Happy Birthday, Energy Policy Act!
In early 2001, Vice President Cheney brought together an energy task force made up of “utility companies and the oil, gas, coal and nuclear energy industries,” and “incorporated their recommendations, often word for word,” into the administration’s energy plan.
One year ago today, President Bush signed that plan into law. It lavished $14.5 billion in tax breaks on energy firms, nearly 60 percent of which went to “oil, natural gas, coal, electric utilities and nuclear power.”
As recently as April, Bush claimed the energy bill would help take “pressure off the price of gasoline at the pump.” It hasn’t worked out that way, as the chart below shows. (Click here to see the full image, courtesy of the minority staff on the House Government Reform Committee.)
Meanwhile, President Bush’s 2007 budget proposed funding “less than half of what the recent energy bill promised for renewable energy and energy efficiency — the two most readily available opportunities to break our addiction to oil.â€
Topic Cloud
Happy Birthday, Dick-N-Bush crime family. You’ve screwed america good.
August 8th, 2006 at 4:12 pmBush fiddles while the world burns.
August 8th, 2006 at 4:16 pmHere’s why there is price pressure at the pump: In 1997, the globe used 74 million barrels of oil a day; in 2006, the globe uses 86 million barrels a day.
Not that complicated. The world is consuming more oil. While US growth in energy usage has slowed, other countries like India and China are ramping up their consumption as their economies grow.
Better start building more nuclear power plants. After all, they are…
August 8th, 2006 at 4:17 pmLet’s give more money to BP!
Oil men are just rich fruit vendors like the ones you see on the side of the highway.
August 8th, 2006 at 4:18 pmSince 9/11, thank God the Bush administration finally imposed an energy policy. Otherwise, the price of gasoline would be much, much higher …
August 8th, 2006 at 4:18 pmOil men, fruit vendors, pimps:
No skills
August 8th, 2006 at 4:20 pmNo manufacturing
No education
Jason,
how do you spew that kind of obvious bullshit with a straight face. You really are a character you know. You buy into everything the right says. No global warming, social programs are bad, Iraq is about liberation, etc etc. give it a rest.
August 8th, 2006 at 4:21 pmThe Energy Industry: our shadow government,and you thought they were in bunkers and missile silos.
August 8th, 2006 at 4:21 pmWhen oil men are elected into office, don’t expect the price of oil or gas to go down.
August 8th, 2006 at 4:23 pmIs the supertanker Condoleeza Rice still afloat? Is Hamid Karzai still the “president” of Afghanistan?
Prediction: Lieberman will be Lamont by 3 - 4 percent. I know, because I programmed the Diebold voting machines ….
August 8th, 2006 at 4:23 pmBush sealed his fate when he killed Karla Faye Tucker after she repent before God.
August 8th, 2006 at 4:26 pmBush has nothing else -literally- to lose. He may as well kill some more and rape the earth and make jokes about fixing elections.
Pledge Allegiance to the United Corporation of America!
August 8th, 2006 at 4:28 pmThanks BushCo for dismantling our America.
In a parallel universe Gore is President and gas is $1.99, China&India demand is up, thus the .30 cent increase. Iraq is not invaded, Oil Co’.s are not sitting on Iraq’s supply.
August 8th, 2006 at 4:29 pmDon’t forget that GW Bush spends his days playing cowboy on his ranch, instead of screwing up everything he touches.
August 8th, 2006 at 4:30 pmWhen this:
Click
Is named after this:
Click
The American public is this:
Click
August 8th, 2006 at 4:32 pmJason,
how do you spew that kind of obvious bullshit with a straight face. You really are a character you know. You buy into everything the right says. No global warming, social programs are bad, Iraq is about liberation, etc etc. give it a rest.
Comment by Krazny — August 8, 2006 @ 4:21 pm
Krazny, my guess is that Jason is only provoking. He doesnt seem stupid when he talks seriously.
August 8th, 2006 at 4:33 pmComment by Spudge_Boy — August 8, 2006 @ 4:32 pm
August 8th, 2006 at 4:34 pmHa ha! Really good.
#11 TIA
August 8th, 2006 at 4:35 pmI will never forget his glib comment when defending his decision to execute her.
It said so much about the shallow, arrogant stubbornness of a man who claimed to be born again, but foretold what coldness was in his heart.
His decision was bad enough, but his remarks were quite revealing.
Yep, I remember. It gave energy companies already enjoying record quarters almost 15 billion in much-needed tax relief.
Kristof: If Muslims are so outraged by what’s happening in Lebanon, why aren’t they as outraged by Muslims killing Muslims in Darfur (you know, the other genocide)?
As usual, Nicolas Kristof gives us some insight into this perplexing question.
August 8th, 2006 at 4:35 pmAmerica has had over 30 years since it hit peak domestic oil to fix this and neither republican or democrat or J. Q. Public has done squat for new forms of energy. We shall all enjoy a nice rise upward in prices as China, India and Eastern Europe come on-line. The time for innovation has been passed. It should be interesting to watch the next 30 years as man becomes like a fruit fly in a Malthusian experiment. The fighting has only just begun!
Note: the earth isn’t made out of an oil abiot center!
August 8th, 2006 at 4:36 pmExcellent, spudge boy.
August 8th, 2006 at 4:36 pmDidn’t we all fear that nothing good would come out of secret policy meetings with energy bigwigs - but some of us thought that perhaps we were overreacting. Wrong!
August 8th, 2006 at 4:38 pmCheney and his cabal have raped the country, screwed the people, and are laughing all the way to the bank.
Wrong. Many new forms of energy and transportation have been invented by the private sector. Only to be bought and destroyed by big oil/big auto.
August 8th, 2006 at 4:40 pmCorrection: “I’m pissed that I even have to right this…”
August 8th, 2006 at 4:45 pmThat’s “write” not “right” :)
Democrats could win just by reenacting this in a PSA:
Last winter, prior to a trip to the Middle East, Bush told a group of reporters that he was going to Israel to inform its citizens that they were going to go to hell. This spring he characterized condemned murderer Karla Faye Tucker’s plea on Larry King not long before she was executed by the State of Texas: “‘Please,’ Bush whimpers, his lips pursed in mock desperation, ‘don’t kill me.’”
“I must have looked shocked,” “Talk” interviewer Carlson writes. “Ridiculing the pleas of a condemed prisoner who has since been executed seems odd and cruel,
What kind of monster mocks the dead?
August 8th, 2006 at 4:46 pmI’m not sure if it’s lack of foresight or just plain greed, but I for one would think that the Right would want to get Joe Q. Public off the oil habit. It’s one thing to make options for commuters that could be fossil fuel free, but I’d imagine it will be a supreme pain in the ass to go fossil free on our military jets, tanks, missiles, etc.
August 8th, 2006 at 4:50 pmEnergy is quickly becoming a national security issue. The right always seems to be for independance, and standing up for oneself, but don’t seem to mind being dependant on foreign energy sources.
August 8th, 2006 at 4:51 pmThe uber rich reichwing and their entitlements
August 8th, 2006 at 4:59 pmI’m not sure if it’s lack of foresight or just plain greed, but I for one would think that the Right would want to get Joe Q. Public off the oil habit. It’s one thing to make options for commuters that could be fossil fuel free, but I’d imagine it will be a supreme pain in the ass to go fossil free on our military jets, tanks, missiles, etc.
Comment by bluefish — August 8, 2006 @ 4:50 pm
that’s a really good point… i guess…
August 8th, 2006 at 5:07 pmand the fact that there is no plan for John Q. Public, further illustrates the lack of concern for anything other than the military-industrial copmplex… so, probably greed…
This is a surprise because …?
August 8th, 2006 at 5:15 pmi believe the most appropriate and accurate description is —
“exactly the opposite occured”
this quite literally describes the result of nearly EVERY policy implemented by the administration in the last 6 years.
incompetence leading to failure leading to breakdown leading to chaos leading to ….
can hardly stand to consider where this is all going to end up.
August 8th, 2006 at 5:16 pmA man who could not find oil drilling in Texas with the funding of the Saudis was bound to foul up this job as well.
He really should start doing the exact opposite of what he thinks he should do.
August 8th, 2006 at 5:20 pmI hope they all meet the same demise that Ken Lay met.
Now thats good for America!
August 8th, 2006 at 5:21 pm#29, Krazny,
In what way is the right in favor of independence different from the left? What does that have to do with world commodity markets for oil or any other strategic resource?
You are correct that oil is reaching the level of a national security interest, considering unstable governments in the middle east and south america stand astride critical supply lines.
I still blame Dems for stifling nuclear power plant developments for the last few decades on our current levels of burning coil, oil, natural gas, etc. for our electricity needs.
August 8th, 2006 at 5:21 pm#34, Suzy,
Hoping for ones death is not very Christian of you - are you doing anything later?
August 8th, 2006 at 5:22 pmgo ahead and blame all you want Jason, it doesn’t make it any more true. Frankly the right doesn’t seem to give a shit about getting off of the oil standard, and the boy in the whitehouse isn’t helping. Instead of writing an energy policy that benefits the country, they write one that benefits the primarily oil, and coal.
for a good look at how much bush wants to get us off of foriegn oil please see this
Next time try logic and reason
August 8th, 2006 at 5:26 pmi believe the most appropriate and accurate description is —
“exactly the opposite occuredâ€
this quite literally describes the result of nearly EVERY policy implemented by the administration in the last 6 years.
==
Helloooooo…
August 8th, 2006 at 5:29 pm#37, Krazny,
Your boy Clinton was in the White House for 8 years - he didn’t even pass an energy policy, so don’t gripe about the Republican plan.
August 8th, 2006 at 5:30 pmJason M. Hendler,
You are a jackass for assuming the religion of anybody. But then agian, we already knew you were a jackass.
August 8th, 2006 at 5:31 pmYou don’t pay very much attention to what is posted by the progressives here do you? Most here do not consider Clinton their “boy” You need to catch up and learn about your enemy or you are doomed to go the way of the do do bird.
August 8th, 2006 at 5:34 pmSNAFU says it all.
August 8th, 2006 at 5:34 pmBTW, don’t forget the astronomical quarterly profits recently released!
…and then all of the power jerks-off in this photo went off to a sado/masochistic sex0rgy until the Chimp was raw~
August 8th, 2006 at 5:34 pmit’s why he’s smilen’
I still blame Dems for stifling nuclear power plant developments for the last few decades on our current levels of burning coil, oil, natural gas, etc. for our electricity needs.
Comment by Jason M. Hendler
This is supposed to be a joke right?
August 8th, 2006 at 5:38 pm#41, btru,
With modern electronics and the pebble bed nuclear power plant design, you would get clean, safe power. Nuclear power plants are currently protected, and there is no bomb you could walk in that would cause any dangerous contamination.
#42, btru,
Clinton had 2 years at the start of his first term (it was the second term in which he was IMPEACHED) with a Democratic congress, but he was far too interested in getting gays in the military then.
August 8th, 2006 at 5:39 pmComment by Jason M. Hendler
This is supposed to be a joke right?
Comment by Magnetic Poet
Yes, just like his “ivy-league, Stanford” credentials
August 8th, 2006 at 5:39 pm“Your boy Clinton was in the White House for 8 years - he didn’t even pass an energy policy, so don’t gripe about the Republican plan. Comment by Jason M. Hendler â€
LMAO, it’s not a republican plan….it’s a ‘Capitalist PIG’ plan.
Lemme see.
Money is the root of all evil…who said that?
August 8th, 2006 at 5:41 pmAh, back to the Stanford stuff - did Dr. Stinker ever talk to the Stanford alums he frequently sees to verify my degree on the alumni site? Probably not, it would contradict the reality he’s trying to create for himself.
August 8th, 2006 at 5:42 pmAh, back to the Stanford stuff
Comment by Jason M. Hendler
Actually, no. More correctly, back to the “Ivy-league” stuff.
August 8th, 2006 at 5:44 pm#46, btru,
Write anyone you like. No ideas were stolen. All inventors were recognized in their respective patents, and the originator of the core tech drew a salary, while his patent was licensed by his company to another company. In turn, the core tech was commercialized, patented and licensed to other companies, in which I was a major contributor.
August 8th, 2006 at 5:47 pmHoping for ones death is not very Christian of you
August 8th, 2006 at 5:53 pmThanks for the compliment Jason, but I’m busy putting a hex on all republicans. Should be done in a few minutes since the party died months ago.
“There is a difference between conceit and confidence. Conceit is bragging about yourself. Confidence means you believe you can get the job done.â€
August 8th, 2006 at 5:53 pm—Johnny Unitas
With modern electronics and the pebble bed nuclear power plant design, you would get clean, safe power. Nuclear power plants are currently protected, and there is no bomb you could walk in that would cause any dangerous contamination.
And I rememeber a certain program, Atoms for Peace….some 50 years ago;
About IAEA: History: Atoms for Peace Speech
Atoms for Peace. President Eisenhower addressing the Un General Assembly. Address by Mr. Dwight D. Eisenhower, President of the United States of America, …
http://www.iaea.org/About/history_speech.html
But the PIGS didn’t want peace…
August 8th, 2006 at 5:55 pm#54, Suzy,
Ah, a witch. Hecatite? You will need more powerful majic than that to beat the sons of the Christian God.
August 8th, 2006 at 5:59 pmJason M. Hendler just like Bush prove that going to an ivy league school can’t make you any smarter. What a waste of money on both accounts.
August 8th, 2006 at 6:02 pmYou will need more powerful majic than that to beat the sons of the Christian God.
Comment by Jason M. Hendler — August 8, 2006 @ 5:59 pm
What like talking donkeys and fire-breathing dragons? Haven’t you ever read the Bible? It’s a delusional fairytale. At best.
August 8th, 2006 at 6:03 pmPeace as many PIGS know isn’t profitable, but thanks for helping screw the world for your greenbacked PIG master Jason.
August 8th, 2006 at 6:03 pmSo how high do you think a gallon of gas will have to go before people are willing to storm the Bastille?
August 8th, 2006 at 6:04 pmSuzy Q.
I think faith only protects true believers, not worshipers of money and lies that only call themselves Christians.
Also did you notice Jason only called down the protection of the Christian God on God’s sons, not all of his children and his creation?
But be carefull about your hex, it might have side affects.
August 8th, 2006 at 6:05 pmunbelievable,
Sadly, this country is filled with submissives like Jason M. Hendler, who will pay anything that there masters want them too. The rest are red necks who don’t understand that they are being used.
I put the price at $15 a gallon before people even start to question.
August 8th, 2006 at 6:06 pmAgain, you Bush Bashers have got it all wrong. They most certainly reduced the pressure on gasoline at the pump–a whole 10 pounds per square inch (PSI).
August 8th, 2006 at 6:07 pmYou will need more powerful majic than that to beat the sons of the Christian God.
Comment by Jason M. Hendler
LOL, You cannot get the ‘Majic’ thru money.
August 8th, 2006 at 6:08 pmSpudge_Boy sez:
Jason M. Hendler just like Bush prove that going to an ivy league school can’t make you any smarter.
Actually, as others have already pointed out, Stanford is not an ivy-league university. The fact that Jason seems to believe it is speaks volumes about his alleged ‘qualifications’.
August 8th, 2006 at 6:08 pmA buddy of mine just paid $4.70/gallon (converted to US) in Canada on his way back from Alaska. The average in Canada is about $3.70/gallon.
You libs don’t know how good you got it here in the US. Besides, you think libs would stop driving their cars in fear of creating hurricanes, droughts, wildfires and apocolyptic rise in sea levels.
Just another example of your duplicitous arguments.
August 8th, 2006 at 6:12 pmI put the price at $15 a gallon before people even start to question.
Comment by Spudge_Boy — August 8, 2006 @ 6:06 pm
How long do you think it will take to get there?
August 8th, 2006 at 6:18 pm#67
Honey Dipper you’ve been drinking from your Honey Bucket again!
August 8th, 2006 at 6:19 pmJust another example of your duplicitous arguments.
Comment by honey dipper — August 8, 2006 @ 6:12 pm
There is no public transportation in my town because paranoid neocons like you resist such systems. What choice do you leave us for getting to work?
August 8th, 2006 at 6:19 pmHey now, who could have forseen higher energy prices?
August 8th, 2006 at 6:20 pmTry a bicycle like I do.
August 8th, 2006 at 6:21 pmI don’t think $3.20 a gallon is having it good. If Bush had not got a hard to destablize the middle east, best we would be seeing is most likely around $2.00 or so.
just another example of your duplicitious arguments.
August 8th, 2006 at 6:21 pmSo, If Americans got it good because Canadians pay 4.70 a gallon, how good do Americans have it if Venezualens pay 14 cents a gallon?
I should be used to rightwing nonsense by now, and I have no idea why I’m not.
August 8th, 2006 at 6:24 pmI think it will reach that price just before the 2008 elections. Then it will be up to a Democrat to fix it, which they won’t be able to ebcause the oil companies are in bed with the republicans. Then the republicans will say “Look, they couldn’t do anything about it”
It is a viscious political game that doesn’t hurt anybody but the American publican. The sad part is that the republican masses do not realize that they are being screwed right along with us.
I have said before and I will say again: “There is no red or blue in Washington. it is all a shade of purple.”
Hillary Clinton wants us to stay and finish the job in Iraq. Why? She along with Bill Clinton are part of the Carlyle Group a war profiteering think tank.
August 8th, 2006 at 6:24 pmSigh — why can’t we get a graph that doesn’t distort the data? Please, make the veritcal axis start a $0.00, rather than $1.00. As it stands, it looks like gas prices have risen 10-20x from their low at the beginning of 2002.
The data is pretty persuasive on its own. There’s no reason or need to present it in a distorted fashion.
August 8th, 2006 at 6:26 pmAs recently as April, Bush claimed the energy bill would help take “pressure off the price of gasoline at the pump.
Very clever TP with your selective quotes, you’ve fooled the George Soros lefty robots. But Bush never claimed that the bill would take pressure off the price of gasoline this year, or even in the short term.
“One of the issues, as you know, that has been confronting Congress is ANWR. And I fully recognize that the passage of ANWR will not increase the oil supply immediately. But it’s also important to understand that if ANWR had been law a decade ago, America would be producing about a million additional barrels of oil a day, and that would increase our current level of domestic supply by 20 percent. We’ve got to be wise about energy policy here in America. We’ve got to make sure that we protect the environment, but we’ve also got to make sure that we find additional supplies of crude oil in order to take the pressure off the price of crude, which takes the pressure off the price of gasoline at the pump.”
“And all I’ve outlined here today are interim strategies — short-term and interim strategy. The truth of the matter is, the long-term strategy is to power our automobiles with something other than oil — (applause) — something other than gasoline, which is derived from oil.”
Where did Bush claim that the pressure off prices at the pump in the short term? It wasn’t in this speech.
August 8th, 2006 at 6:27 pmTry a bicycle like I do.
Comment by honey dipper — August 8, 2006 @ 6:21 pm
You must live somewhere with bike lanes. And without 80 degree temperatures and 80% humidity at 7:00 am that make it impossible to arrive at work dry after a 1 hour bike ride.
August 8th, 2006 at 6:27 pmJason has Asperger’s Syndrome.
August 8th, 2006 at 6:28 pmHe’d be rejected.
Riding your bike to the corner to flip a burger is not what the solution is.
You don’t live in Southern California do you. Everything here is intentionally laid out so that you have to drive. It even has a name: Urban Sprawl.
Do you expect for me to ride a bike 16 miles to work and then 16 miles home everyday? If I wanted to ride a bike 32 miles everyday, I would take Lance Armstrongs job.
But, I live in the real world where corporate parks are nowhere near residential zones.
Try again.
August 8th, 2006 at 6:28 pmposted on another thread, but I’m so angry, I thought I’d share…
OK, I’m really angry.
All the hoopla that has been going on today with the Lieberman/Lamont Primary, and TP has ***nothing***?
So Lindsey freakin Lohan is more important than the mess Lieberman is trying to create to keep his seat?
Comment by trueblue — August 8, 2006 @ 6:23 pm
August 8th, 2006 at 6:30 pmSoCal will pay a heavy price, if there is a massive oil shortage. It is impossible to take public transportation almost anywhere, and the urban sprawl as spudge mentioned is well horrific. A decent commute down here is anything under an hour. I bought a high gas mileage vehicle, as do most libs I think. That is a step in the right direction anyway.
August 8th, 2006 at 6:33 pmtrueblue,
What is going on with Lieberman and Lamont today? I haven’t seen the news yet.
August 8th, 2006 at 6:35 pmTry a bicycle like I do.
Comment by honey dipper — August 8, 2006 @ 6:21 pm
Thats an effort, really. But not the solution.
August 8th, 2006 at 6:35 pmTry defending your right to breathe.
Try a bicycle built-for-two and wire baskets long-haul truckers, and P.S. I love bicycle seats all you gals out there.
August 8th, 2006 at 6:37 pmIt’s all over firedoglake and dailyko’s, etc.
Lieberman’s server went down (it started yesterday, but by today it was down)
and he blamed Lamont. He wants to have a recall or some nonsense because of it, although Lamont has insisted they had nothing to do with it, and he even offered to send a techie to get it up and running.
Turns out, they had a crap host that couldn’t handle the bandwidth. Yet, MSNBC and CNN are constantly talking about his site being “hacked” and ignoring the sad truth…..
It’s disgusting.
August 8th, 2006 at 6:39 pmHey the military almost took the autistic kid a while back, I don’t think asperger’s syndrome would be that big of a stumbling block.
August 8th, 2006 at 6:40 pmThe data is pretty persuasive on its own. There’s no reason or need to present it in a distorted fashion.
Comment by EvilCornbread — August 8, 2006 @ 6:26 pm
Probably because the price has never gone below $1? So whats the point of starting from zero?
August 8th, 2006 at 6:41 pmIt’s a big primary and I’m really disappointed TP has ignored it the entire time.
August 8th, 2006 at 6:41 pmThere’s really nothing to report about it until the returns start coming in.
August 8th, 2006 at 6:43 pmYou don’t live in Southern California do you. Everything here is intentionally laid out so that you have to drive.
Comment by Spudge_Boy — August 8, 2006 @ 6:28 pm
That is a very good description of the landscape in Southern California, the Central Valley, and parts of the SF Bay Area as well.
Finding a job that pays enough to afford a house/apartment within a 10 mile radius is no small feat in CA. Affordability is a huge factor behind the development on suburban sprawl. To make things worse, there is little or no public transportation -the real solution for getting cars off the roads.
The average commute today is 25 minutes, up 18 percent from two decades ago. What drives us to drive so far? Many are doing what California real-estate agents call “driving ’til you qualify.”
The Long and Grinding Road
I’ve known a few “extreme commuters”, who’d drive 50+ miles each way everyday. But hey, they lived where they could afford a house…
August 8th, 2006 at 6:44 pmIt’s disgusting.
Comment by trueblue — August 8, 2006 @ 6:39 pm
Sounds like politics as usual. Lieberman is too much of a whiny crybaby - blame the other guy of misconduct because he would do it himself if he were competent enough…
I’ve never liked Lieberman. I hope Lamont kicks his butt.
August 8th, 2006 at 6:46 pmYou gotta love people that argue against their own best interests. Here is an example of an absolutely FAILED policy. Secret energy meetings that have resulted in spiraling prices for energy in this country. The policy and the idiot who came up with the policy screwed it up, if you did this on your job your boss would have booted you. Yet the apoligists defend this? are you stupid?
August 8th, 2006 at 6:46 pm#91: So it demonstrates the relative prices accurately? If the cost for gas had varied between $1001 and $1003 per gallon, that’s a virtually irrelevant fluctuation, but also could be graphed by starting the y-axis at $1001 rather than $0, which would make it look like a huge fluctuation.
Graphing with $1.00 as the baseline simply exaggerates the fluctuation, and distorts the presentation of the data.
August 8th, 2006 at 6:46 pmHoney, are you saying while talking about the energy bill, bush went completely off track and began rambling about something that had nothing to do with signing that bill?
I find it odd a bushbot defending bush by pointing out his misdirection and disengenuousness.
August 8th, 2006 at 6:47 pmAnAmerican,
August 8th, 2006 at 6:48 pmIt’s not about the poll results, Lieberman is trying to throw the whole thing out already:
From firedoglake…
We’re hearing from the New York Times blog that the Lieberman camp hasn’t ruled out asking that the election results be invalidated as a result of the “attack” on their web site.
True,
wouldn’t they have to prove that the attack on thier website was intentionally done by the Lamont camp, with the full knowledge of the Lamont camp, in order to try such tactic? Besides, why would Lamont launch an attack now? I mean it would be pretty silly to skew anything at this point.
August 8th, 2006 at 6:50 pmyeah, but that ‘hacking’ will be exposed for what it was, an incompetent hosting service, and a failure of Liebermans campaign to prepare for a large number of hits..
It’s only going to serve to embarrass Lieberman in the long run, I say let him have at it, and dig that hole as deep as he can.
August 8th, 2006 at 6:51 pmGraphing with $1.00 as the baseline simply exaggerates the fluctuation, and distorts the presentation of the data.
Comment by EvilCornbread — August 8, 2006 @ 6:46 pm
Dont be impressed by the graph. It is ok to me.
August 8th, 2006 at 6:51 pmMaybe if we draw the coordinate axis from 0 to $1,000,000, you could be more easy about it. But, anyway, calculate the slope and thats all.
Lou Dobbs just did a poll: Should Americans celebrate the one year anniversary of the energy policy? 98% said no reason for celebration.
August 8th, 2006 at 6:55 pmCornbread,
I disagree, the average price of a gallon of gas was $1.00 give or take. I don’t think it is disingenious to start the graph at $1.00. If you are showing a rise from $1.00 to $3.00, it makes sense.
August 8th, 2006 at 6:56 pmUpon further review, Liebermans phantom hack may have just been a ruse created by his campaign utilizing a suspect hosting service and a low budget plan in order to ‘frame’ the Lamont Campaign.
Most probably this will turn bad for Joe, once some documents are leaked.
August 8th, 2006 at 6:57 pmDo you expect for me to ride a bike 16 miles to work and then 16 miles home everyday? If I wanted to ride a bike 32 miles everyday, I would take Lance Armstrongs job.
But, I live in the real world where corporate parks are nowhere near residential zones.
Try again.
Comment by Spudge_Boy
I ride 15 miles each way. It takes me 30 minutes one way. Quit whining. What a puzzi. Besides, socal sucks. Move.
August 8th, 2006 at 7:08 pmBesides, socal sucks. Move.
Comment by honey dipper — August 8, 2006 @ 7:08 pm
Most likely the only thing we will ever agree on. My plan is to move
August 8th, 2006 at 7:11 pmhoney dipper,
you do 15 miles in 30 min?
Someone who can do Algebraic equations, what’s the mph on that?
August 8th, 2006 at 7:16 pmIf Dubya’s doing it, you can be sure it’s gonna be FUBAR. The guy’s got an sterling — nay, unblemished — track record on that count.
Cheers,
August 8th, 2006 at 7:17 pmSixty divided by thirty is two times 15 equals 30.
August 8th, 2006 at 7:19 pmoops…nevermind. Blonde moment:)
August 8th, 2006 at 7:19 pmHoney Dripper sez:
I ride 15 miles each way. It takes me 30 minutes one way.
So…you allegedly bike 15 miles in 30 minutes…that’s 1/2 mile per minute, or 30 miles per hour.
We’re supposed to believe you hold an average of 30 miles per hour during your daily bike commute? Doubtful.
August 8th, 2006 at 7:20 pmThanks, anAmerican, I got it same time as you! (I feel pretty silly, though!)
August 8th, 2006 at 7:21 pmUnlike you I have a great job in the technology industry, so I won’t be moving anytime soon.
The only thing that sucks about So Cal is that there are too many republicans in Irvine and Mission Viejo. But, there are enough Democratic votes to make them go away come election time.
August 8th, 2006 at 7:26 pm30-40 minutes, but I don’t have to ride on roads. We have a bike path. It takes me about an hour if I ride the mtb, longer if I take the single track spurs on the way home.
But back to Bush’s claims or promises for gas price relief. When he signed the bill:
“[T]he bill I sign today is a critical first step. It’s a first step toward
a more affordable and reliable energy future for the American citizens.
This bill is not going to solve our energy challenges overnight. Most of
the serious problems, such as high gasoline costs, or the rising dependence
on foreign oil, have developed over decades. It’s going to take years
of focused effort to alleviate those problems.”
Why does TP have to be deceptive and lie about what Bush says? How can you robots be fooled so easily?
August 8th, 2006 at 7:33 pmPlaying video games is a “great job”? Bwahahahahaha! Get off your ass and ride your bike!
August 8th, 2006 at 7:35 pmFirst of all Honey Dipper,
The person who was caught in a lie here was you. Then you immediately deflected attention away.
Second, where does it say Spudge Boy plays games all day? He’s in the High Tech field.
August 8th, 2006 at 7:41 pmI don’t play video games. I am the International Marketing Manager for a global hardware manufacturer.
Ha, get a real job bitch!
August 8th, 2006 at 7:42 pmBOO-YAH, Spudge!
August 8th, 2006 at 7:43 pmHoney Dipshit: “Why does TP have to be deceptive and lie about what Bush says?”
Honey, remember when your cult leader said he’s “jawbone” the Saudis to keep the price of oil down? That was six years ago. Take a look at the graph. The price of our oil has risen steadily during his years in office. What kind of energy program would Bush have to have for you to call it a failure?
August 8th, 2006 at 7:56 pmHoney, why do you have to be so deceptive about the time it takes you to ride to work. If your assertions are correct, you should be on our olympic cycling team.
August 8th, 2006 at 7:57 pmHoney, does it matter if anybody gets what Bush says right? It’s all BS, and like everything he has done from the very first day of his presidency it’s a lie, designed to make his friends money, or going to get innocent Americans killed.
August 8th, 2006 at 8:02 pmI’d celebrate too but I can’t afford to drive to the party.
August 8th, 2006 at 8:07 pmI’m sure his 30 minute bike ride to work is down hill - both ways! :)
I think he’s proven that he doesn’t ride it to work every day. Just once a year so he can say he does it.
Our infrastructure in this country makes it too dangerous to ride your bike on the highways. Especially here in Jesusville where the monster pick-um-up trucks can’t drive 55…
August 8th, 2006 at 8:08 pmAs recently as April, Bush claimed the energy bill would help take “pressure off the price of gasoline at the pump.â€
This should be a mantra repeated by all the Democrats during their campaigns.
August 8th, 2006 at 8:12 pmThis should be a mantra repeated by all the Democrats during their campaigns.
Comment by Larry from C — August 8, 2006 @ 8:12 pm
Except that the Democrats are just as much in bed with Big Oil campaign contributions and don’t wanna bite the polysorbate 80 hand that feeds them.
August 8th, 2006 at 8:17 pmExcept that the Democrats are just as much in bed with Big Oil campaign contributions and don’t wanna bite the polysorbate 80 hand that feeds them.
Comment by unbelievable — August 8, 2006 @ 8:17 pm
I’ll give you a sleeping bag, but not a bed. None of the Democrats have a personal relationship with the Saudis to the degree the Bush family does. The Democrats also didn’t hold secret energy policy meetings with Ken Lay.
August 8th, 2006 at 8:24 pmThe Democrats also didn’t hold secret energy policy meetings with Ken Lay.
Comment by Larry from C — August 8, 2006 @ 8:24 pm
No argument from me that the Repugs are currently more corrupt… But I think the Dems are just two back-to-back terms away from being the donkey-flavored version, unless we adress campaign reform by removing the Corporate American influence and revoking Corporate Personhood…
Right now, they are each going to the highest bigger, and you know that ain’t us :)
August 8th, 2006 at 8:29 pmThe election can’t come sooon enough. And screw Lieberman, the phoney.
August 8th, 2006 at 8:54 pm2006 Primary Election - Aug. 8, 2006
U.S. Senate
Democratic Primary
Updated at 08:59 PM - Aug. 08, 2006
Precincts Reporting: 126 of 757 - 17%
August 8th, 2006 at 8:59 pmCandidate Incumbent Votes Vote %
Joe Lieberman X 22,898 44%
Ned Lamont 29,463 56%
http://web.wtnh.com/2006voteprimary/race200.html
link to above…
August 8th, 2006 at 9:00 pmHas any one else had trouble with the think progress blog site today>? Am I banned or what.? Have sent 4 emails to tp and not been able to get the full page to load. Finelly hit on a tiny bar at the top and managed to get 2 diffrent things to pop up but not the regular full page of listings……Help, any one……Blessings
August 8th, 2006 at 9:15 pmreally nice photo… I hope they all enjoy exploiting the non-wealthy
August 8th, 2006 at 9:32 pmI get this image of bush standing at a gas station with $5.009 gas prices on the sign, and in the background a “Mission Accomplished” banner shimmers in the sunlight.
August 8th, 2006 at 10:11 pm#104: It’s fine so long as you don’t mind the hight of the bars corresponding to relative prices of gasoline…which happens to be EXACTLY what the graph purports to convey.
It’s a crappy, misleading graph. We should complain when the conservatives use bad graphs, and we should complain when we do it too.
August 8th, 2006 at 10:15 pm“Do you expect for me to ride a bike 16 miles to work and then 16 miles home everyday? If I wanted to ride a bike 32 miles everyday, I would take Lance Armstrongs job.”
That’s good excercise.
August 8th, 2006 at 10:35 pmWhy do we think the energy policies of the Bush clan were a failure.
August 8th, 2006 at 11:08 pmThey were wildly successful. Price of oil products are skyrocketing,
the middle east is a mess, insuring high prices for many years.
I think they succeeded. That was the object.Consumers are more
than willing to pay, as long as they
or their children don’t get drafted to fight. Keep on electing these oil
suckers………..maybe it will impact your life….directly. good luck.
733 of 748 Precincts Reporting - 97.99%
Name Party Votes Pct
Lamont, Ned Dem 143,363 51.81
Lieberman, Joe (i) Dem 133,323 48.19
It’s over, folks.
August 8th, 2006 at 11:18 pmSo, obviously, there’s no reason whatsoever to explain why gas prices have doubled since Bush has been in office. None. No connection. No reasons.
Gas prices doubled over past 5 years = Bush/Cheney = Republican dominated Congress = too many Americans suckered into making extremely bad decisions at the voting booths
August 9th, 2006 at 12:49 amIf that graphic doesn’t show the price gouging after Katrina I don’t know what does. A barrel is more expensive today and the price of a gallon of gas is still lower than it was in Sept 05. Why were there no investigations? Why were there no lawsuits?
August 9th, 2006 at 12:59 amAhhhh…the charming hypocrites on the Left…..For years the eco-wacks have been whining that HIGHER gas prices would force Americans to drive less and thus, conserve more. And when gas prices climb the Left whines….(of course, Leftists whine that the $$$ generated from higher gas prices is going to “BIG Oil” - and their evil shareholders - and not the tax coffers they so adore…)
My support for alternative fuel sources has nothing to do with Dems and Progs desire to punish corporate America - I would like to see EVERY oil sheik returned to camel riding, Hugo Chavez straddling a donkey, and an overdrawn Iran without funds to buy military weapons from China…. The symbol of the braying, bleating jackass IS an apt symbol for the Dem Party….
August 9th, 2006 at 3:12 amNothing to celebrate for that Bush piece of rotten festering smelling Energy sludge act!
August 9th, 2006 at 4:13 am#136-ECb- “WE”? What’s with the ‘we’ crap? All of your posts were complaints about the graph. It was done by the minority staff of the House Government Reform Committee. Are you saying that they don’t know what they are talking about? One question, Is the price of fuel in America, be it oil, gas, natural gas, etc., significantly higher since GWB took office, or isn’t it? The graph, no matter what you may think of it doesn’t matter. The facts are self-evident, no matter how they are presented. And we also have the ironic situation of BP, with their Billions and Billions in record profits, and Billions in ‘corporate welfare’ benefits, knowingly allowing their pipeline in Alaska to corrode to the point of causing a 200,000 gallon, at least, oil spill, back in March. It took alot of negligence on the part of BP for this to happen, say about 14 YEARS worth. Thet are now facing a criminal investigation over it. I think prices will keep going up. And that is the point here, not how a graph was formatted.
August 9th, 2006 at 6:00 amFriends,
Let the resounding defeat of Senator Joe Lieberman send a cold shiver down the spine of every Democrat who supported the invasion of Iraq and who continues to support, in any way, this senseless, immoral, unwinnable war. Make no mistake about it: We, the majority of Americans, want this war ended — and we will actively work to defeat each and every one of you who does not support an immediate end to this war.
Nearly every Democrat set to run for president in 2008 is responsible for this war. They voted for it or they supported it. That single, stupid decision has cost us 2,592 American lives and tens of thousands of Iraqi lives. Lieberman and Company made a colossal mistake — and we are going to make sure they pay for that mistake. Payback time started last night.
I realize that there are those like Kerry and Edwards who have now changed their position and are strongly anti-war. Perhaps that switch will be enough for some to support them. For others, like me — while I’m glad they’ve seen the light — their massive error in judgment is, sadly, proof that they are not fit for the job. They sided with Bush, and for that, they may never enter the promised land.
To Hillary, our first best hope for a woman to become president, I cannot for the life of me figure out why you continue to support Bush and his war. I’m sure someone has advised you that a woman can’t be elected unless she proves she can kick ass just as crazy as any man. I’m here to tell you that you will never make it through the Democratic primaries unless you start now by strongly opposing the war. It is your only hope. You and Joe have been Bush’s biggest Democratic supporters of the war. Last night’s voter revolt took place just a few miles from your home in Chappaqua. Did you hear the noise? Can you read the writing on the wall?
To every Democratic Senator and Congressman who continues to back Bush’s War, allow me to inform you that your days in elective office are now numbered. Myself and tens of millions of citizens are going to work hard to actively remove you from any position of power.
If you don’t believe us, give Joe a call.
Yours,
August 9th, 2006 at 8:25 amMichael Moore
This is a prime example of who installed these jack-asses in the W.H. . . . and how they are benefiting.
They have built the crime that just keeps on giving.
Absolutely the biggest criminal enterprise in the history of the planet with the largest supply of money to steal . . . the U.S. treasury . . . current . . . and the bottomless pit of borrowing allowed by their rubber stamp congress . . . the debt of which they pile on the backs of others.
When you look at them as the criminals that they clearly are . . . . you’ve got to say . . . hey . . . well done! Hell of a job on that last . . . job! You guys have successfully taken over the most powerful country in the world . . . . And most of the people don’t even know it! What’s more is . . . . they support you . . . it’s brilliant !!!
August 9th, 2006 at 10:17 amIt’s time for the pitch-forks and torches,folks!
August 9th, 2006 at 11:43 amMichael Moore–nice speech,except for the concern for H. Clinton.She’s a female Lieberman,imo.
Thanks Unbelievable.
August 9th, 2006 at 11:51 amGood Morning Unbelievable and all, including Cyra, Zooey, Madashell and Jay…Good bye as well….Unless something changes I have been blocked and Judd is not responding to my e-mail..No big suprise….I must of pissed off the Israel backers or some one at tp…..Good luck and keep up the good work……I’m going to do the same….Don’t imagine this post will make it but that’s O.K…….Need to try out the other sites I have been scoping out, finish some picket sign and lot’s of trees to hug…….Blessings all……Work for Peace…
August 9th, 2006 at 12:32 pmBush…incompetent on EVERY level and issue. History is going to crucify this abomination to the Office of President…Dubya.
August 9th, 2006 at 12:45 pmGiven the EPAct’s defects, it’s not surprising that another comprehensive energy bill could be in the works. Lawmakers in the House and Senate are talking about raising fuel efficiency standards (finally after 20 years!) and increasing renewable energy. Let’s hope that if Congress and the President do it again, they do it right.
August 9th, 2006 at 2:06 pm[…] A lot of people blame BushCo for this. Here’s an article from Think Progress framing this rise as a failure of energy policy. […]
August 10th, 2006 at 1:55 pmWhat about supply? Iraq has 25% of known oil reserves yet NOT ONE of the major oil companies have stepped up to bring this oil to market. Why? The price of oil will go down if they do!
August 10th, 2006 at 9:19 pmJim Crow Laws Employment Law Us Supreme Court
I can not agree with you in 100% regarding some thoughts, but you got good point of view
March 14th, 2008 at 6:04 amAaron
Wow! This was a really enlightening article.
April 13th, 2008 at 12:07 am