Pelosi is right on this one

Pelosi is right on this one
July 18, 2008

We keep hearing about the 73 percent of Americans who support lifting the 1981 ban on offshore drilling as a means of lowering prices at the gasoline pump. We also hear that George W. Bush is blaming Congressional Democrats for the four-dollar-per-gallon prices we have been seeing lately, by refusing to jump in line with the oil companies in their opportunistic grab for more profits, albeit years down the road.

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi is right on this one, and she is to be admired for standing firm against such poll numbers when she knows she is on unpopular ground. After all, isn’t that 73 percent close to the numbers that favored invasion of Iraq in 2003 before people had access to actual facts instead of propoganda.

She knows, as should we all, that any benefits from offshore drilling will not be realized for years, and that oil from ANWR would be shipped to other countries, and would benefit only the oil companies.

The administration seems to have one way of dealing with national emergencies — and this issue is definitely approaching that status — which is to politicize. Point the finger of blame at the other party; do not look for real solutions for real problems.

Here’s a suggestion. Quit rattling the sabers over Iran’s real or imaginary development of nuclear weapons. Whether it is true or not is one thing, but issuing threats only stimulates market speculations, which in turn drives up the price of crude oil, which then provides cover for the oil companies in their gouge fest for record profits.

Dealing with Iran is fairly simple: talk to them. Remember diplomacy? Probably not, because it has never been a part of this administration’s arsenal of international relations. Anything, but stop threatening anyone on the world stage. Who knows, perhaps things might calm down. Trouble is, that is not a good situation for the 1 1/2 oil men currently running things (Bush is the 1/2, since he never successfully ran an oil company). Calm is bad for business.

-jcscrib