Perino: It’s ‘Irresponsible To Suggest’ That There Is ‘A Short-Term Response’ To Gas Prices
Perino: It’s ‘Irresponsible To Suggest’ That There Is ‘A Short-Term Response’ To Gas Prices
Last week, White House spokesman Tony Fratto said that anyone who was promoting a quick fix to high gas prices “is trying to fool people.” Today, press secretary Dana Perino echoed those claims, emphasizing that “there is no magic wand” to dealing with gas prices. She also stated flatly, “There’s not going to be a short-term response,” calling it “irresponsible” to suggest there could be:
PERINO: So the important thing that we need to do is…find ways that we can continue to express to the American people not to expect a short-term response. There’s not going to be a short-term response. And it would be irresponsible for anybody to suggest there would be.
Watch it:
Perino acknowledged that “there’s not a real good short-term answer to high gas prices,” claiming, “we have been very explicit about that.” In fact, Bush and his allies have repeatedly insinuated that expanding domestic drilling would offer a near-term solution to America’s energy crisis.
– In his radio address this weekend, Bush explained that “the fundamental problem” with high oil and gas prices is supply and demand, adding, “One obvious solution is for America to increase our domestic oil production.”
– Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) — whose call for offshore drilling was embraced by Bush one day after he announced it — explained last week that, in favoring offshore drilling, he was seeking to “address the concerns of Americans, who are struggling right now to pay for gasoline.”
– House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) and Minority Whip Roy Blunt (R-MO) stated unequivocally that expanding domestic drilling “will reduce gasoline prices in the short term.”
As made clear by the Energy Information Administration — and McCan’s own economic adviser — expanding offshore drilling “would not have a significant impact” on oil prices. Will Perino tell Bush, McCain, and the conservative leadership in Congress to act more responsibly?
Topic Cloud
ArchivesBlog Roll
Sure but what about ANWR and all that offshore drilling that we have to get going on…?
June 23rd, 2008 at 7:22 pmBut…..the surge is working!
June 23rd, 2008 at 7:25 pmAnd how about that strategic petro reserve we keep filling up..??
June 23rd, 2008 at 7:29 pmUmmm, and hanging all the profit making speculators by their genitals>?
June 23rd, 2008 at 7:30 pmFunny that Perina Cat Chow isn’t aware the White House is indeed working on a “short term response” to “gas prices” and is just dying to unveil it.
Their “short term response” to “gas prices”, unfortunately, is to have those prices skyrocket instead of drop and, unfortunately again, their “short term response” is called “war” against Iran.
June 23rd, 2008 at 7:32 pmMaybe just stop sabre-rattling and sh!tting in the ME for a few months and bring some stability back, ya think?
June 23rd, 2008 at 7:33 pmGeorge W. Bush’s latest failure is a far cry from his promise to get biblical in persuading, cajoling and otherwise arm-twisting OPEC during his first run for the White House in 1999. As oil prices rose to the then-alarming level of $30 that December, then Governor Bush said President Clinton “must jawbone OPEC members to lower prices.” At a New Hampshire Republican debate the next month, Bush claimed the mantle of the Great Persuader. Contending that his days in the West Texas oil fields made him uniquely qualified for the task, Bush proclaimed:
“What I think the president ought to do is he ought to get on the phone with the OPEC cartel and say we expect you to open your spigots…And the president of the United States must jawbone OPEC members to lower the price…
…I used to be in the oil business. I was little oil — really little oil. And so I understand the — I understand what can happen in the marketplace.”
By June 2000, the Bush jawbone pledge became a standard on the stump. As the New York Times reported, Bush foreshadowed future expenditures of political capital he would fail to accumulate:
“I would work with our friends in OPEC to convince them to open up the spigot, to increase the supply,” Mr. Bush, the presumptive Republican candidate for president, told reporters here today. “Use the capital that my administration will earn, with the Kuwaitis or the Saudis, and convince them to open up the spigot.”
For the details, see:
June 23rd, 2008 at 7:35 pm“Jawbone of an Ass: Bush’s Utter Failure with OPEC.”
Magic wands have all been checked out for some time. Between the oil companies and speculators, there are none available to the little guy at this time.
June 23rd, 2008 at 7:38 pmGet ready for some serious changes, with our dollars now going even more to the east, we are screwed, we are going to be a third world nation, and the depression that is going to happen will destroy the country. There is no way out of it, the eastern oil producing nations cannot invest in the USA fast enough or in amounts that would matter to save our butts.
Party is over, get some acreage, seeds, garden tools, guns, survival gear…you are going to need them to survive.
June 23rd, 2008 at 7:39 pmI am sure that the rabid, liberal leaning WH Press Corpse followed up with such tough questions as:
1. Then you agree that drilling offshore or in ANWR would make no sense in terms of alleviating gas prices since it would take approximately ten years to develop these fields?
2. Do you also agree that since the ANWR and off shore field would only double US production (current production only providing 1.6% of US requirements) would have a minimal impact at best?
Oh, no such questions. Why am I not surprised?
June 23rd, 2008 at 7:40 pmI agree upside99 – if a cease and desist order could be issued to everyone in the Bush adminisitration and in Israel’s gov’t and their sabres, as you put it, were taken away I bet the price would come down pretty quickly.
Regular news stories about Israel doing military exercises and saying they intend to strike Iran don’t help one bit.
Perhaps there’s a little hope on the horizon as a group of Nigerian ‘rebels’ has just declared a truce that is to begin tonight at midnight.
June 23rd, 2008 at 7:43 pmOT
What is going on with the movie 1984? Amazon is now selling it used for $75.00 – $185.00 and netflix does not appear to have it.
Is there something in this movie we are not allowed to see?
June 23rd, 2008 at 7:44 pmIf only we’d elected a President who really knew the Oil industry from the inside out, someone who had worked as an Oil Company exec. and could call former colleagues and really put the screws to them to get these prices under control… wait. Wasn’t Bush an Oil Executive?
June 23rd, 2008 at 7:49 pmNahh, ’cause that’d mean either Bush was a complete incompetent as a President AND and Oil exec. or the Oil Companies and the Admin. WANT the prices to climb to record levels… wait. Isn’t it both?
Buckie, the fear that first leaps to the front of my mind is either a U.S. or Israeli strike on Iran. That would provoke the conditions you speak of. There’s no way we could continue food transportation, school buses, airfare, police patrols, firefighting, etc. under $15 a gallon gas. Simply no way.
June 23rd, 2008 at 7:50 pmYou guessed it McWars, I am starting to stock up on vegetable seeds and getting ready for the flee to the country, I have a friend with a square mile of land, which he says all his friends can come to when the sh!t hits the fan.
June 23rd, 2008 at 7:54 pmIf you think back to 9/11, could we have envisioned all the damage that OBL caused, BEYOND the plane crashes?
He knew BushCo would react the way it has and what far-reaching financial and political destruction that would follow.
There doesn’t have to be any more attacks; he already has what he wanted.
June 23rd, 2008 at 7:55 pmhad enough-
June 23rd, 2008 at 7:56 pmIts out of print… I have a copy and would sell it but I like the film too much, this happens from time to time- write to MGM and request a re-release, I have. Other than that, not much to do… (also write to Criterion and request that they aquire the rights… they do a bang-up job on every film they get their hands on)
Hey Roger2, can you turn that cut-and-paste machine off for a minute and tell us WTF that last one meant?
Stop being a human Xerox machine and do something original, OK?
June 23rd, 2008 at 7:57 pmWhat’s surging are the coffers of foreign government investment corporations, also known as sovereign wealth funds. The largest, some $875 billion, sits in the United Arab Emirates, where George W. Bush just appointed a new ambassador.
http://peureport.blogspot.com/2008/06/bushs-new-man-in.html
I smell something and it’s akin to sulphur.
June 23rd, 2008 at 8:01 pmbelac Says:
had enough-
Its out of print… I have a copy and would sell it but I like the film too much, t
Thanks for the info. 3 months ago Amazon was selling it for $20 and now it is up to $75 to $185 – must be in high demand.
June 23rd, 2008 at 8:03 pmI take the lesson that it’s no time to relax, Buckie. Seven months is a very long time with this administration. Anything can happen. Survivalist tactics at this rate will become the norm.
June 23rd, 2008 at 8:03 pmHmmm… they should start by telling the american public that $4/gallon gas is a direct consequence of the Iraq war.
About time the regular Joes started seeing the results of Dubya’s Happy Happy Iraq Liberation Funtime, not just the relatives of the dead soldiers and civilians.
June 23rd, 2008 at 8:05 pmYes. There is an immediate remedy to gas prices.
DRIVE LESS!!!
BTW, since being a member of the Bush administration is, by definition, irresponsible? I don’t think Dana is in any position to lecture.
June 23rd, 2008 at 8:06 pmSome good ideas from Devilstower :
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/6/22/84958/0813/855/526970
June 23rd, 2008 at 8:07 pm*A five year moratorium on new highway construction.
*End to single-purpose zoning. Shop, Work, and Live in the same Neighborhood.
*Bus Rapid Transit with Dedicated Lanes. Basically, the idea is to have large buses (many are articulated with multiple segments like train cars) with multiple doors so that people can get on and off quickly. These buses stop only at special stations where people enter from platforms that put them at the same level as the bus. So basically they’re like trains… except they’re buses.
* Relaxing automotive safety laws .There are dozens of new start up companies trying to produce lightweight, fuel efficient vehicles in the United States to replace our bloated fleet of fuelosaurs. By a not too astounding coincidence, many of these companies are producing vehicles with three wheels. Why? Well, a tripod of tires does offer some advantages in a few of the designs, but the biggest reason is that for most states three wheels means motorcycle, even if those three wheels are topped by an enclosed cabin and a trunk. Put four wheels on something, and it becomes a car, and once it becomes a car, it has to pass so many hurdles that most small companies can’t even contemplate the idea.
I thought one of the benefits of invading Iraq was direct access to the oil fields and American control of them?
June 23rd, 2008 at 8:08 pmI honestly thought that was one of the touted benefits of going to war in the first place…
must be in high demand.
Actually, this price increase is driven by speculation… (much like Gasoline prices) there is no supply problem, (I picked my copy up a year ago when it was $4.99 at Fred Meyer and remaindered at stores across the U.S.) but the announcement of it’s ‘out-of-print’ status has fueled the rampant speculation on the part of ‘collectors’, speculators are dumb…
June 23rd, 2008 at 8:11 pmnwyman Says:
I thought one of the benefits of invading Iraq was direct access to the oil fields and American control of them?
I honestly thought that was one of the touted benefits of going to war in the first place…
REALLY? You weren’t blinded by the ‘Saddam is a Madman’ and ‘Look over there, WMD’s’?
Glad to see at least a few other felt like me. I was the lone voice in the wilderness when I tried to say that when it all started.
June 23rd, 2008 at 8:11 pmThe GOP led by their boy king,W, have played perfectly into the hands of Bin Laden. What Osama started the GOP is finishing…economy crushed, dollar weakened beyond repair and military stretched tight as a snare drum…..stupid.
June 23rd, 2008 at 8:14 pmrogerse Says:
#19 upside99 Says:
try reading it…
I did, and now tell me what it has to do with Dana Carvey Purina’s ‘no short term fixes’ that is a complete flip flop from Dubya and Mr. McDepends a few days ago? Give us some of your PERSONAL enlightened wisdom, OK?
June 23rd, 2008 at 8:15 pmDamn it…2 posts about this and the dreaded “your post is awaiting moderation” crap.
June 23rd, 2008 at 8:16 pmBadger Says:
June 23rd, 2008 at 8:07 pm
It’s simpler than that Badger. Sacrifice performance and convenience for efficiency. Many countries have markedly smaller average vehicle size without reducing safety. Plus every pound of reduced weight makes a vehicle safer to the ones it hits. But, so long as they keep pushing 5,000 lb vehicles with sport car performance, we’re treading water.
Once a major auto maker makes a car that will carry two people at 40mpg and 40mph (or 30mph and 50mpg)? We’ll be getting somewhere. Such vehicles could use existing technologies, be ready in a couple years, not sacrifice safety, and be less expensive than today’s compact.
June 23rd, 2008 at 8:17 pmMuch of what we are seeing on energy today is in response to the measures put together by Dick Cheney’s task force on energy that remains a secret to this day. Thanks Dick.
June 23rd, 2008 at 8:18 pmLet’s try this….
Bush once sounded like Perino, depending on what year it was…
In 2000, 2004, and 2008 Bush opposed halting deposits into the SPR.
In 2006, he was just fine with it. By deferring deposits until the fall, he said, “we’ll leave a little more oil on the market. Every little bit helps.”
June 23rd, 2008 at 8:19 pmNow we are beginning to understand why Dick Cheney had to keep the energy policy meetings secret. Greedy phucking traitor.
June 23rd, 2008 at 8:21 pmWe could render enough oil out of Cheney and Rove’s fat carcasses to cut the price of oil by at least 20%.
June 23rd, 2008 at 8:23 pmShouldn’t we be nationalizing gas/oil? As the same should go to single payer health care. Any industry that can bring the people to it’s knees, as these two have, should be under government control. This is almost treasonous.
June 23rd, 2008 at 8:25 pmIt’s irresponsible to feed the trolls.
June 23rd, 2008 at 8:25 pmWaste of airtime to hear from Malibu Barbie Perino. She will give the usual Sith Admimistration crapola spin.
June 23rd, 2008 at 8:30 pmpete Says:
Sacrifice performance and convenience for efficiency.
I agree Pete. According to Amory Lovins quoted on Nova (PBS) only 1% of the energy consumed by a car is used to move the driver (150-200 lbs). The other 99% is used to move the car itself ( a couple tons), and the wasted energy from friction, entropy, heat loss etc.
June 23rd, 2008 at 8:35 pmThere’s not going to be a short-term response.
That’s because the long term fix is already in. It’s estimated that as much as 25% of the price of oil is due to speculation. This because most of the speculative markets are now unregulated or lightly regulated, courtesy of Enron and the Bush administration.
http://progressiveworldreview.com
June 23rd, 2008 at 8:50 pmPerino’s lying, just repeating tired old Republican “talking points.” Don’t listen to anything she says, but immediately, and completely, close the “Enron loophole,” as Barack Obama has just endorsed, and let’s all see how much the “Enron loophole” is actually affecting gas pump prices.
Simple experiment. If the “Enron loophole” isn’t a factor, then gasoline prices should stay the same, and the oil futures speculators taking advantage of the unregulated, under-regulated “Enron loophole” aren’t at fault, but if gasoline prices at the pump start dropping appreciably after the “Enron loophole” is completely closed, then we’ll all know who is to blame for our paying so much to fill up our cars…the Republicans.
Oh, this is why Perino and Republicans are desperately spinning…while U.S. gasoline consumers are spinning at the gas pumps with the gas pump nozzle wrapped around their necks. Thank you Republicans for your caring and compassionate attitude. Not.
June 23rd, 2008 at 8:50 pmYep Badger. Every removed pound pays a dividend and so does reduced displacement/horsepower. Plus, when you reduce horsepower/performance? You need less rigidity in the power and drive trains. Less weight again.
Heck! Then when they replace conventional drive trains with electrics, similar to “small engine” hybrids and trains, all that mass and friction is gone resulting in smaller engines again.
And around it goes again. All it takes is re prioritizing the emphasis of design.
June 23rd, 2008 at 8:53 pmBadger Says:
The other 99% is used to move the car itself ( a couple tons), and the wasted energy from friction, entropy, heat loss etc.
Thats why I ride a bicycle for short trips, motorcycle for longer trips, car for weather too bad for biking.
June 23rd, 2008 at 8:53 pmRe. “speculators”.
The public does have one recourse there as well. Conservation.
If people buy less, retailers are forced to drop their price a bit. If consumption continues to fall despite reduced price (all it would take is three-four months)? Futures prices start down.
“The Market” can do the same thing to oil speculation as recently happened with mortgage speculation. And OPEC doesn’t have any say either.
June 23rd, 2008 at 8:58 pmI’m with you Wayne. I haven’t driven more than a couple times a month in years. And that includes Minnesota winters. I seldom miss it.
June 23rd, 2008 at 9:00 pmThe solution is to stop using their g*damned gas. Americans are already showing how much they can cut back on use.
June 23rd, 2008 at 9:20 pmAs a mantra. All Democrats that have public forums should begin calling on all Republicans and more importantly all Big Oil Executives to put their money where their mouths are. If they are so confident that opening up new drilling sites will lower the price of gas, than they should be pledge to short the market with their own portfolios, and their own holdings. If we open a ‘test patch’ of offshore drilling they should be beholden to the results. They should invest where their ideologies and wallets converge. More drilling, lower oil cost, make them short the market with their own money. I guarantee not one will do it. Not one.
June 23rd, 2008 at 9:40 pmThere are no short term solutions, We the people blew it. Since the 1970’s the time of the first crisis, we have done very little to stem the situation. We accepted high prices in gas when they reached $2.00 a gallon. At first we looked at MPG and started buying foreign cars like Honda, Toyota, etc.
June 23rd, 2008 at 10:37 pmThrough the 90’s to present we discarded the concern about oil consumption. Look around as your driving and observe all the SUVs and 4×4 pickup trucks.
Don’t blame the auto companies, we the people demanded these cars, nobody forced us to buy these cars. We elected congressmen that allowed auto companies to lapse on MPG.
It amazes me that within ten years in the sixties we were able to send a man to the moon but in 30 years we were unable to decrease our dependency of oil.
We will eventually become accustom to these prices and continue on our way of self satisfaction. There will be no solution because we Americans are fickle and uncommitted unless it stays in the fore front of the news.
THERE IS a very strong solution to gas prices that will have an immediate, dramatic, and LONG TERM effect on gas prices. Introduce legislation to limit speculative investments in energy, and also strong regulation to oversee those trades.
Speculation is the #1 cause of the oil surge. Most economists will say its responsible for $25-$50 of the current price. In reality it more around $80-$100. The media is ignoring this 100%, but in D.C. there is a quiet battle going on. The politicians KNOW this is behind the oil crisis. Just read about how Goldman Sachs (which “predicts” $250barrel oil coming) are already lobbying hard to prevent oversight and restrictions on the speculation trading:
Wall Street Lobbies to Protect Speculative Oil Trades
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/18/AR2008061802732_2.html?sid=ST2008061801397
Now take a look at this. Obama’s very detailed plan to curtail the speculation market. I seriously believe this could get oil to around $50 a barrel in a year.
Obama calling on tighter regulation, investigation, of oil markets
http://blogs.suntimes.com/sweet/2008/06/obama_calling_on_tighter_regul.html#more
Now I say gas could get to $50 a barrel in a year because of the reasons outlined in this Businessweek article clearly show how speculation has created a bubble in the energy market, with investments going from around $20 the year Bush entered office to around $250billion today. It also exposes the record reserves, decline in demand, and massive glut of oil already on the market. The article also clearly exposes the disinfo being perpetuated by the Bush admin and market “insiders” on the reasons for the oil crisis:
http://www.businessweek.com/lifestyle/content/apr2008/bw2008041_945564.htm?chan=top+news_top+news+index_businessweek+exclusives
Oh, don’t forget Saudi Arabia just announced they are increasing production by 700K barrels a day, and is planning to put the infrastructure in place to increase production by another 3MILLION barrels a day. Restrict/regulate the speculation market combined with THIS will get oil around $50, add a strong dollar and you will see oil under $30 a barrel again. No joke.
June 23rd, 2008 at 11:16 pmReagan removed the solar panels that Jimmy Carter had installed on the roof of the white house…then set about dismantling every other program and idea to move us toward energy independence. GOP only represent the interests of Big Oil, Big military industrial corporations and Big Financial and Insurance and Big Ag. Workers and small independent people are merely a commodity to the GOP.
June 23rd, 2008 at 11:19 pmWhat’s wrong about that statement? There is no quick fix for high gas prices.
But the first step is to get out of Iraq.
But “reliefbate”? Really? Sure. Gimme $450. I’ll take it. When you refund my entire federal income tax, I’ll let you know.
June 23rd, 2008 at 11:35 pmWow. Perino got something right.
Proof even a blind squirrel finds an acorn now and then.
June 23rd, 2008 at 11:44 pmWhat’s next? She turns to Helen Thomas and shouts “Of course the invasion of Iraq was stupid! WMD! Bah-ha-ha-ha! Spreading Democracy, (snort)(tear), please you’re killing me,” and then grabs her gut and falls to the floor laughing hysterically.
June 23rd, 2008 at 11:51 pmThe oil futures market speculators have made billions and billions of dollars off of Americans with the totally unregulated electronic trades, since Bush deregulated it in January 2006. They simply buy futures contracts, which create an artificial added demand for oil on the spot market, which raises the price a little, then wait for Bush or Cheney to rattle their sabers and threaten to bomb Iran, and this jacks up the oil prices much more. This spiral of greed has been going on for at least two and a half years now. Hedge funds, pension funds, banks, speculators and even oil companies have jumped on this greed bandwagon.
Totally shut down these unregulated oil futures markets and this price of oil and gas will drop in half in a month. A few more weeks after that, the price of gasoline in the USA will be back down to about %1.75/gallon. For more info, search on terms, “oil futures speculation.” With this McSame’s already slim chances to be elected President will be nil/null/zilch. Cheers.
June 23rd, 2008 at 11:53 pmLet’s see here: OPEC announces that it will pump an extra 200,000 bls a day i8mmediatly & work to produce 12,500,000,000 bls and on this news today the price of oil futures goes… up.
Sure, tell me again how drillin’ for more will cause prices to drop.
BTW, what guarantee do we have that any oil drilled in America won’t be sold on the world market?
June 24th, 2008 at 1:06 am.
Dana can afford the doubling of gas…
Why does the White House hate poor people?
Why is the White House NOT working on that solution?
.
June 24th, 2008 at 2:18 amjb Says:
Reagan removed the solar panels that Jimmy Carter had installed on the roof of the white house…then set about dismantling every other program and idea to move us toward energy independence.
For many years, Reagan worked for GE. Bush, Cheney, Rice, Bush’s brothers, grandfathers, and uncles are in the OIL industry. With $135 oil, reserves of the Big 5 now worth about $3 TRILLION.
June 24th, 2008 at 2:35 am#59
June 24th, 2008 at 3:20 amWhat a drick!
Perino is a bought-and-sold member of the oligarchic establishment.
What a shocker she accuses people of being irresponsible… Its almost like projection happens regardless of party affiliation.
June 24th, 2008 at 8:02 amdefinition: drick
An appendage of a driver who didn’t make it to the next rest area.
June 24th, 2008 at 8:09 amI agree that “The Ass failed to jawbone” his friend in OPEC, so I just that makes him just a plain old “ASS”. For only an Ass can persuade another group of Asses to do the right thing. Apparently this Ass has a broken jawbone because he’s not showing very good results for all of the Ass Jawboning he’s doing. Any Ass can tell you that an Ass with a broken jawbone isn’t going to get very far in an Ass kickin contest.
June 24th, 2008 at 11:49 amDoes anybody listen to this administration LIER????
June 24th, 2008 at 2:17 pmHow do we know that right-wing religious fundamentalist terrorists (al Qaeda) aren’t profiting from the Sen. Phil Gramm/Kenneth Lay-created “Enron loophole,” unregulated, oil futures energy market overseas…that the present provision in the recently passed Farm Bill doesn’t close?
We don’t.
Hell, if I were a criminal or a terrorist, I’d have a front company or someone fronting for me as an oil futures speculator who would be investing in oil futures, watching the price of a barrel of oil on the world oil market skyrocket, and either have already cashed in or be ready to cash in while prices are so high, pocket the money and put it in a fund for financing my criminal or terrorist activity.
Completely close the “Enron loophole” RIGHT NOW, because the scenario I just laid out is probably happening now and actually has been happening over the past six years as “tough on crime, tough on terrorists” Republicans have blocked Democratic Party efforts to close the “Enron loophole.”
How much money have the right-wing terrorists gamed out of the overseas oil futures markets to finance their terrorist activities or plans?!?!?!
June 25th, 2008 at 3:51 am