative, the NHL and USA Hockey to encourage kids to lead active and healthy lives.

Comments

[hmagbie]

04:09 PM on 03/11/2011

.Libya has nothing to do with the oil spike and you know it, you said as much just now. Buying a Prius is no solution; it's a let them eat cake solution. Drilling is no solution, you just said so. And tapping into the strategic reserve is not the answer, that's why you won't release them now. That oil would end up in the marketplace and get bid up instantly. There is a glut of oil world wide and you know it, you just said it. Please stop the crucification of all of us. I don't think that the American public disagrees with you, They want to get off oil and become more energy independent. They just don't want to be fleeced by big oil, OPEC , and investment banks. I'm really disappointed Mr. President.

[hmagbie]

04:08 PM on 03/11/2011

Mr President don't quote Warren Buffet to us. We don't need to hear that you are getting advice and listening to a billionaire. I do not defer to him. I don't listen to him. I listen to my neighbors who are suffering up here in Maine at the end of the oil pipeline. We have seniors who can't afford to heat with safe oil and have changed to wood heat. Wood heat is not as safe and so some senior's houses have burned down with them in them. Our oil dealers have become the bank and can't afford to deliver oil. We can't afford the double whammy of high gasoline and high heating oil. All because some of Warren Buffets friends in investment banks want to get even richer. Listen to us, the ones who voted for you. Speculators have robbed us blind. You lost a great opportunity to get speculators out of the market. If the reason is because the rich are your friends then I guess we elected the wrong man. We thought that the middle class and low income citizens who have no billionaire friends were the ones you would work for.We know those guys can afford to give you big campaign contributions, but it was us with the 5-10 dollar contributions that we thought that you'd listen to.

[MelanieMatthias]

04:22 PM on 03/11/2011

Oh, darn, you must have picked up the wrong stack of talking points, but please do try again.

[MelanieMatthias]

03:58 PM on 03/11/2011

I am so proud of our President! No matter what or who gets put on his plate to deal with, he always handles it with calm brilliance!
Many blessings, thoughts and prayers to all so hurt today.

[Stephen Stafford]

04:00 PM on 03/11/2011

Consider yourself fanned anew. Faved too.

[MelanieMatthias]

04:10 PM on 03/11/2011

Thank you! I am enjoying your posts, excellent!

[himaui]

04:01 PM on 03/11/2011

AGREED! he doesn't scare the beejesus out of us, raise alert warnings, but talks to us in reasonable, clear ways. he is such a brilliant strategist, i would never ever bet on obama when he seems down and out bc he rallies to the occasion with stunning innovative clarity every single time. the lame duck session last december reminds me of that.

[MelanieMatthias]

04:12 PM on 03/11/2011

Thank you, you are so right! There is a lot to be said for thoughtful reasoning.

[NicoleEnzer]

03:38 PM on 03/11/2011

We will see if he actually does what he say ACTIONS speaks louder then words....but I'm sure gas will spike over the weekend....and I like how he talks about Japan and how we are going to help(we need help in our own country) then talks about other thing WELL PLAYED OBAMA WELL PLAYED...but can someone help me out with this question.
What country or if any would help us if this happened to us. Think about it.....

[Stephen Stafford]

03:53 PM on 03/11/2011

What does that matter? We are the mightiest nation on earth.

What I heard happen when we needed help during the acute phase of the Gulf oil spill was that many nations offered help. There was a caveat that shocked me, if it is true. We would need to reimburse the nations that helped for the costs of their help.

So, if my recollection is correct, we would be helped by many nations, and could expect a bill for their help. Hope this info is right. I am sure posts will leap forward if I am incorrect in any way.

I think we should help others when needed anyhow.

[The Lone Stranger]

03:30 PM on 03/11/2011

Obama continues to ignore the elephant in the room that continues to cripple our economy: our system is broken and too much money goes to the rich while not enough goes to everyone else.

The problem is that even if the economy experiences a miraculous jump in growth, because we somehow out build and out innovate the rest of the world, life will continue to get worse, not better for all but the wealthy few if Obama continues to ignore this disparity.

He need sto look more carefully at waht has actually been going on. Even when the economy was growing under Bush, the net result of overall gain concealed the fact that for most americans this was a period when wages and net worth declined. The rich meanwhile made out like bandits.

because the rich spend a much smaller fraction of their income, policies that transfer wealth from the poor and middle class into the already bulging pockets of the rich stall the economy. Unless money taken away from the poor and middle class is returned to them, the system will remain broken. Taxing the rich is a basic way to do this. It has worked in the past. While I understand that nobody likes to pay taxes, the reason we are facing dire cuts to things that are essential to basic hopes of decent future for many americans is that those who have acquired a vast fortune in recent years just are not paying their fair share.

[RATMWiccan]

03:22 PM on 03/11/2011

Looks like the Obama really has his priorities in check!

Another party at the White House tonight, courtesy of tax payers....only this time it is Hockey and $100 Hamburgers!

LOL...you flag this because you can't handle the truth?

[LinkTren]

03:29 PM on 03/11/2011

How's the Weepy Tangerine's job's bill going?

[RATMWiccan]

03:39 PM on 03/11/2011

Boo-Hoo!

Hate to break it to you Linkard....I am not a Republican or Dem and I am not a fan of Obama!

I think both sides su //ck in their own little way, so your point would be?

LMAO, you aren't hurting me none with B S talk!

I prefer TRUTH and Solutions from both sides, but we know that will never happen!

[RATMWiccan]

03:41 PM on 03/11/2011

I'll tell you one thing though! Libs really need to lay off the race B S and stop blaming everyone else!

And the Tro //ll, Bag //ger thing? It is getting old!

[NicoleEnzer]

03:41 PM on 03/11/2011

Well just wait since Hawaii didn't get much damage he can still go on his planned vacation with tax payers money. I also love to hear the stories the President and first lady went to there favorite pizza place for dinner and then return home to the white house after a brisk walk around chicago. With whos $$$$....

[RATMWiccan]

03:44 PM on 03/11/2011

LMAO and yet Michelle tells us to eat celery! Hahaha...get real!

And our money of course! So sickening!

Another Vaca? Ughhhhh!

[MelanieMatthias]

03:51 PM on 03/11/2011

Hard to believe some people can be so uninformed. The Obama's have to buy all their own food and pay for their own vacations.
bush had the record vacations. disrespect is very unbecoming

[Lindasmithsart]

03:17 PM on 03/11/2011

I am surprised that Obama did not mention all the gambling being done on the commodies market concerning oil prices

[LinkTren]

03:15 PM on 03/11/2011

Man, things sure are unbearable out there in the real world. I really wish someone would do something about it. Oh well, back to posting anti-Obama nonsense here on HP.

[huff-fan]

03:06 PM on 03/11/2011

As an OFA organizer, I understand that the fight is between the workers and Walker. The President does not want to turn it into an Obama vs Walker fight. He wants to see a grassroots movement. He has always said that. "Change comes from the ground. " "My election is not the change you seek." There is lots of work to do on the ground to change public opinion.
That said, I hope he will speak out more. Richard Trumpka said the President is on the side of the workers. That the people have to realize Republicans are not on their side.

[mnnyer]

03:16 PM on 03/11/2011

Already a fan, so faved.
I watched some of the President's speech, and was inspired. He was honest and factual. He didn't evade tough questions. He discussed unfair budget items the GOP is pursuing.
I know he hasn't accomplished all we had hoped, but the obstruction has been incessant and unified. We need him and he needs us.

[huff-fan]

03:35 PM on 03/11/2011

I was impressed too. I was surprised to come to this thread and see so much negativity. Thanks for your post.

[kenhamlett]

03:44 PM on 03/11/2011

The President's most loyal supporters always find a rationale to explain his inaction -- or his action in support of the position he opposed as a candidate. He is always "holding back so that he can take more effective action later." Or, "he knows more than we know, so though it looks like he is caving in, he is actually doing the right thing." Or, "he is going for incremental change, rather than fighting for the whole issue." It is all baloney, of course. The President has been, during his two years in office, one of the most noteworthy critics of the teacher's unions -- so it is a bit late for him to pretend to be their ally. He is staying away from Wisconsin because he does not want to alienate the independent and conservative voters he has been assiduously courting every day since his inauguration, at the expense of the voters who propelled him into the Presidency. I am a liberal Democrat who does not believe the President is thinking much about the situation in Wisconsin -- except, of course, as it relates to his campaign for re-election.

[SmolderingRuin]

03:52 PM on 03/11/2011

F&F!

[MelanieMatthias]

03:52 PM on 03/11/2011

zero

[phoenixx1]

02:53 PM on 03/11/2011

Yoohoo..Mr. Obama..it's us remember, the people of the United States of America, aka 'Main Street'. I realize you are a very busy & important man, but could you do something about what's
going here in your own country? Could you find the time to talk with the everyday people who came out in masses to elect you President of the United States? Hello..are you paying attention? Have you been briefed on the hateful climate threatening to kill the very spirit of this nation, the circus your government has turned into,the right-wing plan to sabotage the electoral system in 2012, the corporate take-over of America, the shameful handling of union rights by the governor of Wisconsin? What about the removal of hard working people's freedoms by other state leaders? Why have you not addressed the education dilemma & the proposal to limit voting rights of out-of-state students? And when, please when are you going to bring to trial & imprison all those Wall Street thieves who triggered this fiasco? Hey..no hurry..just mull it over & and get back to us will you. Thanks.

[Steamboater]

03:03 PM on 03/11/2011

What about the "shared sacrifice" you talked about last week Mr. President and tell us what the wealthy are sacrificing.

[The Lone Stranger]

03:36 PM on 03/11/2011

watch the film Apocalypto some time if you want to understand the rich view of shared sacrifice. They guys in fancy jewelry and feathered hairdresses waiting at the top of the temple are the rich. The guys in blue represent the rest of us. Mr. Obama? he's just a guy in the gathered mob of spectators.

[Stephen Stafford]

03:45 PM on 03/11/2011

You owe me an apology. There is no red herring. Phoenixx1's original post, to which my note was a response, specifically referenced hateful climate. You read it, as I am posting on the reply button to your response to it. My examples are based in well documented fact. There is no mention of race, although I could have gone there, I didn't. McConnell and Bachmann have publicly stated devout dedication to making the President fail. If that does not involve hate, nothing does. That is extraordinary language for legislators to use in contemporary legislative discourse.

You know right from wrong. You know the proper thing to do now. You have a public who reads these posts. Hope you have a response.

[SmolderingRuin]

03:06 PM on 03/11/2011

Sorry, he's BUSY.

Later, the president and first lady will welcome their hometown, Stanley Cup-winning Chicago Blackhawks to the White House.

[rebel9999]

03:09 PM on 03/11/2011

What musical artists will they have perform? What actors will be invited?

[RATMWiccan]

03:50 PM on 03/11/2011

Ha, I posted this too....didn't realize you beat me to it! =0)

[Steamboater]

02:49 PM on 03/11/2011

The fact is we have a middling president and a middling one who had a great mandate to take to the bully pulpit and stand up for what he talked about when he ran for the presidency. Few who were so enthusiatsic about Obama expected him to cave in time and again to the reublicians on healthcare, on GITMO, on off-shore drillling, on Bush's tax cuts for the wealthy etc. On those tax cuts he'll run again on doing away with them but it's too late now, They're here to stay and especially with the GOP in control of the house. Obama might even withdraw a few thousand troops from Afghanistan as a way to garner money for his campaign and your votes, but withdrawing a few thousand troops from the additional 30,000 more plus cannon fodder he's sent there ends nothing and is the not the beginning of the end.
 
 
 
We get mixed messages as always from him. One day we're out by 2014 and the next he sends Biden to Kabul where Biden tells that thief Kharzai that Kharzai gets what he wants and if he wants us to stay in Afghanitsan we stay. Then Gates says anyone getting involved in a war as in Afghanistan has to have his "head examined and then Obama sends him to Kabul and we agree to stay way past 2014. Both Obama and Gates and all of them need to have their heads examined.
 
 
Wisconisn is in turmoil with unions made war upon by the republicans and Obama can't find his "comfortable shoes' to join protesters there and show real leadership as well as to keep his word about doing so. Wisconisn is not a states' rights' issue but a national issue affecting not only union workers everywhere but the democratic process itself, with the GOP attempting to destroy it by cutting off union money to democrats and making this country a one party republican state.

[ProfessorDuh]

02:51 PM on 03/11/2011

When Obama threw away the public option without a fight, I began to wonder. When he folded to the “too big to fail” banks whose enormity had already crashed the world economy, I began to worry. When he caved to the Republicans on Bush's disastrous tax cuts, I began to seriously worry. And when he awarded himself the power to assa ssi nate American citizens summarily without any legal proceedings, I began to REALLY worry.

[SmotPoker]

02:54 PM on 03/11/2011

I wish I could mark that post as a favorite multiple times.

[Lash LaRue]

02:38 PM on 03/11/2011

John Adams, John Qunicy Adams, Martin Van Buren, Benjamin Harrison, William Howard Taft, Herbert Hoover, Jimmy Carter, and George H.W. Bush

All of these Presidents lost a reelection bid. Except for Hoover they all have one thing in common.

A primary opponent or a 3rd party candidate. Minus a primary opponent Obama is going to be tough to beat.

[SmotPoker]

02:48 PM on 03/11/2011

I wouldn't discount the independents just yet, it was the swing vote that helped him win in 08, and with his record so far many are turning away in droves. The argument that the other side is worse is no longer acceptable to many people. I don't believe it will be the cakewalk that people seem to believe it will be.

[AngryBuddist]

02:51 PM on 03/11/2011

What you claim is inconsistent with the polling. No droves are turning away from Obama. that is simply made up nonsense.

[LinkTren]

02:53 PM on 03/11/2011

Oh, please. Just because you wish it doesn't make it so. Your argument would be more apt if applied to republicans' victory in 2010 or haven't you been paying attention these past few months?

[whatareutalkingabout]

07:21 PM on 03/11/2011

it will be a walk in the park for anyone running against obama

[sheoples]

02:32 PM on 03/11/2011

why was steamboaters idea of weiner running in the primaries against obama scrubbed??????????????

are we living in america or wiskochistan????????

[SmotPoker]

02:50 PM on 03/11/2011

Come on, you've been here long enough to know how it works, the rogue MOHDS will not tolerate dissent, if you're not with the flock then you don't count. Shape up or ship out.

[AngryBuddist]

02:53 PM on 03/11/2011

Weiner would never run a primary challenge against a sure thing candidate, because Weiner is loyal to the party. This disgruntled left nonsense is what gets GOP clowns like Walker elected.

[sheoples]

02:59 PM on 03/11/2011

sorry i don't believe in blind loyalty

[Robert Cantor]

02:25 PM on 03/11/2011

Obama said 'entitlement' cuts are back on the table
I wonder what policies a Democratic President wold support?
Maybe some day we will find out.

[Steamboater]

03:39 PM on 03/11/2011

Entitlements? Nice euphemism fo rthose who have paid into the system and deserve something back. What about hte entitelments of the wealthy? It's like they're entitled to tax cuts while the rest of us have to pay to keep them rich and comfortable.

[Robert Cantor]

03:53 PM on 03/11/2011

Rich people can only be happy if they have $$
Poor people have learned to be happy without $$
Therefore, so the most people can be happy we have to take Money away from the poor and give it to the rich.
That seems to make sense.