Democrats Eager to Exploit Anger Over Gas Prices

[cal04]

Democrats running for Congress are moving quickly to use the most recent surge in oil and gasoline prices to bash Republicans over energy policy, and more broadly, the direction of the country. With oil prices hitting a high this week and prices at the pump topping $3 a gallon in many places, Amy Klobuchar, a Democratic Senate candidate in Minnesota, is making the issue the centerpiece of her campaign. Ms. Klobuchar says it "is one of the first things people bring up" at her campaign stops.

To varying degrees, Democrats around the country are following a similar script that touches on economic anxiety and populist resentment against oil companies. "It's a metaphor for an economy that keeps biting people despite overall good numbers," said Senator Charles E. Schumer of New York, chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. Mr. Schumer said Democratic candidates in 10 of the 34 Senate races this year had scheduled campaign events this week focusing on gasoline prices.

Officials at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, which advises House candidates, said they sent a memorandum to candidates on Thursday offering guidance on using the issue to their advantage. The memorandum includes a "sample statement" that recommends telling voters, "Americans are tired of giving billion-dollar tax subsidies to energy companies and foreign countries while paying record prices at the pump."

Increasing gasoline prices have put Republicans on the defensive at a time when they are counting on the economy to help offset the myriad other problems they face, starting with the Iraq war. Republicans say they have spent years advocating policies that would reduce the reliance on imported oil, largely by promoting more domestic energy production, and they point to the energy bill that President Bush signed last August as a step in that direction. They said that the law encouraged conservation and greater use of ethanol in gasoline and that it would have done more for domestic oil supplies if Democrats had not fought so hard against drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

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http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/21/washington/21gas.html?hp&ex=1145592000&en=9020ba83fabbdd7c&ei=5094&partner=homepage

[xray s]

1. It's refinery capacity that is the problem

The oil companies have purposely reduced refining capacity to increase prices.

Nationalize the damn things

[jean]

3. same outcome as far as I'm concerned. More money goes out of my pocket

into theirs.

[high density]

7. The hilarious thing about the refineries...

Is that the oil companies say that it's "high risk" to build more of them because of environmental issues and the possibility of an alternative energy source being found soon. (yeah right?!?) Then on the other side of this "high risk" equation they're doing zero research on alternative energy because we supposedly have have so much oil available and also underwrite propaganda to confuse the environmental issues. They're enjoying the status quo right now, and that's not surprising given the amount of money they're making. It all seems to be amazingly shortsighted, though.

[AX10]

2. This article paints the Democrats as...

being merely opportunists who don't actually care about alternative energy.

Is this an op-ed from the White House or something?

[omega minimo]

4. Exploit? Aren't gas prices the answer to the question:

When will Americans wake up?

[Ksec]

5. Bush planted the New Yorker nuke story

Since Syd Hersh generally gives bush a hard time, people gave that story a huge amount of weight. The war drums began beating and big oil used the scare to drive up prices due to speculation of wars in Iran. Just the threat of a war can do that and what better way to pump up profits than a nuke scare with Iran. I believe this happened and Ill bet it comes out to be true someday

[kurth]

6. Heard on a radio talk show today:

Irate driver asking RW host: "Now, has the world's population doubled since this time last year?"
RW host: "No."
Caller: "Has the number of vehicles in the world doubled since this time last year?"
RW host: "No."
Caller: "I voted for President Bush both times. What has he done in the last five years about the situation?"
RW host: "Lots of things. I don't have time to list them now."
Caller: "These higher prices are going straight to the oil companies' bottom line, correct?"
RW host: "Yeah. Well... (long pause) I believe we're due for a commercial break." (hangs up on caller)