Bush hammers Congress on drilling, again

With Congress rushing toward its summer recess -- and his own departure from Washington looming -- President Bush challenged House and Senate leaders (meaning, in this case, Democrats) once again to do what he knows they aren't about to do: open up the open waters for offshore oil and gas exploration.

He trooped his Cabinet into the sweltering Rose Garden this morning to reinforce his message that "the only thing now standing between the American people and these vast oil resources is the United States Congress."

Bush's target is a congressional ban on drilling -- which remains in effect apart from his lifting of an executive ban on such operations in the deep waters of the Atlantic, Pacific and Gulf of Mexico.

"The sooner Congress lifts the ban, the sooner we can get this oil from the ocean floor to your gas tank," he said -- making clear that his real audience was not the Congress, but Americans at the height of the summer vacation season contemplating the cost of car travel at $4 a gallon.

Working against the calendar, the president has made energy supplies and high prices a singular focus. Along with Congress, he is about to head out of town.

First, there is a long weekend at his family summer home in Kennebunkport, Maine -- where Walker's Point sits right on the Gulf of Maine and offers a fine vantage for watching the work of an oil rig, were one placed on the horizon. Then, after a visit to Asia built around the opening of the Beijing Olympics, he is planning to spend a few weeks at his own home in Crawford, Texas.

But longer range, of course, he is about to head out of town permanently. The energy situation is one of the few pressing matters that remain on his plate with even a remote chance of resolution.

-- James Gerstenzang

Photo: Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images

Comments

[Daniel]

Who is he kidding? I'm shocked, floored, outraged, and above all depressed by the lies he is spinning. I can't help wonder who is clapping out there? Can someone put a bar of soap in his mouth *please*.

Gas prices are high because demand is high. Its not going to go down *ever*.

[Ivar]

What? The oil-man wants more oil? I'm shocked!

[Chris Troy]

LOL. This man is SUCH A JOKE! Perhaps if you hadn't hired the world's stupidest people to advise you, the economy wouldn't be in a place where gas were $4 a gallon. But then again, if you hadn't cheated and stolen the White House, then those stupid people would still be down in Podunk Texas with the rest of America's whack jobs, like David Koresh and the FLDS - and hey didn't Manson come from there too?

[Jon Wells]

What else would we expect from this moron? More of the same. No surprise.

[Sherri Roche]

Where is the outrage? Every congressman standing in the way of new exploration should be thrown out of office. Don't complain about high gas prices and then turn around and vote for another incumbent clown.

[Rick]

Bush is despicable. He is again jerking the American people around, playing off our fears in order to facilitate a land grab to enrich his oil buddies
Does he have no shame?

[mim]

Bush has these news conferences with all of the kiss-ups behind him. Now, Bush has been president for 8 years, and just decided that the US needs off shore drilling. He isn't stating, that it will 15 to 20 years to see the results. Bush last grand stand: Has Halliburton already agreed to contract for the drilling? How much will Bush get in return with the connections to the oil companies? Something needs to be done, but hopefully Congress will have the widsom (that is pushing it) for any decisions after Bushs' term has expired. Bush has already stated "he wants to return to Texas and be chariman of the board with an oil company"? Most of us are counting down for that day.

[Jon Zank]

The only drilling President Bush needs to occur is in the rotten teeth in his mouth.
Apparently the infection has spread to his brain... OH NO

[Pete Marks]

What a fine con-man this president has turned out to be. He treats the American people as though they don't have the slightest intelligence to see through this. Everyone knows the only people he now speaks for are the big oil companies, who are the only potential beneficiaries of his "drill your way out of this" strategy.
Thank you for taking our best interests to heart Mr. President, it makes us all fuzzy and warm inside to hear it. ....NEXT.

[Ronald Ross]

OK, so Congress won't (better said CAN'T) vote to drill offshore. We all know if there was a vote they WOULD Vote Yes Majority.

President Bush should just add a simple bill addendum stating, "anyone wishing to drill offshore now will NOT be fined for doing so, nor will anyone aiding them in needed supplies."

THats right, don't wait for Nutty Nancy to say yes only AFTER Bush gets out because of her Personnel feelings towards him, and her ignorant attitude putting off all Americans because of her selfishness. Instead do a Down-n-Out G.W. Brett Farve an underhand toss into the Pelosi End Zone Mr. President.

Respectfully,
USNavy Chief, Ret'd

[wtobias]

well i guess after george is gone most libs will have to find someone new to hate and blame everything under the sun or as the tree hungers say the cabon sky im sure that hatered will pass to who ever talks of under 5 dollar a gallon fuel or of a tax rebate check . but im happey to say onece the the welfare checks free medical and a free housing starts im quitting my job and im going to let the goverment pay my way .

[Jeffrey Hardy]

Tell him to just shut up and go to Texas. This is one last grab at getting control of resources for his fat cat friends. Destroying our country further while fattening their wallets is their only agenda.

[Jeff Metter]

Oil platforms would generally not be visable from the shore, they will be at least 50 miles out and thus over the horizon.

"where Walker's Point sits right on the Gulf of Maine and offers a fine vantage for watching the work of an oil rig, were one placed on the horizon"

To infer that they would be visable from shore is a political statement which is factually incorrect.

Are you a journalist?

Jeff Metter

[Jim]

Bush, of course, knows that his own Department of Energy has stated that offshore drilling would have no effect on oil prices into the foreseeable future. His attempts to "hammer" Congress on this issue are motivated solely by his desire to line the pockets of his friends and campaign contributors in the oil and gas industries.

[nyurbiz]

Bush (read Cheney) is only pushing the oil agenda for his buddies. Everyone knows that the total output of the US oil reserves will not impact the price of oil if all of the reserves are producing. The fatcats will profit, but everyone who drives will see no cost reduction. In addition, our pristine areas in the Gulf of Mexico and Alaska will be impacted. He is a lame duck, why continue with his agenda of profiteering and destruction.

BTW, anyone like like his Irag policy. Oops, should have said Cheney's policy.

[Jason]

Drilling offshore is, at best, a stopgap measure and will do irreparable harm to the environment. In his speech, Bush declared that there were 18 billion barrels of oil to be found in those areas, enough to cover US oil production for nearly 10 years. The actual figure is about 6.5 years (quite a rounding job there), and, as he said, is a measure of production. This means that we can (theoretically) spend another six and half years importing oil at exactly the same rate we do today, because of this oil. That means six and a half more years of the the same percentage of the price being dictated by the price of oil imports. What we're really concerned about, however, is consumption. In terms of consumption, 18 million barrels would provide us with about 2 and a half years worth of oil at present rates, and the rate of consumption is absolutely certain to grow, so we're actually talking about less time. This isn't a solution to anything.

[Peter C]

Quick, start drilling so that the oil can hit the WORLD oil market a decade from now. Of course this oil will be priced at prevailing market price, which means OPEC only need reduce their supply by our increase to negate any price decline due to increased supply. What a load of nonsense from this man.

[Jeff O]

Does anyone else feel that we're barking up the wrong tree, pushing for expanded drilling? Aren't we, in reality, postponing the inevitable? What will it take for us as a nation to shift gears and pursue with gusto and purpose alternative (cleaner!) energy sources?

[yortj]

I do not think it was apprpriate for Mr. Gerstenzang to add his little snid remark about watching the oil rig from the wealthy sea shore area.
It's okay to have oil and gas as long as it's hidden from site of the wealthy!!!!!
We need the energy and it should not matter if we have to get it from your back door, we have been getting it from many other americans back door long enough it is time for all to do the same.

[KeepAlaskaWild]

Does anyone really think that the price of gas will go down when we start drilling it ourselves? Daniel said it right: "Gas prices are high because demand is high". The oil companies want to make money, not give Americans a break.
4$ a gallon? Get used to it...

[TC]

I know hindsight is 20/20, but it wasn't hindsight when I noted eight years ago that George Bush was a millionaire Texas oil man. If you voted for him, that is literally and simply what you elected. Did it surprise you that his military aggressions directly caused a destabilized oil market, high gas prices, and record oil company profits? Anyone involved in oil is getting richer even faster than they used to thanks to Bush policies. Does it surprise you Bush would like to help his only friends to get richer even faster. Extremely rich people grab for power with all the considerable tools at their disposal and they weren't taught to apologize for taking things with both hands. If off-shore opens to drilling thanks to Bush, he and they will be laughing all the way to the bank again. The joke is on you standing with a gas nozzle in your hand. I was about four when my dad first told me why the Republican Party shouldn't exist. It remains a little more than a vehicle for the extremely rich to get even richer. I was taught to understand about 95% of Republicans are living in a fool's paradise.

[Dan]

Obviously another political play for the right. He doesn't really want anwar and other areas open, he's an oil man enjoying the profits too. It is easy to play the other side when you know it won't pass.

[Devon Read]

Sherri

Opening up offshore drilling won't lower prices, for a number of reasons.

1) it is EXTREMELY expensive to explore, build an oil rig and then drill in water that deep. they would ONLY turn a profit with those expenses by keeping oil prices at or above the level they are currently

2) rampant, deregulated oil futures spending has almost doubled the cost of oil, independent of the actual cost of pulling it out of the ground - having more offshore US oil isn't going to check this

3) when you have a small group of huge companies who have a complete monopoly on a resource that the world NEEDS, giving them access to more of it isn't going to compel them to lower prices, it just guarantees them more reserves of it later and lets them control prices even more; right now they only USE 30% of the leases they already own off-shore, thus demonstrating that they do not necessarily have a vested interest in drilling and exploiting their leases, just holding them to control the market more.

congress isn't the problem here, it's the prez, his cronies, the rampant deregulation that has been happening in the past 7 years and the fact that the oil companies are not held accountable for pulling record profits EVERY f***ing quarter even while the American people suffer due to the exorbant cost of filling up their tanks.

[Edward Holman]

OPEC used the 1973 oil embargo to punish the U.S. for our support of the Yom Kippur War. They have clearly demonstrated they will use oil to influence American Public Opinion. OPEC favors Obama over McCain since McCain favors a 100-year military presence in Iraq similar to our presence in Japan, Korea and Europe. On this I think the American people and the Middle East agree. We want out of our current obligations, not new ones.

Most Americans think Democrats want high gas prices to modify societal behavior, so high gas prices will hurt Obama.

Watch gas prices drop by November so it is removed as a political consideration.

[T R Young]

I guess it's OK to promote off-shore drilling if you, yourself do not have to see the drill rigs every day and night , or have to - yourself - perform spill cleanup, and you can just sit back with your motorized toys on the ranch or off Kennebunkport in your high-powered Cigaret speedboat (3 to 4 MPG) and tell other people to do it.