Posted on 03/30/2004 2:19:43 PM PST by NormsRevenge
ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE -
Americans would not be paying high prices for gasoline if the Congress had passed President Bush (news - web sites)'s proposed energy package three years ago, a White House spokesman said Tuesday as the administration faced criticism from Democratic rival John Kerry (news - web sites).
In a thinly veiled criticism of Kerry, White House press secretary Scott McClellan said, "Some have advocated higher gas taxes. ... The president remains firmly opposed to increasing gas taxes."
The Bush campaign has accused Kerry of proposing a 50-cent a gallon gas tax increase. Kerry was quoted once as mentioning the idea but has since repudiated it.
"Bush and Cheney love making excuses and hate taking responsibility for their failed policies," said Chad Clanton, a Kerry campaign spokesman. "They have ignored this gas crisis and now it's spinning out of control. Voters have a clear choice: John Kerry, who is on the side of consumers, or Bush and Cheney, who everyone knows are on the side of oil the companies."
Kerry has called for the Bush administration to stop filling the nation's strategic petroleum reserve and divert the oil to the market until gas prices fall. The Democrat has not suggested using the supplies from the reserve to lower prices.
McClellan said the administration remained opposed to using supplies from the nation's strategic petroleum reserve as a way of trying to lower gas prices. He said independent analysts have concluded that opening the reserve would have only negligible impact.
Morever, he said, "It's important that we have the necessary resources in the event of a severe disruption of supply."
The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries are to meet in Vienna on Wednesday to reconsider a planned 1 million barrel cut in production scheduled to begin this week.
McClellan said the administration has been in regular contact with major oil producing countries to stress the importance of letting the market determine the prices of oil.
"What we need are comprehensive solutions, not patchwork crisis management," the spokesman said.
"We wouldn't be in this situation right now if Congress had acted on what the president had proposed three years ago," he said.
When Bush took office, Republicans controlled both the House and Senate. By midyear, the Democrats had a narrow majority in the Senate, but the GOP was in charge in the House.
McClellan said the administration was "doing everything we can to address the issues that might contribute to rising gas prices." The administration has said it is looking for price gouging and other improper price manipulation.
Don't Drill OffShore
Don't Have Any Domestic Production
Don't Cry If You Voted DemocRat
| · | Bush, Kerry Trade Charges on Gas Prices Reuters - 6 minutes ago |
| · | Info on America's Emergency Oil Reserve AP - 8 minutes ago |
| · | Bush Ad Carries Same Anti-Kerry Message AP - 9 minutes ago |
Developing ... *-o
They did and jumping jimmy jeffords didn't like it and sold himself to daschle.
Of course, I would like to see him draw that same line when discussing cuts in the rate of increase in spending for some of his pet give away programs.
Like the terrorism threat, this is another Clinton problem inherited by Bush (and now being blamed on on Bush). Clinton bled out our strategic petroleum reserves in an attempt to boost his party's poll ratings prior to the 2000 election. National defense meant nothing to Clinton.
That said, the way to reduce gas costs is by eliminating the new formulas that have been put into place. The cost of reformulated gas is very responsible for the increase in prices.
Boutique gasolines. Kills us in northern Illinois every spring.
The real problem is the boutique formulations that each city/state regulates for clean air and such. That scheme doesn't allow surplus markets to transfer their fuels to shortage markets because the formulations conflict.
Plus, when the seasonal switch of formulations occurs, that causes disruption in the pipelines, too.
-PJ
That is true! It would take years to ramp up to significant output.
But , if this had been part of a comprehensive energy policy that was approved a few years ago, we'd be well on our way.
One more reason to send the Obstructionist Party packing in November for good.
If the cries by the demRats are heeded and the Reserve were tapped, it is because of the inaction by democRats, that an emergency to do so exists, imo.
In that case, Who is being served?
Thats the Democrap/EnvioMENTAList line. It was estimated to have at least enough oil to last the US for 15 years and enough natural gas to last 30 years, I believe. It was no short term endevior. no oil company would waste its time to spend years setting up pipelines, rigs and refineries for a years worth of oil.
This is the most disingenuous spin of the facts on ANWR, and it's typical of how Rats want to mislead.
Prudhoe Bay was discovered in 1968 and it's still producing today and will for many more years. ANWR could be bigger. Nobody knows because the damn Rats believe it's important to preserve some godforsaken desolate hellhole that nobody will ever see in their lifetime anyway.
Don't Drill OffShore
Don't Have Any Domestic Production
Don't Cry If You Voted DemocRat
Exactly! LOL!
Here where I live in NE Montana, it's $1.70.....I asked the clerk at the counter what the gas tax comes out to, and he said 55 cents a gallon.
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