Summertime gas spat: Lautenberg and Menendez go after Bush and the GOP

Lautenberg and Menendez, two Senators joined together by a common disconnet from reality and absence of logic.

The solution is to drill now. It's ridiclious to impliment a Carter-esque plan now. Zimmer and McCain don't have any better proposals either.

The irony is, if Zimmer and McCain endorsed drilling for more oil, not only would it eliminate any chance for oil speculators to drive up the prices they say is part of the problem, but they actually might have a shot to compete in New Jersey come November.

how? Someone failed their math test. Maybe Menendez and Lautenberg should tell the State Legislature to stop flirting with a gas tax instead.

change their position on Anwar drilling. NJ27 is right. In this case, smart policy is also good politics. The democrats are quite vulnerable on this issue. I have read columns suggesting that McCain go to Anwar, tour the area, talk to experts, etc. and then change his long-held no drilling position. If he ever takes that trip, Zimmer should go with him.

Their message rings so hollow. When was the last time these two paid for their own gas anyway? So long as taxpayers are footing their travel expenses (and Grandpa Frank's tolls to cross out of Manhattan to represent New Jersey) they could care less it if reaches $10 a gallon.

While you are surveying the fishermen ask them which is more detrimental to their industry, potential drilling or the real prohibitions on size of their catch or outright banning of their catch as dictated by some above-the-law mid-atlantic fisheries commission? And then ask the environmentalists about windmills interfering with migration patterns of birds or how 25 square miles of desert in Nevada is most likely home to some rare and endangered indigenous plants and animals. Nobody is denying investing in alternative forms of energy as a longterm solution but windmills on the coastline or acres of solar panels still won't get 80% of the population to and from work everyday. Only their petrol-powered cars will do that and when filling up at the pump they don't want to hear about enough renewable energy to power LA. They want to hear that the price of petrol is going to drop. And why such a distain for Americans living well? Isn't that what everyone illegally crosses our borders for, to have a chance to live well? Some great new message of hope being offered this election cycle: Stop eating what you like, stop keeping your home comfortable all year round, and stop using a car designed for your family. That doesn't sound too hopeful at all. And again I say, Lautenberg and Menendez haven't had to pay for their own gas in years.

SJBlue:

Get realistic! We all agree that as a nation we should seek alternative energy resources and reduce our dependence on foreign oil.

But for the foreseeable future, we are going to continue to be dependent on oil as a significant national energy resource. The oil supply problem in this nation has been caused by the Democrats, whose short-sighted policies have simply refused to allow any additional new drilling sites in the United States.

The Democrats have been in charge in Congress for two years now. Name one thing they have done to alleviate short supplies, or to reduce the cost of gas?

All they do is hold hearings to screech at American oil company executives.

John McCain, who has been iffy on the topic in the past, is at least beginning to make sense now by recommending that the states decide what to do about drilling off their own shores. You Dems don't like that, though.  Too democratic, I guess.

Yesterday, McCain said:

[R]ight now, as you know, there's a moratorium, and those moratorium, in my view, moratoria have to be lifted. And they have to be lifted so that states can make those decisions.
 I'm not dictating to the states that they drill or they engage in oil exploration. I am saying that the moratoria should be lifted so that they have the opportunity to do so. And, by the way, I would also like to see perhaps additional incentives to give the states, in the form of tangible financial rewards, if the states decide to lift those moratoriums.

Maybe, in time, John will also get realistic about Anwar.  At least he is showing intelligent flexibility. Let the people of Alaska decide what is best, protect the preserve, but drill for needed oil.

You know it is a straw-man argument to suggest that anyone wants to drill in the Grand Canyon or Yellowstone. But it is a fact that the huge reserves in Alaska and other places, such as shale reserves, would provide a significant boost to our national oil production, and help stablize crude prices.

You also mention Brazil favorably. Why are do they embrace independence better than we do? Because they have enough sense to drill, that's why! And they're going to be drilling in the Gulf of Mexico, as is China.

I know you Dems love to scream about "big oil," but by leaps and bounds, the world's ten largest oil companies are national oil companies who really control the oil markets, and the oil reserves world-wide. And our Congress will not allow any new drilling.

Allowing sensible drilling in discrete areas of Anwar and other areas, such as the shale reserves, would tend to stablize our futures market, and undermine some of the basis for speculation.

But our two Senators instead hold a meaningless press conference in front of a Citgo gas station, carry on about George Bush and Dick Cheney, all while doing nothing but continue to prevent oil production nationwide.

Those two want instead to control prices through creating more federal bureaucrats!

P.S. Ever hear of a paragraph? It's this new thing we have, so you can at least give your readers the impression that your thoughts are organized, all evidence to the contrary notwithstanding!

by Trochilus

Reagan would affirm his energy policy: minimize America’s dependence upon foreign sources of energy by seeking a balanced and mixed supply of energy resources at a reasonable price. Those sources would primarily include conventional resources (oil, natural gas, coal and nuclear), alternative and renewable resources, and conservation. President Reagan would have expected the price of oil to fall at some point, simply because we know from experience during his administration that high oil prices cause several things to happen, including: Demand for oil declines because people cut their oil usage and shift to other energy sources, more money is invested in alternative resources and conservation, and investors put much more money into exploration and development of higher-cost oil sources and oil substitutes. President Reagan would not give up on oil and would not base our future plans on a faulty expectation that it is soon to be depleted. We will “run out” of oil only if we “run out” of political will to allow the energy industries to develop the resources that are available. And the worst decision the U.S. could make would be to impose rules on the American economy that artificially make oil permanently much more expensive while the rest of the world remained free to use it at a lower price. The President would oppose such rules because he would have known that the shift in competitive advantage to other countries would cost the U.S. jobs, economic strength and, ultimately, quality of life. Reagan was also a staunch advocate of nuclear energy. It is encouraging to see a renewed effort to build nuclear power plants, and he would take a strong public stand in favor of expanding our nuclear electric generation. (No doubt you, NJBlue, oppose Nuclear even if it is successful in Europe. Embrace all that is European Socialism but not its nuclear energy program.) Whatever excitement and enthusiasm we feel for alternatives, renewables and conservation, the fact is (and it will remain so for years to come) that our energy future will be primarily determined by how well we develop and use oil, gas, coal and nuclear. There is a dagger aimed at the heart of alternatives and conservation: a falling oil price. They have received a tremendous boost in recent years out of a period of high oil prices and from government subsidies. There is a threat that falling oil prices will inhibit exploration for new oil and gas resources and means of gasifying coal as well as all those investments in other energy resources. Reagan would request an analysis of what might be done to reduce the risk that falling oil prices would disrupt our national effort to reduce our dependence upon imported oil.

It is obvious that our Senators only represent the interest of the Obama Democratic Party and the hell with the people of NJ.

After 2 years of control of Congress by the Democratic all we have received from them is that the middle class must adjust to less and that is good for America. Sorry, boys this is where we separate company!

It is easy for these 2 gentlemen to make these kind decisions since they from appearances are well to do and lack nothing.

Not so for the vast majority of New Jersey residents who now must struggle as gas prices eat away at the little that is left over after dealing with the astronomical cost of living.

Isn’t time we expected our Senators which ever party they belong to represent US.

Time for Jersey to look for more responsible representation.

NJ Clintons for McCain 08

The truth is high gas prices are indeed a blessing. While, I like everyone, is feeling the pinch at the pump and the grocery store and everywhere else, high gas prices are the only thing that will motivate people to look at better sources for energy. I doubt that is the way our elected leaders in this state see it, or how BHO see it, but nevertheless it’s the truth. As far as Pallone’s comments are concerned you and I both know that “States rights” echoed by Republicans only means one thing and one thing only-it is the first step of a GOP policy initiative. The GOP could care less about the principle of states rights, but they simply have better results fighting their battles at the state level. You open the door to offshore drilling no matter what state does it NJ will suffer. And to answer you fully, I will not address your posts in their entirety because they are littered with too much misinformation to muck through. I’ll leave you with this “the worst way to get out of a hole is to keep digging.”

SJBlue . . . any thoughts about the moronic plan floated by some House Democrats today to ape the Hugo Chavez model of governance here by nationalizing our nation’s oil refineries?

Here are a few grafs from the story: 

"House Democrats responded to President's Bush's call for Congress to lift the moratorium on offshore drilling. This was at an on-camera press conference fed back live.

Among other things, the Democrats called for the government to own refineries so it could better control the flow of the oil supply."

My guess would be you'd want to stay away from that one, no?

by Trochilus

Oh, come on SJBlue . . . the reason that our national economy is experiencing a temporary glitch due to high gasoline and other fuel prices, is because all along you Democrats have wanted it that way! Your own presidential candidate said so.

Ooooopps! Listen to how he says he likes the high gasoline prices.  

Lautenberg and Menendez, meanwhile, are screaming about windfall profits taxes, but commenter Joe Schilp made it very clear on another thread here on Politickernj why that is a crazy idea -- because it punishes ONLY American-based oil companies.

by Trochilus

Hey, SJBlue,

I am not the one who said that they liked high gasoline prices.  That was you.  

Reminder: Rasmussen reported a week ago that the public doesn't like 'em either, and that the public -- 2/3 of 'em -- believe that additional drilling here at home will help alleviate the problem.  Other polls are similar.

Yep . . . but you . . . well, you and your candidate for President really like those high prices.  "The truth is high gas prices are indeed a blessing." YOUR words.

When the Democrats took over control of Congress, just under two years ago, gasoline prices were right around $2.20.

Please, SJ, point out one thing your party did to control or stablize those prices? In spite of repeated calls by the Administration to increase energy output at home -- through nuclear development, to increase refinery capacity, and to engage in some additional drilling at home, the "policy" of the Democrat party has been to  systematically screech the brakes on ALL of that.

And you support it.  Now, you personally bless the higher gasoline prices!

So, that wasn't a trick; that was unadulterated stupidity on a massive scale.

The result is that we are now becoming boxed into an economic corner, with China and India increasing their consumption, and a squeeze resulting on supply -- resulting in sky-rocketing gasoline and other fuel prices.

And what is the typical Democrat solution, now?

Continuing to look for ways to choke the American-based oil industry, by threatening to tax our companies up to a non-competitive level (thus further driving up prices), and, a mini-ground swell of congressional morons threatening oil companies with nationalization 

Somebody obviously "got to" one of the idiots, Democrat Representative Hinchley of New York, and he backed down from the idea on Thursday, having only proposed it on Wednesday!

From the story:

On Wednesday, Hinchey criticized Republicans for what he said was a hypocritical approach to energy prices: "Our Republican friends also talk about the need to set up ways in which the material can be refined, refineries. Well, do we own refineries? No. The oil companies own refineries. Should the people of the United States own refineries? Maybe so.

"Frankly, I think that's a good idea."

Hey, great idea, huh, SJ?  This is what you and your party continue offer this country!  Jimmy Carter's second term!  NO THANKS!

by Trochilus

SJBlue,

You say,

"I would take a 2nd term, 3rd, 4th, 5th (if it were constiutionally possible) of Jimmy Carter over 1 more day of George W. Bush."

The entire country rejected that lunatic in a landslide when he attempted to run for reelection! So, what does that now make you?

Certainly not anyone with "judgment." No wonder you like Barry!

by Trochilus