Sessions: ‘We ought to be saying the energy companies are our friends.’
Sessions: ‘We ought to be saying the energy companies are our friends.’
Proudly doing Big Oil’s bidding on the House floor today, Rep. Pete Sessions (R-TX) said:
What do we hear back from Washington, DC? … “Let’s stick it to Big Oil!” Well, in fact, what we ought to be saying is that energy companies are our friends. … What are the energy companies saying? They’re saying please give us the opportunity to go where there is oil or the perception that there’s oil and go looking for it and provide it to the American public.
Watch it:
The energy companies are certainly friends of Pete Sessions. Since 2004, Sessions has received over $330,000 from the oil and gas industry. In return, Sessions is aggressively promoting greater oil drilling. But as the Energy Information Administration states, increased drilling in the outer continental shelf will have an “insignificant” impact on oil prices.
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Yeah, the oil company executives are all a bunch of Albert Schweitzers.
June 19th, 2008 at 2:27 pmHmmm…what kind of friend is it that rakes in billions of dollars while you pour an increasing percentage of your paycheck into your gas tank?
What kind of friend is it who spends their profits lobbying to have as much research into cleaner energy sources squelched, instead of spending their profits on exactly that sort of research?
And what kind of friend wants to trash and destroy your home in order to loot fossil fuels from it?
I’m just not seeing the “friend” connection. But maybe that’s just me…
June 19th, 2008 at 2:31 pmI think we’re all aware of what the energy companies are.
June 19th, 2008 at 2:33 pmWhat we ought to be doing is giving our public resources over to our friends, the oil companies, so that they can turn around and sell it back to us (and anyone else) for record un-taxed profits. Right, Sessions? That makes perfect sense, yeah.
June 19th, 2008 at 2:34 pmOil companies exist to make a profit. They aren’t our friends. This all one big political game, and consumers will never win because oil companies don’t want to produce cheap gas.
June 19th, 2008 at 2:36 pmJune 19th, 2008 at 2:36 pm
We see that the oil companies already have leases on significant reserves of oil in the United States. Yet they do not produce on these leases. A review of oil industry actions show that they will only utilize a very insignificant amount of oil reserves to supplement earnings during high crude price periods. They are not concerned about increasing supply to reduce oil prices. They know that we are at peak oil and that they will bleed out these reserves over time.
June 19th, 2008 at 2:37 pmI’ll bang this drum once more. The energy companies currently hold leases on 64 million acres of oil-containing, federally owned land. If these areas were developed, the USA could cut its foreign oil imports by 1/3. And it’s because of this that we’ve obviously just Got to drill in the ocean, when there are no oil-drilling rigs available, nor will they be available for the next 5 years. Make your head spin? Good, then you’re paying attention. If only Congress was.
June 19th, 2008 at 2:42 pmImpeach Peolsi, Cheney and Bush and Save the Constitution!
… Yet alternate energy gets ignored.
June 19th, 2008 at 2:42 pmPete Sessions sounds like a kid whose father beats him, but then buys him a new Nintendo afterwards.
June 19th, 2008 at 2:42 pmOff topic question:
June 19th, 2008 at 2:46 pmWhat does privacy mean when those who’ve violated it are given immunity for breaking it and absolution for any future violations going forward?
O/T Portugal v Germany in EURO 2008. I HAVE to watch. Laters!
June 19th, 2008 at 2:47 pmOf course they’re our friends . . . that’s why we give them so much money and want to give them more!
June 19th, 2008 at 2:47 pmThe oil companies only care now about increasing supply because the prices of oil are exceeding the range of their cherished business model. The combination of market speculation and choking of supply can only continue to yield a profit for so long before consumers become fed up and demand tanks. More people are onto to the oil companies non-use of leased fields and their commodity friends.
June 19th, 2008 at 2:50 pmMore like dealers. A friend would at least use vasoline and maybe offer cab fair.
June 19th, 2008 at 2:51 pmSessions should stick himself where his flag pin was made…
in China. Flaggots like him make me sick. Quick to blame the people, but quicker to defend corporations.
Drilling offshore & in ANWR will reduce gas prices by less than 2 cents, so I guess this is Sessions’ ‘two cents worth’.
June 19th, 2008 at 2:53 pmSo the oil giants are now our BFF’s? And we should be THANKING the telecom companies too? Maybe I should just walk up to the front door of the White House, drop my pants and bend over cause the Republicans and their Administration have been f@cking me from a distance for about eight years now and I really should go down and thank them in person. I guess I should give Scalia a hand job too for all the kind and friendly advice he has given us lately. Jumpin’ Jeebus on a pogo stick who says the Repubs can’t do humor?!
June 19th, 2008 at 2:54 pmWell, I have to agree with Sessions somewhat.
If Big Oil were wining and dining me, funding my ‘discovery trips’ to exotic destinations, and otherwise lining my pockets -I’d call them my friends too.
And I wouldn’t care if they stick it to the consumer.
/sarc off
June 19th, 2008 at 2:58 pmThe energy companies can have drilling off of our coasts and in ANWAR when they are done with the 83 million acres they haven’t drilled yet. What part of that doesn’t the right wing get. Why should we give the oil companies new leases on new land to drill when they are not drilling on the land they already have?
Sure Sessions, I am going to look at the people who are gouging me at the pump every day and be happy that they are my friend..NOT! Exxon just posted the highest profit ever for any company anywhere on the earth. How did that happen.
June 19th, 2008 at 2:59 pmWith “friends” like these……
Sorry I’m late to the threads today, very, very busy day @ the office.
June 19th, 2008 at 2:59 pm#Gregor Samsa Says:
Well, I have to agree with Sessions somewhat.
If Big Oil were wining and dining me, funding my ‘discovery trips’ to exotic destinations, and otherwise lining my pockets -I’d call them my friends too.
And I wouldn’t care if they stick it to the consumer.
/sarc off
Except for you that wouldn’t be true because you have a conscience. How do these people sleep at night knowing what they are doing to this once great country? They have to be soulless and have no conscience.
June 19th, 2008 at 3:03 pmWell, in fact, what we ought to be saying is that energy companies are our friends. …
Have you seen my recent energy bill? They are NOT my friends!
June 19th, 2008 at 3:08 pm#11 Max-1 Says:
Off topic question:
What does privacy mean when those who’ve violated it are given immunity for breaking it and absolution for any future violations going forward?
That privacy is an illusion. If the party is given immunity then it is up to the Supreme Court to rule that it is unconstitutional to give blanket immunity. But the Supreme Court would need names of people whose privacy was violated.
June 19th, 2008 at 3:09 pmHave a good day Max-1 :)
Well, in fact, what we ought to be saying is that energy companies are our friends.
that’s the single bit of truth I have heard from Republicans. The oil companies ARE their friends and bosom buddies. It’s just too bad that he didn’t go further and admit that the Republicans and the oil execs are in the same bed…
June 19th, 2008 at 3:11 pmThey DO this because it is the mantra of the United States to get more more more more more of everything. Rupert Murdoch will never be satisfied. The oil companies will never be satisfied. I’ve said it before, we need to get off this kick of having to ‘grow’ our economy. We aren’t doing ourselves any favors when a substantial part of the population cannot even afford a tank of gas. We aren’t doing ourselves any favors by having the entire economy being run on fossil fuels. It’s going to end. And sooner than you think.
June 19th, 2008 at 3:22 pmThis guy is talking like the oil companies are drilling this stuff and giving it away for free! Who are they kidding!? They drill for this stuff for profits, not to be our friends, LOL. Give us a break! With 330,000 from these guys, I can certainly see that they are YOUR friends, but their definitely not my friends. Although, I might change my mind with a $100,000 check, anyone??;)
June 19th, 2008 at 3:25 pmYes, let’s do just what the oil companies want. I’m sure that they will lower their prices then. [snark]
We don’t need off-shore drilling. These greedy bastards already have plenty of areas already leased and have drilling permits but they’re just sitting on it waiting for the price to go even higher.
From The Truth About America’s Energy:
Big Oil Stockpiles Supplies and Pockets Profits
June 19th, 2008 at 3:31 pm
Yeah, look how beneficial Enron was to the consumers in California. Sorry, bad example.
June 19th, 2008 at 3:37 pmYes, my friend is bending me over and making record profits…I need more friends like that.
June 19th, 2008 at 3:39 pmyeah, my “friend” is screwing me every week at the pump.
June 19th, 2008 at 3:46 pmWow, Pete must have really lousy friends.
June 19th, 2008 at 3:48 pmWow. Yeah, the oil companies are my BFF – in the same way my ex-husband was my BFF. He beat me up and screwed me over – what’s not to like?
June 19th, 2008 at 3:49 pmWhat is all this “friends” crap? First it was McCain with his phony, “my friends” and now it is Sessions? With “friends” like these, who needs enemies?
To repeat myself,
We’re being ENRONed again. Curious as to why you are suddenly paying over four dollars a gallon for gasoline? No, it’s not due to “supply-and-demand,” no, it’s not due to “OPEC,” nor is it due to “peak oil.” It’s due to totally unregulated electronic oil futures trading in world markets. Check out the very lucid article that explains the unseen financial machinations in oil futures markets written by F. W. Engdahl on May 2, 2008, entitled, “Perhaps 60% of Today’s Oil Price is Pure Speculation.” It may be viewed at http://www.financialsense.com/editorials/2008/0502.html.
In a nutshell, he suggests that the Bush Administration dropped the ball in January 2006, when they allowed totally unregulated electronic trading of oil futures contracts in New York. Previously these electronic trades had been made at the London Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) Futures Market. With that decision by the Bush Administration, all of the world’s oil prices were then opened to upward pressure from speculative futures contracts. In essence, oil futures contracts made by speculators, banks, hedge funds and pension funds all competed with real demand on the spot markets and had the effect of driving up both wholesale oil prices and retail gasoline prices. Speculators have made billions of dollars on their trading of oil futures contracts. All of their profits come right out of our pockets.
Even with a stable oil supply, there is a slow worldwide increase in demand for oil, which creates a long-term upward pressure on oil prices. However, with the relentless saber-rattling and war-mongering by Bush and Cheney in the last several years, and the more recent war talks by McCain and the Israelis, the oil futures markets are rife with speculation and paranoia. This war talk keeps ratcheting up the prices on the oil futures contracts and hence the wholesale spot market prices. It is an endless spiral of greed and paranoia.
As long as there is no tough and effective oversight of the electronic oil futures markets by the Bush Administration, the oil prices will climb endlessly. These oil prices will be quickly followed by hikes in the retail gasoline prices at the pump. The 60% speculation share of the $4.25/gallon gasoline price, is about $2.55/gallon, which is what we consumers are paying to these oil speculators as a “service fee.” Not a bad “fee,” since the speculators produce no usable goods or services…Just a few large greedy oil futures traders helping themselves to your gas money.
Without this added-on oil futures “service fee,” you would be paying about $1.75/gallon for gasoline. Write, call or smoke-signal your Representatives and Senators today and suggest that they read the June 2006 report by The U. S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations entitled, “The Role of Market Speculation in Rising Oil and Gas Prices.” Then demand that they investigate and then force the Bush Administration to firmly regulate the computerized oil futures contracts trading in New York, London and Dubai.
These unregulated electronic oil futures trading markets should be completely shut down immediately. They serve no social purpose, they only enable corporate greed. These same greedy corporate speculators are probably also responsible for the rapid rise in the prices of basic food commodities, such as wheat, rice and corn. No one who is not prepared to accept physical delivery of one thousand barrels of oil on their front doorstop should be allowed to participate in the oil futures markets. Same goes for wheat futures, rice futures and corn futures.
June 19th, 2008 at 4:57 pmWell, they’re SOMEBODY’S friends, anyway.
June 19th, 2008 at 5:05 pmIf they were my friend, they’d give me a cut of their obscene profits.
June 19th, 2008 at 5:10 pmOf course they’re “our friends”, one look at the Republican passed 2005 Energy bill proves that. One phone call to Richard Armitage who sits on the Conoco-Phillips Board will show Republican insider connections to big oil.
While Bush takes other measures against Burma’s ruling junta, Chevron keeps pumping natural gas. Now that’s compassion.
Here’s the problem, big oil is the abusive friend who drops by frequently wanting more and more of “our money”. How long they can “tax us” for the benefit of Wall Street speculators and corporate shareholders remains to be seen? However, I quit driving unless absolutely necessary. How’s that for supply and demand?
June 19th, 2008 at 5:30 pmWith all due respect, why anyone with two viable brain cells left would expect Sessions to say anything different is beyond my capacity to fathom. He’s a Texan and he’s a Republican…I think that should say it all right there. Odds are that the only way the man could be any more pro-Big Oil than he already is would be if he represented Houston instead of Dallas.
June 19th, 2008 at 6:05 pmIf they were ENERGY companies instead of OIL companies, then I MIGHT consider calling them our friends….. but they’d still have a LONG way to go to earn my respect.
June 19th, 2008 at 7:22 pm‘We ought to be saying the energy companies are our friends.’
I have yet to be robbed by a friend.
June 19th, 2008 at 7:46 pmFU Pete Sessions!
June 19th, 2008 at 10:21 pm.
My friends don’t gouge me…
.
June 20th, 2008 at 1:17 am