Durbin Blasts Bush and Oil Companies

[Bob Geiger]

Responding to President Bush's offhand comment on Tuesday that "the prices that people are paying at the gas pumps reflect our addiction to oil," Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) blasted Bush, saying "Let me say to the President that the prices at the pumps don't reflect our addiction to oil; they reflect a failure in leadership by this White House."

"It hasn't even been 1 year--not 12 months--since the President ceremoniously signed the Energy bill for America's energy policy last August. What a great bill that has been," said Durbin on the Senate floor Tuesday. "Since that bill was signed, what has happened to the price of energy and heating, and energy and gasoline? It has gone up dramatically across America."

"That bill was a failure. It was a failure because this administration believes the price at the pump is the fault of the consumers. It isn't. The consumers have nowhere to turn. That bill that was passed was an outrage. There were some provisions in it that I supported--expanding the use of alcohol fuels, alternative fuels--but the bill also contained multibillion-dollar subsidies to the oil industry at a time when they are enjoying record-breaking profits."

Durbin also said that he believes it's time to implement a windfall-profits tax on big oil companies, as they enjoy record profits while consumers grapple with gas prices that may reach $4.00 per gallon by the end of the summer.

"I think it is time to have a windfall profits tax," said Durbin, the Assistant Minority Leader in the Senate. "When ExxonMobil can realize billions of dollars of profit at the expense of American businesses and families, it is time for us to step in and say that money is coming back to the Treasury and back to the consumers."

And the Illinois Senator made it clear that blaming consumers who, at these prices, are canceling summer vacation plans and struggling just getting to and from work, isn't something the Democratic leadership in the Senate will tolerate.

"It is time for the President to speak out. It is not a question of whether our addiction to oil has caused this problem. It is not the consumers' fault. No. It is the fault of the oil company executives and this administration which needs to show real leadership so this economy doesn't stall.

"The prices at the pump reflect the oil companies' addiction to greed."

You can reach Bob Geiger at [e-mail] and read more from him at Democrats.com.

[benburch]

1. Dog bless my Senior Senator!

Go Dick!

(And you were right, my friend, they ARE Nazis.)

[neoblues]

2. "Oil prices simply indicate greed in high places" Period, End of Sentence.

Or to be more explicit, "The prices at the pump reflect the mutual greed and addiction to money (unwarranted profits) of both Oil Companies and the Bush Administration.". The point being Bush should have been included in that summary sentence. However, it could be further improved by pointing out that this is unethical behavior and reflects a clear absence of morals in their pursuit of wealth and satisfaction of their obscenely excessive greed.

[robbedvoter]

3. K&R! beautiful! Sweet and clear.

[meow2u3]

4. BCF's criminal minds at work

Criminals always blame the victim, and Bushco's no exception. Rapist mentality if you ask me, because the Bushies are raping America.

[Gloria]

5. Nice, but isn't Durbin behind this crap about messing with our

vitamins?? The petitions are up and running in our health food stores here....and it's serious business.

I'm not trusting ANYBODY these days...including Durbin!