Who's Up for Another Good Screwing...

At The Pump?

Oh, sorry, I meant to write DRILLING, but screwing is a more apt term (although vulgar, I'll admit) In an earlier post, I pointed out that some market experts are saying that oil could hit $200 per barrel by Christmas. Now Bush and Dems are sparring about the blame for the increase in oil prices: Bush wants new drilling in new places, while Democrats are scratching their heads: why? Why can't we make use of the oil that's under our feet? Democratic Rep. Chris Van Hollen said in the Democrats' radio address.
"Democrats support more drilling," he said. "In fact, what the president hasn't told you is that the oil companies are already sitting on 68 million acres of federal lands with the potential to nearly double U.S. oil production. That is why in the coming days congressional Democrats will vote on 'Use It or Lose It' legislation requiring the big oil companies to develop these resources or lose their leases to someone else who will."

68 million acres. Doesn't that sound like a lot of unused space? "Use It or Lose It" legislation sounds like a good idea. Anyway, is there anything to lose? Possibly. For Halliburton, for example:

A BBC Panorama investigation in June 2008 implicated Halliburton and others in "the largest war profiteering in history." ("BBC uncovers lost Iraq billions" by Jane Corbin). They estimate that around $23bn may have been lost, stolen or improperly accounted for. A US gagging order is preventing discussion of these allegations in the USA. The order applies to 70 court cases against some of the top US companies.

Now it's the oil companies' turn - to answer questions. #1. Which companies own the inactive leases on 68 million acres of drill-able land and water? #2. Why haven't those companies taken advantage of those leases? #3. Which big oil companies and their suppliers would profit from NEW areas to drill?

We'll if or how any one of them deigns to answer them.

Saw this and I couldn't resist it. Visit bloodforoil.org

Bush: Don't Increase the Cost of Oil. Heh! Heh! I Think I Have Enough Money Now!

But will you develop "new technologies" faster than I can develop fins?

By DINA CAPPIELLO, Associated Press Writer 23 minutes ago

WASHINGTON - The Bush administration, dismissing the recommendations of its top experts, rejected regulating the greenhouse gases blamed for global warming Friday, saying it would cripple the U.S. economy.

"If our nation is truly serious about regulating greenhouse gases, the Clean Air Act is the wrong tool for the job," EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson told reporters. "It is really at the feet of Congress."

White House press secretary Dana Perino said that President Bush is committed to further reductions but that there is a "right way and a wrong way to deal with climate change."

The wrong way is "to sharply increase gasoline prices, home heating bills and the cost of energy for American businesses," she said. "The right way, as the president has proposed, is to invest in new technologies."

In its voluminous document, the EPA laid out a buffet of options on how to reduce greenhouse gases from cars, ships, trains, power plants, factories and refineries. On Friday, Johnson called the proposals drafted by his staff as "putting a square peg into a round hole" and he said moving forward would be irresponsible.

EPA's approach to this has been completely thrown out by the White House, which is only attempting to stall any kind of cleanup," said Frank O'Donnell," president of Clean Air Watch, an environmental advocacy group. "It sounds like the Bush administration is trying to ignore the Supreme Court and to pretend it doesn't exist."

Rep. Edward Markey, chairman of the House Select Committee on Global Warming, called the administration's findings "the bureaucratic equivalent of saying that the dog ate your homework."

"The White House has taken an earnest attempt by their own climate experts to respond to the Supreme Court's mandate to address global warming pollution and turned it into a Frankenstein's monster," said Markey, D-Mass.

"I got the brain of someone named Abby, I think it was. Abby Normal. That's it!"

George W. Bush. Energy. Oil. Harken Oil. Arbusto.
Sheikh Abdullah Mohammed. Iraq.

Connect the dots.