Blagojevich To Bush: Release Reserve Oil / Dems rally behind governor [View All]

[truthpusher]

http://cbs2chicago.com/topstories/local_story_229190123.html

Blagojevich To Bush: Release Reserve Oil
White House Rejects Plan
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Mike Flannery
Reporting
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(CBS) SPRINGFIELD Governor Rod Blagojevich issued a presidential challenge Wednesday asking to release oil from the strategic petroleum reserve to offer everyone relief from expensive gasoline.

“It’s out of control, and we can’t just sit back and not try to do something to help the working people of Illinois,” Blagojevich said.

(snip)

President Bush is balking at the governor's request. A White House spokesperson said Wednesday that the president does not agree with the governor's claim that $3 a gallon gasoline is a national emergency and that is not what the petroleum reserve is all about.

(snip)

“I feel like I am throwing away money because you can put it in the gas tank, and what took $20 to do, now takes $40,” said David Benton of Chicago.

Responding to that, Blagojevich sent a letter to President Bush urging the White House to release oil from the petroleum reserve -- a move the governor said would reduce gasoline prices nationwide.

complete story: http://cbs2chicago.com/topstories/local_story_229190123.html

http://abclocal.go.com/wls/news/081705_ns_governor_support.html

Democrats rally behind governor at state fair
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By Andy Shaw
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August 17, 2005 — Governor Blagojevich called on President Bush Wednesday to tap into the nation's oil reserve in hopes of offering some relief at the gas pump. The last time a president did that was President Clinton in 2000. Governor Blagojevich wants President Bush to release about 30 million barrels of oil. The governor made the statement at the state fair in Springfield as Democrats put differences aside and rallied around the incumbent.

(snip)

"We have had our own share of family squabbles in the Democratic party. There isn't a Democrat on this stage or probably a Democrat in this audience that at one point or another I didn't have some kind of disagreement with," said Governor Blagojevich.

(snip)

"We have one of the outstanding governors in the country in Rod Blagojevich, and we're all going to be behind him," said Senator Barack Obama, (D)-Illinois.

"We're going to keep our governor in so he do another great job for another four years," said Senate President Emil Jones, (D)-Chicago.

(snip)

"The question is going to be: Do you want to continue to move forward and make the kind of progress we have been making or do you want to turn the clock back and go back to the old day of misplaced priorities, of cynicism, of corruption, of scandal and of sticking it to the working families of the state. I really believe that is going to be their choice. It doesn't matter who the candidate is," said the governor.

The Republican party, for the record, has a lot of gubernatorial candidates and potential candidates, including Jim Edgar, who say unanimously that Rod Blagojevich has been a disaster for the state. That will be their mantra Thursday, which is their political day at the state fair.


complete story: http://abclocal.go.com/wls/news/081705_ns_governor_support.html