Hastert and Frist to ask Bush to probe possible oil-industry gouging

[sabra]

http://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/news_theswamp/2006/04/hastert_and_fri.html

Hastert and Frist to ask Bush to probe possible oil-industry gouging

Still worried about rising gas prices and their impact on the November elections, House Speaker Dennis Hastert and Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist plan to ask President Bush on Monday to investigate the possibility of price gouging by the oil and gas industry.

In a letter to Bush, the two top Republicans will ask that the Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission investigate the sharp rise in prices, said Hastert spokesman Ron Bonjean.

Bonjean said Hastert is particularly upset that the retiring CEO of Exxon-Mobil is taking home a retirement package of $400 million that the Speaker believes could be better spent expanding the domestic oil refining capacity.

“People are making choices between putting food on the table, clothing their kids or paying for gasoline,’’ said Bonjean. “The Speaker is very, very concerned about it and extremely disappointed.’’

[BrklynLiberal]

Give me a break! Those two ass-kissing hypocrites!!!! How about

investigating some pharmaceutical and medical price gouging and fraud?

[Demeter]

40. As Jimmy Durante Said: "Everybody Wants to Get Into the Act!"

[classysassy]

42. As Chester Riley said"what a revolting development this is"

[MADem]

POSSIBLE?????? My, that's awfully cute of them!!!!!!!! n/t

[station agent]

26. Yeah, nice wording there...

The 357 million retirement packages and silver cars were a hint.

[blm]

1. Gee - like how he had Chuck Robb and Laurence Silberman probe Iraq Intel

and what possibly went wrong there?


PEEEEEE - UUUUUUUUUUUUUU

[ThomCat]

2. This is just possitioning and PR to help the party

look like their doing something before the elections.

Look at the pretty illusions created with smoke and mirrors, folks. Isn't that impressive?

[0007]

37. Kind of like professinal wrestling.....isn't it?

I'm not gonna take it any longer ya hear?

[Lefty48197]

3. Bush: "Hey Dick? Are we price gouging?" Cheney: "No"

Bush: "After a thorough investigation of all the relevant facts, we have concluded that the oil industry is NOT price gouging.

[kurth]

5. Hastert and Frist: "Thank you, Mr. President"

"The American people are satisfied."

[tulsakatz]

31. I remember last year,

I think it was after Katrina....I was talking to a friend at work and, at the time there was an investigation about whether the oil companies were gouging us. I asked my friend, are they going to give us our money back? He said no and I just felt like.......so what's the point?

I mean it's very nice that they were looking into it but if there are no results, why waste the time?

[catmandu57]

4. Bring the oil execs back and this time swear them in

No more dog and pony well we had hearings, swear the bastards in and find out why exxon made 36 billion dollars in three months, then tax the piss out of them.

[wordpix]

9. yes, yes, and yes

[brentspeak]

10. Exactly. Thank you.

[Uncle Joe]

6. Only because it's an election year and their scared,

these cowards don't give a rat's ass about the American People.

[ClintonTyree]

7. Every time gas prices go crazy there's an "investigation"....

and every time, without fail, there are no findings of wrong doing. Why do they even continue this charade? :shrug: Assholes. :grr:

[brentspeak]

8. Good grief, what insincere posturing by these two clowns

But I'm embarrased that only a few Democrats have tried to raise hell about the price-gouging at the pump.

It's not hard: Just get a bunch of Democrats -- not just one or two -- to hold a press conference on the Capitol steps, challenge the rest of Congress to hold public hearings on the matter, and (most importantly) insist that the nation's top oil executives testify before Congress under oath.

The last time a Democrat talked about initiating an excess profit tax, oil prices plummeted in record time. But like the pathological crooks they are, the oil companies just couldn't prevent themselves from gouging yet again. This time, the Democratic party has to push for an excess profit tax (for oil companies) and public hearings regardless if gasoline prices inch downward. Hold these oil company pigs' feet to the fire.

[wordpix]

13. good idea, Dems in Congress, get going, you've been sitting around way too

long, what are you waiting for? :mad:

These Congressional Dems must get the hell out there and make noise about the obvious price gouging and excess profits tax for Big Oil. Even the repuke good ol' boys don't like these gas prices and next winter, how are peopel going to afford to heat their homes? It was bad enough in '05-'06.

[katty]

11. they could care less about iraq, healthcare, katrina homeless...

but, PLEASE check on that gas problem!!! please W, or we're out in the fall!

[gizmo1979]

12. Make them pay us royalties

for using government land.Put a price freeze on a gallon of gas.Put a windfall tax on all profits in excess of 15%.

[wordpix]

14. another good idea. I think Big Oil gets free use of Gulf of Mexico & proba

bly elsewhere, too. :wtf:

No one's leasing me oceanfront property for free. :shrug:

[gizmo1979]

15. Exactly and we could use the vacation

am I right?

[wordpix]

19. absolutely. We're gonna need one after toppling this BushCo gang

[Hand]

16. I got yer probe right here, buttboys... nt

[sinkingfeeling]

17. What happened to their vow to never interfere with BUSINESS?

Aren't all these guys big on capitalism? Won't their base be shocked?

[SeattleRob]

18. Counting on Bush to do...

something about oil company price gouging, is akin to putting a fox in charge of protecting the hen house.

[ArbustoBuster]

21. "We looked into it," said BushFox...

...brushing chicken feathers from his lips. "And there was no sign whatsoever of problems in your henhouse."

[bluestateguy]

20. They are thinking about maybe investigating possible price gouging

I'm sure the oil companies are shaking with fear.

[wordpix2]

41. possibly, maybe & if there's price gouging, ooh, what a strong stand that

is!

:scared: :rofl:

[Sapere aude]

22. Hey, there must be an election coming up soon. Repubs need some good PR

The only time a repub would say they care about gas prices is when an election is coming up. After Nov the price could be $10 a gallon and they wouldn't lift a finger to investigate why.

[NVMojo]

23. they are several days and dollars late on this! The bushbootlickers!

[tulsakatz]

24. they shouldn't be 'asking'.....

....they should DEMAND that something be done about it!!!

For these guys to 'ask' just shows how little they understand about the situation.

Plus, they only did it because the Democrats did it first.........I guess they don't like Democrats taking the issues of the common people.

[stepnw1f]

25. Aren't These Two Being Investigated Themselves?

Oh the GOP hypocrisy and the grandstanding is amazing.

[rodeodance]

27. Dems but them to this yesterday--but who is counting.

[VegasWolf]

28. They know that their chance of reelection is inversely proportional to

the price of gas.

:sarcasm::sarcasm::sarcasm::sarcasm::sarcasm::sarcasm::sarcasm::sarcasm:

[sarcasmo]

29. Kick and Nom # 2 only worried about their Republican majority control

In no way are they concerned about the American people.

[goforit]

30. LOL!!!.....GOP looks like they have a huge mess on their hands!

[tulsakatz]

32. ...and they created it all by themselves!!! n/t

[KeepItReal]

33. It's official: Hastert and Frist are nutless... have to beg Bush?

Last time I checked, Congress has the power to investigate things on its damned own.

These fools cannot and will not move a muscle until Bush & Co. says it is ok. Even as they say their constituents are suffering.

Pathetic.

[leesa]

34. What? Didn't they get their cut?

How about HMO gouging Frist?

[lovuian]

35. Not going to happen!!!

:argh:

[radfringe]

36. You know if the GOP-congress investigates

the oil companies will come away with more perks - at our expense

it's bad enough we are getting gouge at the pumps - but with the corporate welfare give-aways - we are also being gouge by our "leaders"

besides - the Decider already has decided that Little Can Be Done About High Gas Prices ( http://cbs5.com/business/local_story_111202519.html )

the other spin going around is to blame it on the new "energy policy" -- the same 'secret energy policy' written by the oil companies and sanctioned by cheney and GOP-Congress. The reformulation and lack of refinery capacity are also being made into a pet scapegoat.

yet - other news articles point to the "nervousness of Oil traders" over Iran for the high price of crude oil.

meanwhile - oil execs and their cronies are racking in the bucks that are being sucked out of our pockets.

[luckyleftyme2]

38. oh wow

i feel so relieved to know that "dubya" is going to check into price gouging by the oil industry!
i mean after all his administration is so free of lawyers, advisors, and "ex-ceo's" of the oil industry; that you just know that "john q public" will be protected.
i mean after all "exxon/mobil" is having such a bad year. you know it's just a nasty rumor started by the left.
and if they do find it oyt it's happening? will they stop them from doing business in the usa? or give them a slap on the wrist and 2 years to stop! this is what happened the last time.

[DrBloodmoney]

39. It's liking asking the Senate Ethics committee...

... to investigate itself. Laughable.

[Rex]

43. Looks like two guys want to get re-elected.

I HATE Frist and Hastert, but they are two of the...er...'smarter' peopleses on the Repukes side. Frist will get his day in court, just like DeLay. Hastert is just a worthless POS and the real reason no one wants to impeach Bush...can ANYONE stomach the words PRESIDENT HASTERT...ugh...I need some tums. :(

[genieroze]

44. Maybe * should tell them what he said to the American public, which

is shove it my buddies are gettin rich.

[GoldenOldie]

45. Frix and Frax are gonna probe Georgie?

Think what your imagination does with that picture!

[Renew Deal]

46. That's funny because Hastert has taken $69,500 from Big Oil

Go figure