Wayback Machine: Bush, campaigning in 2000, says president must "jawbone" oil producing nations

[Amerigo Vespucci]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24660754/

Bush acknowledges that raising output is difficult because the demand for oil — particularly from China and India — is stretching supplies. Besides, any production hike might not lower prices that much. Some economists say those prices are being driven up by increased demand, not slowed production.

When Bush first ran for president in 2000, he criticized the Clinton administration for high fuel prices and said the president must "jawbone" oil producing nations and persuade them to drop rates. At that time, oil was nearing $28 a barrel.

Bush's visit to Saudi Arabia, which has the world's largest supply of oil, comes two days after Congress voted to temporarily halt daily shipments of 70,000 barrels of oil to the nation's emergency reserve. Bush has refused to stop pouring oil into the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, saying the stockpile was meant for emergencies and that halting the shipments would have little or no impact on gasoline or crude oil prices.

It's a move that Democrats have sought for the past year to increase supply and apply downward pressure on prices. With an eye to the November election, the Senate sent the measure to the president Wednesday night without a single GOP objection. The White House has indicated that Bush will sign the reserve measure.

Also, as Bush prepared to leave Washington, Senate Democrats introduced a resolution that would block $1.4 billion in arms sales to Saudi Arabia unless Riyadh agrees to increase its oil production by 1 million barrels per day. The Democrats said they introduced the measure to coincide with Bush's trip to send a message to Saudi Arabia that it should pump more oil to reduce the cost of gas for Americans.

[coriolis]

1. Jawbone of (or by?) an ass...

:shrug:

[DefenseLawyer]

2. Yeah high oil prices and record profits come as a shock to you, George

Nothing you wanted or anything. The whole situation is quite a shock, I'm sure.

[Winterblues]

3. The White House has indicated that Bush will sign the reserve measure.

With a "signing statement" I am sure. One that says he can ignore Congress at will just like the other signing statements say.

[SharonAnn]

4. Glad I'm not the only one who remembered that. I've wondered why no one brought it up.

He was quite forceful about this during one of the presidential debates and I laughed at him at that time. Was he really so naive as to think that his "friendship" with the Saudis would cause them to do something that wasn't good business for them?

Really. It was a good glimpse of how he thinks everything is done. He thinks it's all schmoozing and "scratching each others' backs". Don't get me wrong, there's plenty of that, but these people look out for their own interests and aren't interested in sacrificing for someone else's financial benefit.

[City Lights]

5. "Open the spigot."

Back then I remember him criticizing the Clinton Administration for high gas prices and was asked what he'd do if he became president. His response (in cocky Bushspeak):

I would use the capital my administration will earn with the Kuwaitis or the Saudis to convince them to open up the spigot. That's where we will get immediate relief.