NYT: Republicans Ask Oil Industry for Help With Fuel Prices

[DeepModem Mom]

Republicans Ask Oil Industry for Help With Fuel Prices
By CARL HULSE
Published: October 26, 2005


WASHINGTON, Oct. 25 - After forcing through two pieces of legislation with significant benefits for the oil industry this year, House Republican leaders on Tuesday called for oil companies to return the favor by building new refineries and taking other steps to increase fuel supply and lower gas prices.

"It is time to invest in America," said Speaker J. Dennis Hastert, who said that in a period of soaring industry profits, "we expect oil companies to do their part to help ease the pain American families are feeling from high energy prices."

The decision by Republicans to take aim at an industry that is typically a chief ally reflected mounting anxiety among lawmakers about the political fallout from soaring fuel prices....

***

"Unfortunately for Speaker Hastert and his special-interest cronies," said Bill Burton, a spokesman for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, "one photo-op press conference isn't going to change the fact that he has been pushing the very legislation that has led to record profits for the oil industry every chance he gets."

Mr. Hastert and other senior Republicans said they did not intend to try to force the industry into action and were not considering a new tax on oil profits. But they said the industry needed to take steps to prevent price gouging and to show Americans that some of the gains were being put back into projects that could aid consumers being squeezed at the pump....


http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/26/national/nationalspecial/26cong.html

[Rex]

1. Hastert is as slimy as DeLay

make no mistake about it, Hastert is a viper and scum deluxe. As soon as he puts the 'kiss of death' on public energy, don't be surprised when you see a lot of companies take over the rest of public America.

Buyer beware, your fucked.

[gulfcoastliberal]

2. Burn this planet to a fucking crisp. The Dino Inferno.

The folks are flaming! Folks were screamin - out of control!
Burn, baby, burn! Dino inferno!
Burn that mother down!
Burnin!

Satisfaction came in the chain reaction.
I couldn't get enough
So I had to self-destruct.
The heat was on, burnin, rising to the top, huh.

Wow - I never knew the Trammps were so prophetic!

[xultar]

3. .

[WatchWhatISay]

4. Corporations are not patriotic countrymen

who could help the country out if they choose.

They are repsonsible to their shareholders, and their duty is to obtain the best possible return on shareholder investment. They would be negligent if they did anything else.

That is why you don't declare corporations people, with all the rights of a citizen.

[DiverDave]

5. Ask?, ASK??

They should be TELLING them, under penalty of sanctions, that if this crap doesn't stop NOW...oh wait, they like the money from the blood suckers.

Never mind.

[ninkasi]

6. Well, if the Republicans giveth...

then they can also fucking well taketh away. Tax breaks. Goodies like that. The oil companies can deliver the money,but if enough people are hurting, they can't deliver the votes, unless Diebold and the others can cheat convincingly enough in 2006. With the mood of the country getting ever more sour on this administration, it might be a close call.

[Hekate]

7. ASK? Big Oil won't do diddly for us without Big Regulations

Never have, never will. That's what regulations were all about -- there is no such thing as "self-regulation" among corporations when it comes to protecting the ordinary citizen or providing for the common good.

Hekate

[4dsc]

8. Is America ENTITLED to CHEAP GAS??

HELL NO!! Is guess everyone will ignore the oil depletion problem until its too late. But don't count on any democrat leadership either!! This boat is sinking!!

[leesa]

9. Just another scam to push for more refineries...Kaaching! for

GOP friends and family. No way the oil industry would part with a dime...we will pay for them.

[depakid]

10. I almost can't even believe that headline

and the Times wonders why it has a credibility problem....:nopity:

[Toots]

11. The Oil Industry replies.....

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[madmark]

12. What an insane approach to public policy: Give an industry pork

and then beg the industry give a little of it to consumers. It shows the bankrupt core of current Republican economic policy which at its heart is cronyism on individual and industrial sector scales. Try this next republican congresspeople, how about no pork to the industry and then let the market decide what happens.

[Occulus]

13. Quick, Fox! Help us make the hens safe! n/t

[goforit]

14. roflmao!!!!.........a little late and very naive!!!

[Catchawave]

15. 2006 was the first thing that came to my mind....

:mad: