http://blog/heritage.org/2010/12/29/morning-bell-obama-wants-you-to-pay-more-at-the-pump/

What do you say to people who are losing patience with gas prices at $3 dollars a gallon? And how much of a political price do you think you are paying for that, right now? This was a question asked of the president at a press conference in August of 2006. The president was George W. Bush. In fact, it was a question that was asked in one way or another regularly during the entire eight years of the Bush presidency, regardless of where energy prices stood at that moment.

In May 2004, The New York Times reported that congressional Democrats "were stepping up pressure on the Bush Administration to ease gasoline pricesk," when prices were still under $2/gallon. In April 2005, at another press conference, a journalist stated, "Mr. President a majority of Americans disapprove of your handling of social security, gas prices...." In 2006, Senator Barbara Boxer exclaimed, "Since George Bush and Dick Cheney took over as president and vice president, gas prices have doubled. They are too cozy with the oil industry" afer she drove one less than eenrgy efficient block to a press conference at a local Exxon station.

In 2008, Nancy Pelosi blasted the president for rising gas prices on his watch. In July 2008, ABC News asked the president what was his "short term advice for Americans about gas prices?" repeating a nearly identical question asked at a Februrary 2008 press conference. In April 2008, Harry Reid said gas prices were "the number one issue facing America today."

You get the point. Yet, at the end of President Bush's presidency, gas prices were 9% lower than when he took office (adjusted for inflation). So where have these outspoken critics been since Bush left office?

Since President Obama was inagurated, gas prices have been on the steady rise, as have home energy prices. During his tenure, he presided over arguably the worst federal response to an oil spill in our nation's history, and has pressed legislation on Capital HIll that would, in his own words, cause electricity prices to "skyrocket". Yet there has been almost nothing said by the media as consumers face 3$/gallon gasoline at the pump in December for the first time in US history and see their home heating bills soar in the winter months.

Now this week, analysts including former President of Shell Oil, John Hofmeister, say Americans could be paying $5/gallon of gasoline by 2012. Investment banks are predicting a return to $100/barrel oil, and OPEC is refusing to raise production. All of this news would be less frightening if the White House were focusing on potential ways to lower energy prices. Instead, President Obama is admittingly fixated with raising them.

Just last week (as firgid temperatures and blizzards blasted Europe and the US), the EPA announced that it will begin regulating power plants and oil refineries in an attempt to curb global warming. The new regulations will seek to cut greenhouse has emissions by making it more expensive to turn fossil fuels into energy. And Interior Secretary Ken Salazar announced that the Bureau of Land Management would issue new rules making it harder to develop natural resources on government owned land. These measures will not only drive up the cost of electricity and gasoline but will also make us more dependent on foreign sources of energy.

But none of these actions compare to the brazen way President Obama has unilaterally declared the US oil industry dead. During the BP oil spill, Obama needlessly declared a moratorium on deepwater and shallow water drilling, since no White House adivisors apparently could draw a distinction between the two. After two federal courts said the moratorium was illegal, the Obama administration instead moved to a de facto moratorium, by issuing no permits, while speeding up the permitting prcess for wind farms.

In Octorber, President Obama "lifted" the moratorium, but since then has issued almost no new permits. In late November, his administration effectively issued a seven year ban on drilling in the eastern Gulf of Mexico and across the Atlantic, and Pacific coasts. We are not even talking about ANWR anymore; these are publicly and politically accepted areas of drilling. These actions, of course, increase our reliance on foreign oil, which as OPEC points out, will only become more expensive in the near future.

Finally, this all spells disaster for the jobs market. Higher energy prices translate into higher costs for small businesses, which cause less hiring. Energy producers are moving platforms out of US waters rather than have multi million dollar assets sit idle as the president destroys an industry. And local businesses and retailers who service this industry along the coast are losing money and employees, if not entirely shutting down.

President Obama knows energy prices are skyrocketing. The liberal mantra has long been to desincentivize Americans from purchasing cheap fossil fuels, by driving up costs. Because the only way consumers will choose the vastly more expensive wind and solar alternatives is if all prices are high, rather than wait for the market to bring alternative prices down. This is a reckless and devastating way to make a point about global warming at the expense of American families.

Nearly no quesitons have been asked by President Obama by the media regarding 1)his bunled response to the oil spill; 2) his unilateral policies that are creating higher home energy prices; 3) rising gas and oil prices; 4) the de facto moratorium on domestic oil exploration. It is time to start asking the White House some tough questions. A two year moratorium on accountability is long enough.

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So it would appear that the Obama administration is not held to the same level of expectation as George W. Bush. In fact, as I remember about every time I turned on the TV when Bush was president I saw people protesting wars abroad or death counts overseas that began every news broadcast. However, since Obama took office you would not even know we have troops still engaged in combat dying overseas. Amazing. Frightening. Disgusting.

Originally posted by whodey
http://blog/heritage.org/2010/12/29/morning-bell-obama-wants-you-to-pay-more-at-the-pump/

What do you say to people who are losing patience with gas prices at $3 dollars a gallon? And how much of a political price do you think you are paying for that, right now? This was a question asked of the president at a press conference in August of 2006. The pres ...[text shortened]... ops still engaged in combat dying overseas. Amazing. Frightening. Disgusting.

Originally posted by robbie carrobie
$3 a gallon ahh the pain, , look mate, we pay £1.24 for a litre, that is $1.91 a litre, taking a gallon, that is 4.55 litres to the ripe old sum of, $8.69, and we are apparently an oil producing nation.

Originally posted by whodey
The article is not about a pissing contest between you and I, rather, it is a question as to why there is such a high level of hypocrisy on the left in the US. The quesiton begs that if they wre really concerned about $3 gas when "W" was in office, why is it not a big deal today? In fact, why is it that they desire the US to pay what you are paying currently in the hopes that less carbon emissions will result?

Originally posted by robbie carrobie
Yes i understand that Whodey, but does Mr Obama set the prices for oil, gas , electricity? If not then why are you basing your argument on these elements as if he did? Its simply another attempt to politicise something has has very little to do with the Obama administration, like trying to blame the greed of bankers and the crisis that ensued on the ...[text shortened]... its Mr Obamas fault because he wants cleaner energy? Is that really what you are trying to say?

From my perspective, I think that this issue will be the beginning of the end of progressives in the US. To date they have attained power by driving up huge deficits all in an effort to offer "free" goodies to its citizens. However, now they are beginning to take things away. That's a BIG mistake.

I've always thought gas should cost $5 a gallon in the U.S. and stay there.

Originally posted by Soothfast
I've always thought gas should cost $5 a gallon in the U.S. and stay there.

Originally posted by whodey
You don't live in Washington do you? 😛

Really, at this point keeping it as low as $5/gallon might prove a rather big accomplishment.

Originally posted by whodey
If you read the article you would know that the "powers that be" are pushing for cap and trade which would, according to Obama, necessarily cause prices to skyrocket. The idea is that the less affordable it is the less you will use. As the article has stated, the EPA, under Obama, has already begun measures to inrease energy prices without the legislative a ...[text shortened]... the US which could help lower prices.

So yes, Obama is part of the equation. What say you?

$3 a gallon is still very cheap, stop whining and accept that oil prices have gone up.

Originally posted by whodey
http://blog/heritage.org/2010/12/29/morning-bell-obama-wants-you-to-pay-more-at-the-pump/

What do you say to people who are losing patience with gas prices at $3 dollars a gallon? And how much of a political price do you think you are paying for that, right now? This was a question asked of the president at a press conference in August of 2006. The pres ...[text shortened]... ops still engaged in combat dying overseas. Amazing. Frightening. Disgusting.

Originally posted by KazetNagorra
$3 a gallon is still very cheap, stop whining and accept that oil prices have gone up.

Originally posted by whodey
http://blog/heritage.org/2010/12/29/morning-bell-obama-wants-you-to-pay-more-at-the-pump/

What do you say to people who are losing patience with gas prices at $3 dollars a gallon? And how much of a political price do you think you are paying for that, right now? This was a question asked of the president at a press conference in August of 2006. The pres ...[text shortened]... ops still engaged in combat dying overseas. Amazing. Frightening. Disgusting.

Originally posted by bill718
Whodey's reaction to everything:

When in danger, or in doubt.
Run around and yell and shout!