EPU’ed

The Cushing Spot price for oil is currently $119.40/bbl. Can you say “Insane”? We are so screwed.

You just about gave me a heart attack with the other price. :)

No president ever deserved to be hated more.

LHP
thanks for the spirit-lift. Always love to read about how unpopular Dubya is. Makes me day.

Keep in mind that by the time the corporate media has done their smear on either Clinton or Obama and put the spit shine on a lackluster McCain the polls just might be in his favor by Nov.. It’s all about the independents and they are the easiest to manipulate.

And still he tap dances into history…

Scandal fatigue.

Incompetence fatigue.

The reason the Pentagon propaganda story doesn’t get more play? The fact that this administration is incompetent and corrupt JUST ISN’T NEWS–70% of the population already gets it.

Implicit in the 28-69 breakdown is the 3 percent of respondents who didn’t know. Just what the hell are they thinking?

You know if we lived in a democracy these numbers would mean something.

Froomkin by the way has more.

Thanks for the post Blue tex.

“Who is George W. Bush?”

Bush’s plan to turn his polls around is underway now. I’m not sure of all the details but it appears to involve appearing on TV gameshows.

Wasn’t it David “I see the future out my ass” Broder who said that Bush’s popularity was going to rebound?

63 percent against the war and Democrats like Murtha and rahm want to fund it well into next year.

Madness

Not thinking at all. Some people truly don’t believe that anything the federal gov’t does has anything to do with them. Weird.

$200 / bbl crude comin’.

Yes, then like two years later said that that wasn’t one of his best predictions, or something equally lame.

OT, from the “you just can’t make this shit up” department — McClatchy reports that McCain picks failing Ohio factory to laud free trade. Sometimes they just write themselves, you know…

What is causing this?

that’s too much … And not so OT after all. Looking forward to mcsame sharing bush’s approval ratings (*before* Nov!!)

I’m still being offended because he went to Selma. No place for a racist to be. He probably really wanted to go to a Wal-Mart and decided it wasn’t a good idea.

Bush should not resign.

Pelosi and Hoyer should be kicked out of their positions.

Bush and Cheney should be impeached.

He loves to tell them…your jobs are never coming back. Really…that’s what he tells them…then he tells them to work two jobs and skip vacations…

I still say that Murtha et al have been told that if they drop the funding while Little Boots is in the House, he will let the troops run out of food, money for pay, supplies and everything else just to (try) making the point that Dems are bad and not to be trusted.

Most rational folks would know better but rational and Little Boots are not terms I would normally use together.

yeah. George W Bush sucks

Born In The YooSA…

Duh1 He’s a war criminal who proudly boasts of partial drowning and is a complete failure to faithfully execute the office of President. Get him outta here now. [edited by mod] It’s past time to hold these bastards feet to the fire!

[Mod Note; In the comments at FDL, please do not suggest violent acts or harm on others. Thank you.]

“…if we lived in a democracy these numbers would mean something.”

Bingo!! You win the gold star for taday! Maybe we not only pack the House and Senate witjh supermajorites but we get new leadership in both…ya think?

Supply & demand (can you say “China”?), “Risk Premium” (the hedge market bidding against further ramp-up of oil-region violence and instability), refinery capacity, and the intractable decline of the USD against the Euro and other major currencies (we see the bbl prices quoted in USD; every additional decrement in its relative value pushes the nominal crude “value” up).

Just MHO.

Via Froomkin on the suit to release logs of White House visitors, he quotes this exchange between Judge Sentelle and the government’s lawyer:

“The judges were skeptical. They said they wanted to find a way to protect the president’s rights without broadly prohibiting access to information that should be public.

“‘What in the documents are so quintessentially presidential?’ asked Judge David S. Tatel.

“‘The name of the person going in to visit,’ Cohn replied.

“‘That’s a public building,’ Tatel said. ‘You can stand out on 17th Street and watch who goes in and out.’

“‘The Secret Service might have some qualms with that,’ Cohn responded.

“‘They might have some qualms but they couldn’t stop you from doing it,’ said Chief Judge David B. Sentelle.

Priceless

And he’s dancin’ again.

Dancin’ while America Burns…the theme of this President.

And what does it say about the state of the Republican brand that Obama has garnered endorsements by Susan Eisenhower [Ike’s granddaughter] and Julie Nixon Eisenhower.

Prairie Today: Earth Day

Oh another great song!

does he even Know,im sure he wouldnt care…..

Why there are not more calls for his resignation is a complete freaking mystery.

Two words:

Dick Cheney.

Time to start compiling a collection of McSame’s vacation [and all] homes, just so people know exactly what his statement means.

I was thinking of Murtha on the MIC thread this AM.
Is he the solution or part of the problem?

I recall clusterfuck saying something along the same lines to a woman working two jobs and following up with “What could be more American than that?”

“‘The name of the person going in to visit,’ Cohn replied.

Bwahahahaha…

Gannon?

Abramoff?

When oil hit $30 in December 1999, Bush said this:

“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.”

How is it that the Democrats are completely incapable of reminding people about these things? Nice job, Harry and Nancy.

cbl will be thrilled to hear you were on the thread today.

That would’ve been my thought, as well.

Anybody else notice the hummers didn’t return in the same numbers as last spring?

the president of the United States must jawbone OPEC members to lower the price…

jawbone by an ass.

“When oil hit $30 in December 1999…”

Ahh, good times…good times.

I don’t see GW Clusterfuck gainin any ground with the american people in the next nine months- although he’s still out there takin hacks. Most people don’t pay any attention to the pathetic little bag of shit anyomore- as he continues to harp about how things is “improving” and how his tax cuts “is workin”.

It is beyond belief that this fuckhead could have been in the White House for two terms-

and what makes you think that the corporate media hasn’t already been given the OK for Clinton or Obama. Yes, they are better than McSame, but neither of them would be where they are were it not for the medial letting them be there . . . . that means the corpos are OK with that too.

I would add in peak oil. It has been one of the really odd things about the current rise in oil prices precisely as we enter into peak oil that it has had almost no effect on pricing. But even if there is no war with Iran, it is this that will eventually push oil prices to the $200/bbl region. I should point out to that current supply and demand are about the same relative to each other as they have been for the last couple of years. So they have actually haven’t contributed significantly to the big bid up in prices from last year.

A former truism about oil was that short term it was overpriced but that long term it was massively underpriced. We are now moving into the era where pricing is and will remain stratospheric.

The sliver lining in this is the potential to spur eco-friendly large-scale alternatives development.

Just got back from voting in my rather rethug suburb. So far as of 2 pm 35% of the registered dems have voted v. 14% of the rethugs.

It’s gonna be a big turn out today.

Yes but the Democrats won’t even remind people that the Republicans got us to these current prices.

BTW everyone notice Google’s Earthday logo?

Yeah. You likely know more about the econ of this than do I.

There is no such potential so long as Republics have any power.

And Repubs said Clinton disgraced the office and embarrassed the country.

I swear, Pelos & Reid et al have got Stockholm Syndrome.

FYI – here is the next “crop” of senators who will be going through election activities, and that is not until 2009:
Alexander, Lamar (R-TN)
Allard, Wayne (R-CO)
Chambliss, Saxby (R-GA)
Cochran, Thad (R-MS)
Coleman, Norm (R-MN)
Collins, Susan M. (R-ME)
Cornyn, John (R-TX)
Craig, Larry E. (R-ID)
Dole, Elizabeth (R-NC)
Domenici, Pete V. (R-NM)
Enzi, Michael B. (R-WY)
Graham, Lindsey (R-SC)
Hagel, Chuck (R-NE)
Inhofe, James M. (R-OK)
McConnell, Mitch (R-KY)
Roberts, Pat (R-KS)
Sessions, Jeff (R-AL)

Baucus, Max (D-MT)
Biden, Joseph R., Jr. (D-DE)
Durbin, Richard (D-IL)
Harkin, Tom (D-IA)
Johnson, Tim (D-SD)
Kerry, John F. (D-MA)
Landrieu, Mary L. (D-LA)
Lautenberg, Frank R. (D-NJ)
Levin, Carl (D-MI)
Pryor, Mark L. (D-AR)
Reed, Jack (D-RI)
Rockefeller, John D., IV (D-WV)

What was the price of gas at the pump when bush took office?

“don’t be surprised if Bush makes a comeback,” david Broder January 2007.

IDIOT.
and proves the rule for good political reporters. report what you know and dont be drawn into predictions.

Think it was around $1.40.

For some unknown reason I got an e-mailed from Cornyn the other day – I was offended and can’t imagine why I got it. Round file.

Mission Accomplished!

Stupie’s daddy must be so proud, breaking all those records like that.
Most vacations and Worst. President, EVAH!
You go Stupie!

Asshole.

jawbone by an ass.

707!

Yep, $1.45 -ish

If I were Speaker of the House or Majority Leader I would mention that to the media.

Repubs are voting for HRC…per MSNBC

Regular Gas was $3.79 and Diesel was $4.39 a gallon by my place yesterday.
The diesel is what is going to kill us, this country is run on diesel.

Can’t talk to the media. Too busy keeping impeachment off the table.

Can we Impeach him now?

ITMFA

Yup.

they can’t unless they re-registered before March 23.

Interesting story this morning on the “ol’ wireless:”

http://www.npr.org/templates/s…..d=89831088

“Bentham outlines two outcomes — one a “scramble” and the other a “blueprint” scenario — for addressing energy needs.”

(snip)

“That can kick off a dynamic where the tensions are perceived to be a fight between nations and hence a scramble for supply. The demand side is postponed, in terms of being managed, in that scramble outlook,” Bentham says.

So, a fear of shortage of supply builds up, and the steps to manage the whole energy system holistically aren’t taken, Bentham says. Instead of considering conservation or alternatives, people just grab for oil and other forms of energy.

The “blueprint” scenario, on the other hand, recognizes that forces can combine to affect change. “You see emerging coalitions coming together at the state level but also cross-border” to find solutions, Bentham says.”

Jeremy Bentham is a Shell oil PR flak. Nonetheless, big oil is going to be at the table regardless of who’s in the WH and which party controls Congress. We (DFHs) need to be aware of big oil’s marketing strategies.

Less than a dollar in my neck of the woods.. I still owned a 42 gallon Suburban (burned at least 6 tanks a month) and it didn’t cost 50 bucks to fill it until well after September 11th.

I now purchase less than 5 gallons a month, btw.

Truth! As Americans it’s time to face the truth and I intend no harm to a single person on this planet but I will use any and all powers to prevent harm coming to the least of my brothers and sisters.
I brought up Depleted Uranium to focus on the total criminally of this administration. We , each and every one of us, pays to contaminate Iraq on a daly basis.

DJIA was about 10,500 when Bush took office. It’s now at about 12,6000. 20% increase over seven and a half years—adjusted for inflation it’s negative….

Nice job fuckhead. MBA president my ass!

It’s a full time job.

That is what the report says they did.

IMTFMA!!!111

This is my entry from my scandals list on this. It was a comparison for Bush’s first 7 years in office. You can see current oil prices have gone up considerably since I did this.

308. On January 19, 2001 as Bush was taking office, the spot price for a barrel of Cushing West Texas Intermediate (WTI), the benchmark for domestically produced oil, was $32.12. Seven years later on January 18, 2008, it was $90.55 a 182% increase, and this as with the following examples was after a period of price declines.

A more general measure of US crude oil is a weighted US spot price which takes into account oil imports.
For the week of January 19, 2001, this price was $23.59/barrel.
For that of January 18, 2008, it was $85.36, a 262% increase.

As for gasoline, conventional regular retailed:
For the week of January 22, 2001 at $1.46 a gallon.
For the week of January 21, 2008 at $2.99, a 105% increase.

Many parts of the country use reformulated regulars which contain anti-pollution additives.
For the week of January 22, 2001, this price was $1.51 a gallon.
For the week of January 21, 2008, it was $3.07, a 104% increase.

There are several reasons for these price increases: a bumbling, warmongering foreign policy, a weak dollar, the lack of any real energy policy, hedge fund driven speculation, and various machinations by the oil companies. Curiously, the imminence of peak oil and demand outstripping supply has only played a minor role in price run ups as of early 2008.

I agree that the depleted uranium issue should be brought up and exposed…often.

proves the rule for good political reporters. report what you know and dont be drawn into predictions

but who would confuse broder for either good or a reporter? political, yes. good or reporter, no …

Re Diesel:

Truck Repossessions More Than Double in ‘07 [tractor trailers]

And that’s before the big increase in diesel prices 1Q 2008.

Oilfieldguy had a comment on this the other night, wonder if we could get him to weigh in on this problem.

Less than a dollar in my neck of the woods..

*drops jaw*

Nationalize oil companies.

these are thugs who re-registered as dems? PA is a closed primary state, no?

Broder hasn’t reported anything for years- just writes his famous columns where he pretends to be non-partisan with both thumbs on the scale for the goopers.

like I said, Broder predicting proves the rule.
he got it wrong.

Nationalize MIC!

Must be Rush listeners.

What is MIC?

Military Industrial Complex?

Yet, Republics still have power and McCain has a chance to win. Democrats are completely feckless.

$1.46 won’t even buy a stick of butter any more.

Thanks, Hugh, for your research and your fabulous list.

I heard the Bentham piece. It’s sort of the Establishment view as it slowly comes to terms with peak oil. It’s still a very conservative picture. I believe he thought peak oil would occur around 2015-2020. I used to think that it would occur around 2013 but events over the last year in terms of production make it look like we are likely already at the peak. It will take a few years for things to shake out and to know for sure. He had some scenarion that spun out to 2050 but the further out you go the more divorced from reality his projections are. Another point that really struck me (and correct me if I’m wrong) but I did not hear him mention global warming once in his talk or how the continued use of carbon based fuels could be reconciled with it.

My #78 I meant ITMFA!!!111

Yes ma’am..

Reckless or feckless

Red or Blue

I’m weary of this,

How ’bout you?

“Another point that really struck me (and correct me if I’m wrong) but I did not hear him mention global warming once in his talk or how the continued use of carbon based fuels could be reconciled with it.”

Yeah, funny that, huh? But not in a “ha-ha” sorta way.

Bizarro world.

Why there are not more calls for his resignation is a complete freaking mystery

One look at who holds leadership positions in the Democratic Party and the mystery vanishes.

Nancy no table

(if the Dem leaders had any imagination, they’d impeach President Torquemada and VP Unitary simultaneously)

Is the South American Hitler thing suppose to be funny? I guess I missed the reference.

OT, just heard that Republicans in Minnesota are taking out video ads at gas stations blaming the high cost of gas on the Democrats.

I think they fear being successful in impeaching Chimpy but not succeeding in booting Cheney. Frying pan to fire, and all that. Bush may be inept, but Cheney is malicious.

The Dems are feckless and the Republicans have the corporate media in their pocket. It’s all about swaying the Independents and they are the easiest manipulated by slick media campaigns and disinformation. Don’t forget the Republicans already have in place mechanisms (voter caging, challenges etc.) to steal 4-6 million votes.

Who are the 31% who approve of Bush, where are they?

66% of Repubs approve of Bush. The Clintons just fell under 50% approval in New York and that will keep going down since they were never the real deal here.

Just that the wingnuts love to prop up Chavez as some great existential threat to civilization.

You can never tell. Even on what passes for “liberal” blogs, the propaganda against many of the left-leaning leaders in South America is passed off as fact.

Believe me, I’m no fan of Chavez, but the way the wingnuts build him up, you’d think he was Castro and Stalin rolled into one.

Yep, Ronnie Raygun’s wet-dream – headed for the Rio Grande in a T-1 main battle tank.

It’s just plain bad to repeat the Oiligarchs’ game plan in demonizing Chavez, for whatever reason.

[Yes, it is hard to ignore the snark bait though Like, I know Chavez is taking the money right from the mouths of Oiligarch children and giving it to those little brown devils down there. Now, we can’t have that, we may have to ”totally obliterate them” (a double snark shot is irresistible). Look at it, another country (Paraguay) just slipped under the spell of those peasants down there.]

Clearly though, all snark aside, can’t we look at what is happening in South America with great hope for grassroots democracy?

I had a feeling Blue Texan was repeating the talking points of corporate America toward Chavez. It never ceases to amaze me what passes for liberal these days. Blue Texan obviously doesn’t have a clue about South America or Chavez. But he can proclaim, “I’m no fan…” It is just plain painful.

Yeah, I’m a big mouthpiece for corporate America. Yup.

“I’m no fan” That is what you said. What is it about left-leaning, democratically elected governments in Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia, Chile, Nicaragua, that make you a detractor? Are you just a detractor of Chavez and his 60% electoral victories? Or are a detractor of all left-leaning governments?
Since you admit to being a Chavez detractor how do we read this, “led by the South American Hitler Chavez?” As a Chavez detractor, crossed through or not, aren’t you at least lending support to that sentiment? If you were a “fan” crossing through that line might have been humorous. But as a detractor you seem to be only diluting it a bit.
Blue Texan, exactly how versed are you in Latin American history or current political and economic reality? I am guessing very little.