Here it is, comments from my favorite liberal reader, Chris. See post on Obama’s Approval Rating.
Oh please… The US is producing more oil and gas than ever before. We have
lowered our dependence on foriegn oil; down to 45% from 57% in 2008. The price
of gasoline is dependent upon the price of crude oil, a commodity traded and
priced worldwide. 80% of the price of gas is directly related to the price of
oil… and we’ve got Republicans beating the drums for another war in the Middle
East.
Even Republicans know Newt is just blowing smoke when he says he’ll get gas down
to $2.50 a gallon. But, if you and your Repub brethren are so confident of his
ability, please (oh please!) nominate him!
Now the facts, without the smoke blown.
In 2011 the average price of a barrel of oil and a gallon of gasoline were higher than they have been for 150 years, this year that looks to set a new record. Today’s US energy production is the result of decisions made by the oil industry on private land that has nothing to do with Obama. His moratorium in the Gulf after the BP spill sent rigs to other parts of the world and it will result in significant production losses in the next three years. Losses over what the production would have been if he hadn’t stopped all production.
The average number of deep-water drilling permits approved monthly by this administration is down by nearly 30% from the historical norm.
He refuses to open permits where there is local bipartisan agreement to do so. In the mid-Atlantic coast, the Eastern gulf, and in Alaska’s national wildlife refuge. He IS SLOW-WALKING LEASE SALES FOR ONSHORE DRILLING ON FEDERAL LANDS, 2011 was the lowest number of leases since 1984.
He straddles the fracking issue. He could embrace it. It supported 600,000 jobs in 2010 and he had zero to do with any of them being created. Nor, did one dime of your tax dollars. In addition, you got a lot of discretionary income if you heat with natural gas and pay $2 vs. $12 before fracking. Despite keeping his distance from this ,he tried to take credit for it in his State of the Union address.
He retains Dr. Chu, who has invested billion in businesses that may all go broke. And, he once said or goal should be to increase gasoline prices to the levels seen in Europe. With Chu’s help, this may be the only goal Obama meets in his first(and last) term.
He hasn’t suspended tier three gasoline standards which may increase prices by as much as 25 cents a gallons.
Newt is right. A leader who stops everything Obama has done and starts doing everything Obama hasn’t done has a real shot at $2.50 gasoline.After all, fracking brought natural gas down from $12 to $2 in five years. And, Chris, it, too, is a globally traded product. Some estimates suggest the U.S. could overtake Russia as the world’s top producer of oil and gas by 2020.
That won’t happen with Obama. And, people like Chris who ignore facts and drink the Kool-Ade. Just the facts, Chris. No more smoke.
