Liberal Free Chat Zone

[fazoolius]

From a blog I like to read every now and then...


Our National Disgrace
Posted by Roxanna M. on Wednesday, July 09, 2008 1:57:34 PM

http://mariposarocks.blogtownhall.com/

At the conclusion of the G-8 summit in Japan, President Bush had this to say: "The Democratic (sic) leaders in Congress will not allow us to explore for oil and gas in parts of Alaska, offshore America, and now is the time for them to change their mind."

In a July 8 letter to the President, Nancy Pelosi urged him to use his "authority as President to draw down a small portion of the oil held in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve in order to expand available supplies and help reduce the record prices that are helping push the economy toward recession." She also said that tapping the SPR is "more than justified by the 'destablizing impact' that gasoline price increases are having on the economy." She believes that "Releasing oil from the Reserve is a tool to manage our national and economic security, and when judiciously used will in no way jeoardize national security." She believes that "The Reserve is currently 97% full - the highest level ever - with enough oil to meet our national security needs."

There is much to like in what she says. She acknowledges that the high price of gas is hurting the economy and that more supply is necessary. In saying this, she is acknowledging reality. But, by saying that the only place she is going to allow that supply to come from is the SPR, she is retreating from reality, back into that happy place where it's always someone else's fault. The purpose of the SPR is to ensure that we have oil in the event of a national emergency. It was not designed to be tapped every time members of Congress need to cover their behinds for their own incompetence.

Also in her letter was the comment that oil prices have increased from less than $30 a barrel to a high of nearly $150 a barrel "since your administration took office."

In July 2007, the price of oil was $75 a barrel, now it's flirting with $150. New math, old math, it doesn't matter. That's nearly double in just one year.

This is worrisome behavior from a person who's only a couple of heartbeats away from the Oval Office.

Either she doesn't know what the price of gas has done since her party took back Congress - in which case she's stupid. Or, she wants to put the blame somewhere else - in which case she's simply dishonest.

Since she's either stupid or dishonest, why should we believe her assessment that tapping into the SPR won't hurt our national security?

Drill here. Drill now.


-faz