Comments on: Lifting Offshore Moratorium Is Boon To Big Oil And No One Else http://wonkroom.thinkprogress.org/2008/06/18/bush-offshore-oil/ Thu, 26 Nov 2009 16:42:01 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 hourly 1 By: Xisithrus http://wonkroom.thinkprogress.org/2008/06/18/bush-offshore-oil/comment-page-1/#comment-1398 Xisithrus Thu, 19 Jun 2008 07:39:12 +0000 http://thinkprogress.org/wonkroom/2008/06/18/bush-offshore-oil/#comment-1398 Well, congress isnt responsible for increasing production..seems to be some word play going on here. They have, as noted by Brad, given out plenty of drilling permits that arent being used. Well, congress isnt responsible for increasing production..seems to be some word play going on here. They have, as noted by Brad, given out plenty of drilling permits that arent being used.

]]> By: Xisithrus http://wonkroom.thinkprogress.org/2008/06/18/bush-offshore-oil/comment-page-1/#comment-1396 Xisithrus Thu, 19 Jun 2008 07:36:56 +0000 http://thinkprogress.org/wonkroom/2008/06/18/bush-offshore-oil/#comment-1396 Bush didnt seem worried about drilling when the strategic reserve was being filled with oil until just recently <blockquote>On November 13, 2001, President George W. Bush announced that the SPR would be filled, saying, "The Strategic Petroleum Reserve is an important element of our Nation's energy security. To maximize long-term protection against oil supply disruptions, I am directing the Secretary of Energy to fill the SPR up to its 700 million barrel [111,000,000 m³] capacity</blockquote> <blockquote>As of June 11, 2008, the current inventory was 704.9 million barrels (112,070,000 m³). At current market prices ($138 a barrel) the SPR holds over $97 billion worth of petroleum. On May 13, 2008, the United States Senate and House of Representatives voted nearly unanimously to temporarily suspend the 70,000 barrel per day shipment of petroleum to the nation's emergency reserve[1] -Wikipedia</blockquote> Bush didnt seem worried about drilling when the strategic reserve was being filled with oil until just recently

On November 13, 2001, President George W. Bush announced that the SPR would be filled, saying, “The Strategic Petroleum Reserve is an important element of our Nation’s energy security. To maximize long-term protection against oil supply disruptions, I am directing the Secretary of Energy to fill the SPR up to its 700 million barrel [111,000,000 m³] capacity

As of June 11, 2008, the current inventory was 704.9 million barrels (112,070,000 m³). At current market prices ($138 a barrel) the SPR holds over $97 billion worth of petroleum.

On May 13, 2008, the United States Senate and House of Representatives voted nearly unanimously to temporarily suspend the 70,000 barrel per day shipment of petroleum to the nation’s emergency reserve[1] -Wikipedia

]]> By: Wayne A. Schneider http://wonkroom.thinkprogress.org/2008/06/18/bush-offshore-oil/comment-page-1/#comment-1390 Wayne A. Schneider Wed, 18 Jun 2008 20:43:39 +0000 http://thinkprogress.org/wonkroom/2008/06/18/bush-offshore-oil/#comment-1390 I've posted this question before but no one seems to have an answer. Maybe you do, Brad. If oil is a "vital national security interest", then why do we allow its price to be controlled by the free market? Wouldn't that be the same as putting one of our "vital national security interests" in the hands of someone else? Something else confuses me about this. Again, oil is supposedly a “vital national security interest” (despite our policies that suggest otherwise), so why is Bush suddenly so concerned about getting permission from Congress to do this? Isn’t his entire presidency defined by the notion that a commander-in-chief during wartime (even a war he illegally started) has virtually unlimited powers? If Bush and Cheney really believe all that crap they’ve been handing us about executive authority, then they must not believe they need Congress to approve anything they are doing concerning a “vital national security interest”. I’ve posted this question before but no one seems to have an answer. Maybe you do, Brad.

If oil is a “vital national security interest”, then why do we allow its price to be controlled by the free market? Wouldn’t that be the same as putting one of our “vital national security interests” in the hands of someone else?

Something else confuses me about this. Again, oil is supposedly a “vital national security interest” (despite our policies that suggest otherwise), so why is Bush suddenly so concerned about getting permission from Congress to do this? Isn’t his entire presidency defined by the notion that a commander-in-chief during wartime (even a war he illegally started) has virtually unlimited powers? If Bush and Cheney really believe all that crap they’ve been handing us about executive authority, then they must not believe they need Congress to approve anything they are doing concerning a “vital national security interest”.

]]>