For each dime that gas prices go up from here....

[kentuck]

it will be an albatross around the neck of George Bush and the Republicans. In my opinion, we have finally crossed that "invisible" line that politicians have been concerned about. Gas prices have finally got the attention of most all Americans. It is a big story from this day forward. Perhaps the Repubs can vote the big oil companies another $50 billion in an attempt to appease them?

[wakeme2008]

1. It was alway the Economy that kills President

it Carter.

And Bush will get his with the cost of gas and prices going up.

[Freddie Stubbs]

2. Except that Bush will not be up for reelection

Will Congressional Republicans face the brunt of voter anger in 2006? Or will they take it out on all incumbents?

[Mr Rabble]

8. I would guess all incumbents will get hammered.

And you know what? I dont care.

Almost without exception, our elected democrats are spineless, witless fools who allowed the republicans to back them into a corner.

All they needed to do was stand up, and they didnt.

Yes, there are exceptions.

[Quakerfriend]

3. Yes, in a strange way I am THANKFUL for these higher

prices. It may be the only thing that will get the avg American's attention. I know that my wealthy, repug, BMW-driving relatives are starting to complain. Just like the repugs to complain when it hits them in THEIR pocket!

A draft would be the only other thing that would create a ripple.

[FreeStateDemocrat]

4. It's an anchor around the neck of the rapidly sinking working poor.

[kentuck]

7. That is very true also...

They won't have enough money to drive to the polls.

[Cynot]

5. Why would the American people blame Bush for an international problem?

Don't get me wrong. I hate Bush and I voted for Kerry. I will certainly vote for a Dem next time too. I absolutely don't want to be defending Bush in any way shape or form. He is the worst president we ever had.

But in the interest of accuracy, how can we pin this one on Bush? Gas prices are up world wide. They are much higher in most other countries. Just try buying gas in Western Europe like I had to when I was over there recently.

I realize that most European countries are smaller and they drive less over there, but nevertheless gas prices are driven by international market forces out of control of any one person including the US president.

Yet you think that we should blame Bush for higher gas prices?

I realize that he has cuddled up to big oil. And yes, he is a bastard, but even if Kerry has been elected gas prices would still be going up. It's an international trend, like it or not.

[frankly_fedup2]

6. Welcome. Glad to see that the fog has been cleared from your eyes

and you have finally seen this administration for what it is.

The thing about the gas prices, Europe has been paying up to $5.00 a gallon for years. We are just now starting to catch up.

One question I do have and maybe you can answer it . . . what the heck has happened to all the oil in Iraq? I do know that the military grunts who hit the oil fields first let it out that their commanders told them to take off any gages that measure the amount of oil coming out, and that this was the most important thing (besides American lives, of course), that they had to worry about. But per Bush, this war is not about oil. Whatever?

Anyway, since we have no way to measure how much oil is still pumping out, where is it all going? Even the Iraqis are having to wait in long lines to get gas. Before we the war, wasn't it like 5 Cents a gallon for them?

I cannot remember seeing anyone talking about this here or anywhere. Where is the oil going to??????

PS: Do you think you can convert anymore over??

[dweller]

10. heard on news radio yesterday

Iraq pumps gas for 0.12/gal.

dp

[Cynot]

13. Who said there ever was fog in my eyes?

Don't be so presumptuous. I was a proud Democrat before a lot of other people in this forum were even born.

As far as your question goes, the neocons didn't stop to think that a few insurgents with home made bombs could disrupt the oil supply delivery system in Iraq. This was one one of their many stupid blunders. As long as the USA occupies that country, they will not supply a reliable stream of oil.

[Hidden Stillness]

9. Quit Excusing Bush

Bush could easily give relief to the American people with measures such as releasing supplies from the huge and almost full Strategic Gas and Oil Reserves, (increasing the amount on the market and dropping prices), prosecuting corporate price-gougers, even implementing price freezes on petroleum products (I am old enough to remember Nixon putting Price Controls twice, I believe on dairy products and eggs both times). These things would be temporary during this fake crisis--there is no real shortage--regardless of what Europeans do. As someone mentioned on another thread, much of Europe's price of fuel is actually a tax that then supports their great universal health care coverage, etc. Why don't people like you ever want to use Europe as a guide there? It isn't nature, and it isn't "everybody"--nationalize the industry and treat it as a regulated monopoly, the way water still is, and nobody will have any problems.

Clue: the petroleum industry is gouging the life out of us, making record profits and sky-high stock returns, and the oil executives Bush and Cheney do nothing to help us. Why then do you divert people's attention to Europe?

[gasperc]

11. extremely bad foreign and domestic policy, that's how

would such a high terror premium be added to the price of every barrel of oil if we hadn't invaded Iraq.

Would prices be this high, if Bush would have simply gone to all of the car company execs and said, you know even a 2 or 3mpg improvement on mileage will save the country hundreds of millions of barrels a day.

But no. the focus is on supply. get more supply, that's what the consumers demand. and we got it. no sacrifice, no diet. But now we've pushed the entire world to the breaking point. Our demand for cheap goods out of China has super-heated their economy which in turn pushed up their demand for energy. The same in India and elsewhere. Add to that a very poorly planned war in Iraq, a poorly planned occupation and now knee jerk after, knee jerk what now reactions.

The peak oil problem, energy conservation, an illogical war in Iraq was discussed and critisized ad nauseum. and yet Bush and the GOP went full steam ahead. We're winning these arguments by default and look at the cost. This isn't even the worst of it. One pipeline explosion could send prices to $3.5 or $4. At that price or sooner demand would collapse and supply may be abundant, temporarily. But at the cost of how many industries and jobs?
California's recession was started by Enron sending energy prices through the roof by jamming the computers with fake orders and now they have more energy than they know what to do with(electricity)
Bad policy and very bad management

[Cynot]

14. The problem with your anaysis is...

that the world doesn't revolve around the good old USA. Even if the USA stopped using even one drop of oil, the planet would still eventually run out of it based upon consumption from China and India and other growing economies.

By all means, we need a good energy policy, and Bush and his oil buddies haven't given us one. And frankly the Dems in congress haven't done much better. Bit there is just too much demand in the rest of the world and no matter what we do, we alone cannot solve this problem.

What will it take to get you and others like you to understand that oil is not a renewable resource? We will run out of it someday regardless of who is president.

[gasperc]

15. understood, I'm a peak oil believer

but more can be done getting our own house in order, improving milage ratings of vehicles, smartly monitor the effect of Asia's growing economies will have on demand. We can't drill our way out of this problem, we have to think our way out. And without more investment in conservation and renewable energy, we'll go from shock to crisis in no time. I would say alot of the policies that Carter implemented before he left did alot to help curb demand for awhile. Then the '82 recession eventually snapped demand and prices collapsed but that's what bad policy does.

[rman]

17. most people don't look beyond the border

and certainly this regime does not do anything to reduce the impact of high oil prices.

[tom_paine]

19. Let me tell you a story about the Phony Energy Crisis of 2001

Remember? Gas prices UP UP UP. Until, almost at the EXACT moment Jeffords defected, giving the Dems one last moment of control of the Imperial Senate, which they used to threaten the oil companies with investigation, for there was no clear reason that oil prices spkied.

Suddenly, as if a switch was flipped, gas prices dropped 30 cents.

(later, of course, we learned with 100% certainty that Enron was stealing BILLIONS from California and elsewhere, and while that does not prove the other, it does demonstrate a patern of ruthless, pervasive criminality (as some of the Bushevik/Enron footsoldiers were caught in e-mails and on tape, calmly discussing the billions they were stealing from "grandma")

Has oil demand risen? Yes. Are the Busheviks and their henchmen stealing hand over fist on top of that, KNOWING that, while the Imperials rule (as they likely will for the rest of our lives), they have no fear of being invesigated, let alone caught?

I would say it is as certain as the existance of Nazi Death Camps in 1942, although, like the Nazi Death camps in 1942, there was no proof and many blew it off as a "crazy conspiracy theory" at that time.

International problem, my ass. That may be part of it, but it sure ain't ALL of it.

Yes, had it been even POSSIBLE for Kerry to assume the Imperial Throne of Amerika in 2004 (it wasn't possible), gas prices would have been rising.

But I guarantee you they would not be as high as they are today. How can I guarantee that?

I read history. And I have studied my Tyrants and Thieves and Mudereres and Frauds and Caesars.

The past is the key to the future, especially now as the United States of America is as dead as Julius Caesar himself.

[K-W]

20. You seem to be overlooking a huge part of this.

Which is that US policy is one of the single largest forces determining international trends.

[Skidmore]

12. Wait till prices at the grocery store and Waliworld start going

up to match the increases in gas prices. This may be Walmart's Rubicon, too.

[cliss]

16. The hammer just hit the nail.

I just finished reading about by Robert Prechter. He says that when there are big problems with the domestic economy, the leader AND his party get thrown out.

He said there are no exceptions, they've all ended like this.

So - we have a lot to look forward to.

[rman]

18. is it not peculiar this hasn't already happened?

what reason would the large stores have not to pass on the increased cost of transportation to the customers?