I learned two things today. One was that there was people from Idaho are called ‘Idahoans,’ and the other wasn’t that the Democrats in DC are a bunch of obstructionists. I’ve known that for quite a few years, actually. The other thing I learned was that Larry Craig (R – ID) actually cares about the price of gasoline.
His office does a little investigative journalism (the job that American journalists won’t do), and finds that there’s a stunning sameness to the Democratic Party response to every energy policy proposal: “No.”
We are experiencing higher gasoline, oil, and natural gas prices today because of decades of restricted development of new sources of petroleum.
From ANWR to off-shore development such as Lease Area 181 in the Gulf of Mexico, we have identified oil and natural gas reserves that can be developed and used responsibly. Yet time and time again efforts to increase supply, and reduce prices, are blocked. For instance, ten years ago President Clinton vetoed development in ANWR.
For decades, the minority party has blocked one effort after another to responsibly develop the energy resources our country possesses, transforming vast areas of opportunity into “The No Zone.”
Because of current U.S. policy, U.S. companies are prohibited from developing oil fields that lie in Cuban waters and come within 50 miles of Florida.
However, Cuba is exploring and potentially developing these oil fields, estimated by the U.S. Geological Survey to possess more oil than the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge, and Cuba is partnering with China and other countries, such as Spain, France, and Canada.
Now, as we sit idly by, worried about development 100 miles from Florida, China is actively exploring oil fields 50 miles from Key West, Florida. U.S. companies are barred from working in this area because of U.S. policy . So, instead of allowing the most environmentally responsible companies to operate there and increase our domestic supply, China, who has a dismal environmental record, is sucking close, lucrative oil reserves dry.
More downloadable charts at Sen. Larry Craig’s site, including a frustrating display showing how Cuba is slinging it’s drilling rights to the highest bidder. Of course, one of those being China. So, yeah, the US can’t drill in the Gulf of Mexico, but China can.
Then again, that’s probably what the Democrats want.
Link from Gateway Pundit.
Now that IS good research. A Republican senator from a Republican state blames Democrats for high oil prices! And Wizbang buys it.
Stop.
The.
Press!
Please enlighten us about the real cause, jp2.
Your argument amounts to nobody ever being right, if anyone disagrees.
It is interesting how the Left is complaining about high gas prices after they are partly to blame for them although it is not proven that more refineries or US oil capacity would make much of a dent. The market for oil has grown significantly with China and India increasingly getting addicted to black gold.
Shouldn’t the Left be happy about high gas prices as they spurn growth in alternatives? Instead of pandering and coming up with ways to lower the price of gas, they should embrace it as the future and help steer us competently in a direction that uses oil alternatives.
Typical Republican response to a problem they can’t or don’t want to fix — blame the Democrats.
Drilling in the ANWR won’t accomplish anything except making the oil companies shareholders richer. The price of gasoline will not drop 1/10th if drilling is allowed. We all know that….but with the Republicans slipping dangerously in the polls, and voters angry about high gasoline prices which are directly and solely the result of Bush’s middle east policy, it’s time to blame, blame, blame the democrats.
Keep it up, but you’re only preaching to the choir here. The public ain’t buying it anymore, and you guys repeat these same old saws, instead of fixing the problem, is making the Republicans look even worse.
There are good reasons to develop domestic oil production, moving towards energy independence for example — and that’s a topic worthy of debate… but for some odd reason the conservatives are solely interested in attempting to prop up the plummeting poll results.
With posts like this all I can say is — Good luck!
Wow, Lee, your vast knowledge of the complexities of economics impresses me. Please explain, for my benefit, how the increasing of domestic supply from ANWR constitutes an exception to the law of supply and demand. Is it the “drop in the bucket” principle? Same apply to offshore drilling? Maybe wind power off of Nantucket too?
“There are good reasons to develop domestic oil production, moving towards energy independence for example…” you say? Isn’t that the point of ANWR and the rest of the examples cited in the post? And why aren’t they being pursued?
So what can be done? Tell China and India to not buy oil so the cost comes down on the world market?
It’s already been established that ANWR and coastal oil are off limits politically. That cuts out a whole lot of potential right there. And unless I misremember, which is possible, wasn’t the latest proposal to drill in ANWR scratched because it wouldn’t be available in less than a couple or three years? Seems to me if we’d started drilling four or five years back, it’d be available now.
And would it be possible at some point to stop pointing fucking fingers at each other and screaming “IT’S THEIR FAULT, DAMMIT!” and go ahead and actually start EXPLOITING the stuff? Or can’t we do that because the other side might get an advantage from that, and we can’t HAVE that now, can we?
which are directly and solely the result of Bush’s middle east policy
As an economic advisor, you make an excellent pastry chef. You don’t want to be dismissed as a victim of Bush Derangement Syndrome, don’t make such ignorantly deranged statements.
“There are good reasons to develop domestic oil production, moving towards energy independence for example…” you say? Isn’t that the point of ANWR and the rest of the examples cited in the post?”
The post doesn’t say anything about energy independence WM – all it does is blame the Democrats for high gasoline prices. So the answer to your question is “no” (had to do it), that isn’t “…the point of ANWR and the rest of the examples cited in the post?”.
It’s just more blame, blame, blame – and we all know the reason.
Unless and until drilling by China off the Florida Coast actually occurs, I cannot help but view this whole brouhaha as a red herring (pun intended). I just don’t see it.
China Law
Open up Anwr now!
Hmmm.
@ Lee
Why would conservatives be interested in propping up Bush’s poll ratings when CONSERVATVES ARE THE ONES DRIVING THOSE RATINGS DOWN?
You dumbass.
Gee Lee, sometimes real people with real courage step up, accept responsibility, put aside their petty ulterior motives and do the right thing. You demonstrated that you, at least, are incapable of contemplating that alternative. Harry Reid would be another.
Ed, If conservatives aren’t interested in propping up Bush’s poll # they’re stupider than we thought.
Im a conservative but not a republican, and I could’nt care less about Bushs poll #s? but it has obviously become a tool of the media to use against political opponents! to say otherwise would be to deny reaLeety.
Hmmm.
Oh for God’s sake Lee.
The problem you and all of the other liberals is that you think of this as a *Cult of Personality* thing. That somehow conservatives are into Bush as if he were a cult leader and we’re all Jonestown stooges looking for a kool-aid cup.
Here’s a clue for you:
Bush and the Republican party are tools that conservatives employ to get things done.
When the GOP does what conservatives want them to do, then they get supported. When they go and start heading off into idiot directions, then they get cut down.
Conservatives aren’t *lead* by Republicans, Republicans are *driven* by conservatives.
Does that help explain the relationship?
So, Lee. What “alternative energy” sources are you talking about? Hydrogen? Nice in theory, except for all the fossil fuels needed to seperate the hydrogen from the oxygen it likes to hang around with. Nuclear? It’d be great of some president were to advocate for some mountain in the middle of nowhere be used to bury wate under so we could jumpstart new construction. Of course Bush tried to do that years ago, but liberals shot him down due to irrational fear of nuke power. Biofuels? If they were comercially viable I would expect to see farmers widely using it in real life some time before it is ready for general consumption. Haven’t really seen it, so I’m not holding my breath.
In the mean time, while waiting for these technologies to be implemented, it might be nice to use our own shit before prostrating ourselves to foreign powers.
So, Lee. What “alternative energy” sources are you talking about?
brainy, this post doesn’t say anything about “alternative energy” sources, and none of my comments have either. I pointed out the obvious, that by focusing solely on blaming the democrats for high gas prices this post was merely another attempt to help shift focus away from President Bush at a time that his poll numbers are plummeting.
Your question is interesting, but it would be off topic to go there now. Besides, the country is waking up to the fact that Republicans aren’t interested in solving the problem of high gasoline prices. The high gas prices are a big boost for their pals in the oil industry. Republicans are more interested in blaming democrats for the problems they themselves create. This post, and attempts to steer the thread away from that fact, are good examples of that effort in action.
When you see a post on Wizbang! that addresses solving this problem instead of placing the blame on democrats, you’ll find my thoughts on energy independence in the comments section. Ask me then.
Hmmmm.
Ok that’s funny.
This is the “I would destroy you with my vast intellect, but I’m busy right now” pose.