Well, That Depends On What Your Approval Rating Is…
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George Bush, September 2000, discussing President Clinton diverting oil supply from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve:
Today my opponent, in response to public outcry, proposed that our nation tap into the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. That’s bad public policy.
The Strategic Reserve is an insurance policy meant for a sudden disruption of our energy supply or for war. Strategic Reserve should not be used as an attempt to drive down oil prices right before an election. It should not be used for short-term political gain at the cost of long-term national security.
President Bush has decided to temporarily halt deposits to the nation’s strategic petroleum reserve to make more oil available for consumer needs and relieve pressure on pump prices, a senior administration official said Tuesday
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Well said, drpedro. That speech took place in September, as well. Clinton was clearly attempting to decrease gas prices right before an election.
In this case, we are at war which is affecting the price of gas, and it’s April – hardly just before an election.
Bush is governing based upon his beliefs that are consistent through and through.
As usual, the leftists have a hard time distinguishing the difference between spending, saving and nothing.
Clinton SPENT oil from the reserve in order to boost his sagging poll numbers and to artificially drive down the price of oil.
Bush has stopped putting oil away, (because, by the way, the strategic petroleum reserve is currently at the BUSH MANDATED maximum. You see GWB actually believes what he says, and mandated that the reserve be filled to it’s current maximum level…so now we are a historic high level of stored oil…).
It’s sort of like when democrats call a decrease in the RATE of spending INCREASE, a cut in spending…..it is specious and demonstrates your complete lack of understanding of basic accounting.
I hope you guys don’t balance your own checkbooks…
GOP-ers used to flutter their hands back and forth and mindlessly repeat the ‘flip-flop’ mantra at things like this.
Actually, a good catch by OW, IMHO.
The first Bush quote was the right one. Leave it alone until a real national emergency versus an inconvenience.
Dugger
And in related news…
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060425/ap_on_go_pr_wh/bush;_ylt=Agw3EMGkZtirSyDe2r91PRs8rowC;_ylu=X3oDMTBiMW04NW9mBHNlYwMlJVRPUCUl
By god, we better speed up the earth’s destruction to save a few shekels…and to improve approval rating…that’s good use of domestic policy.
You wanna be a Republican, fine. You wanna support this lunatic, go take a long walk off a short pier.
Dr Pedro (I assume it was an honorary degree). What business has a Republican questioning Democrats’ ability to balance checkbooks, budgets, or anything else for that matter?
Bill Richardson, Clinton’s Energy Sec’y, broached tapping the strategic reserve as a way of exerting pressure on the price of oil on global markets–it worked: on release of the news, oil dropped between $1 and $2 bbl, and later fell further.
Democratic congressmen calling reductions to spending increases “cuts,” is no different then when Repubs call the expiration of tax breaks a “tax increase.”
It “cuts” both ways, Pedro.
And, re: Bush believing what he says, is that REALLY a good thing?
http://ezraklein.typepad.com/blog/2006/04/bushs_foreign_p.html
Not if you care about America…
Democratic congressmen calling reductions to spending increases cuts, is no different then when Repubs call the expiration of tax breaks a tax increase.
Simple math: If you ask me for $100*, and I give you $80, I have not ‘cut” anything — I have simply given you less than you asked for.
If I ask you for $100 a year for three years, and then say, for the next two years, I only want $80, that’s a decrease. When the two years are up, and I’m asking you for $100, that’s an increase**
*spending increase
** tax increase
See?
BTW, any Congresshuman can be “democratic”; I believe you’re referring to “Democrat Congresshumans”, aren’t you?
And, of course, there is no such thing as a “Repub.”
“BTW, any Congresshuman can be democratic ; I believe you re referring to Democrat Congresshumans , aren t you?”
Since it’s called the Democratic Party of the United States, I think either one is acceptable. Although apparently the terser “Democrat” is more of a turn-off, subliminally speaking, which is why the Republicans use it instead of the party’s whole name.
FLIPPITY FLOP!
Whether or not it affects his ratings, his addictions won’t subside.
Dean Wormser says even if Bush’s gpa gets to 0.0, partying at the
Animal House will continue.
You were saying?
No, Democrats call themselves Democrats because calling themselves “Democratics” not only sounds goofy, it’s gramatically incorrect. However in its adjectival form, saying “the Democratic congressman from Pennsylvania”, etc. is correct. It is the subtle Republican talking point ploy to always refer to anything with (D) associated as “Democrat”, including often writing “the Democrat party”, because they feel that such usage sounds more pejorative.
Sorry, but the correct usage is to say “So-and-so, a member of the Democratic party, the Democratic Senator from such-and-such, is a Democrat.”
So lemme see if I follow your reasoning here, peed’.
Mr. Bush announced that he’s stopping deposits as a way to relieve pressure on gas prices. But you say that the reserve is all full up.
So Bush says he’s doing something to help, but in fact, he’s not doing anything at all.
Is that it?
Nimrod: Puhleezze… Democrats call themselves Democrats, because democratic is a term that is more often used to describe an attitude or point of view.
If Republicans choose to call Democrats “Democrats”, it is probably because they don’t want the Democrats thinking they have a corner of the word “democracy,” since they shouldn’t.
Rheinhard – What are you, some kind of liberal intellectual? We ain’t got no use for your kind around here, egghead.
Lighten up, guys.
The Republans can call us whatever they want. Just don’t call us–over and over and over again–when we’re trying to run a get out the vote campaign.
Quaker…
No
Again, “Dr”P attempts a deflection.
Let’s assume our last democratically-elected President did propose tapping into the SPR in a cynical attempt to drive down gas prices before an election.
This justifies AWOL George’s action how?
And let us remember a few facts, shall we? In 2000, gas prices were in the $1.50-1.60 range. Today, gas prices are nearly double that. Further, our last democratically-elected President’s numbers weren’t exactly sagging in 2000–I daresay AWOL George would give anything to be within 10 points of those sagging numbers.
A quick language lesson:
TAPPING: Removing a liquid from a reservoir, or in some way withdrawing from a stockpile. (definition for most people)
TAPPING: Not adding to the stockpile, leaving it untouched, undiminished, by not one whit. (definition for JadeGoldenShower)
We now return you to your regularly scheduled idiocy.
J.
Thanks Jay! Nicely done…though I am not sure our lefty collegues will understand it…but masterfully written none the less.
OK, let’s explain a few simple facts to those who apparentely are severely clue-impaired:
1) Bush has mandated that the reserve WILL BE MAINTAINED at its historically highest level.
2) The reserve has a maximum capacity of 727 million barrels.
3) The highest level it has ever reached was 687 million barrels, or roughly 94.5%.
4) Therefore, Bush has declared that the reserve will stay at that level of 687 million barrels.
5) Bush announced that this summer, the government will NOT add to that total and increase the reserves beyond that 94.5% level.
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strategic_Petroleum_Reserve for specific numbers, Oliver’s own quotations for the facts, a solid grasp of grade-school-level language and grammar for putting the two together.
J.
Again, JayIDTea misses or more likely ignores the point.
In 2000, AWOL George accused our last democratically-elected President of proposing to tap into the SPR for political purposes. At the time AWOL George said the SPR shouldn’t be touched except in case of national emergency or oil disruption. He further said that tapping into reserves to merely lower gas prices was wrong.
As for JayID Tea’s numbers–baloney. Perhaps Jay IDTea has forgotten that AWOL Bush did tap into the SPR–rightfully so–in the wake of Katrina. He loaned oil from the SPR to oil companies and that oil was to be returned next month. So, in essence, the oil companies have been given a yet another break.
oops, sorry, not tapping, diverting..
Ok, the SPR is at it’s highest capacity but it ain’t full, we get it. However, the topic before us is;
In 2000, [he said] said that tapping into reserves to merely lower gas prices was wrong.
…but now it’s ok.
blah, blah, blah…
Ok, let me try again. In 2000 he said using oil meant for the SPR for political purposes was wrong. Now it’s ok. What changed?
duros: thank you for acknowledging that reality. Now can we agree that there is no “tapping” going on? That not one drop is coming out of the Reserves? Bush’s announcement clearly said that there would be NO withdrawals from the Reserves, but that there would be no new oil added.
But that apparently doesn’t matter around these parts, not when there’s a Bush-bashing to be held…
J.
Poor JayIDTea.
Once more, we witness the spectacle of JayIDTea being proven wrong and JayIDTea’s rebuttal is to shout “look over here.”
The SPR was tapped into by AWOL George in the wake of Katrina. IMO, it was the right thing to do and it was in keeping with AWOL George’s stated policy of not touching the SPR except in national emergency or oil disruption (ala Katrina).
But the oil that was taken out was loaned to the oil companies. Loaned. Even JayID Tea has a clue as to what the word ‘loaned” means. And the oil companies were due to return this oil to the SPR by next month. But AWOL George has now given his friends in the oil bidness another big break. One which will do little to nothing to ease gas prices.
Which returns us to our original point.
Bush, with great fanfare, announces a bold–BOLD, I say–step to help ease gas prices: we’ll stop putting oil into the strategic reserve.
But along come peedro and now, Jay Tea, to put the lie to Mr. Bush’s claim. You see? The reserve was all full anyway, so this awesome gesture to rein in gas prices is–like so many other Bush initiatives–all talk and no action.
Little noticed in this story: George Bush asks for a tax increase on the oil companies.
What about it tax cutters? Isn’t Mr. Bush threatening to stifle oil company productivity with this reckless, anti-market move?
Duros…listen carefully:
BUSH ISN’T RECOMMENDING TAPPING THE RESERVE. HE HAS STOPPED ADDING TO IT
Good posts JT.
Dugger
OK, another English language:
Full: at 100% capacity.
So, when one says that the Reserve is at its highest level in history, one is NOT necessarily saying it is FULL — only that it has never been exceeded.
In this case, the most the Reserve has ever held is 94.5% capacity. That is the current level of the Reserve. There is room for another 40 million barrels, but there is currently 687 million there already.
What IS it with you folks, that such fundamental things as logic, grammar, and common sense go out the window when the opportunity to bash Bush arises?
J.
Er… English LESSON.
This must be getting contagious…
J.
No, no, it’s plumb full, just the way The Decider ordered it. I have it from the very best of sources:
No, jade, its diversion. As in “create a diversion to offset (insert political turmoil here).”
BUSH ISN T RECOMMENDING TAPPING THE RESERVE. HE HAS STOPPED ADDING TO IT
Caps make everything more cogent according to Repugs.
Let’s see if I can understand “Dr”P’s logic–if I borrow $100 from you it really isn’t tapping into your bank account is it?
Where’s my post?
George Bush, September 2000, discussing President Clinton diverting oil supply from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve:
Bush: Today my opponent…
Bill Clinton was never George W. Bush’s opponent.
——————————————-
Bush has stopped putting oil away, (because, by the way, the strategic petroleum reserve is currently at the BUSH MANDATED maximum.
President Bush has decided to temporarily halt deposits to the nation s strategic petroleum reserve to make more oil available
If he temporarily halted deposits then there will be more deposits in the future. But how can this be if the reserves are maxed out?
———————————————
Look, easing enviro regs and deposits to the SPR are handouts to Bush’s oil buddies, period. Neither will do anything to affect the price of a gallon of gas, but they will help oil prices break even the latest records. Also, it provides Bushco with this little tactic.
1. People complain about gas prices.
2. Bushco blames enviros.
3. Bushco relaxes enviro regs, says it’s to lower gas prices.
4. Anyone who cares about the envirnoment complains and is labelled a whacko.
5. The complaining “succeeds” and gas prices soar.
6. Big Oil makes huge profits and Bush says told ya so, blame the enviros.
Wasn’t that easy?
Also, the SPR is crude oil that has to be refined. Remember that we have a very limited refining capacity in this country by design. The supply of refined gas is tightly controlled by the collusive oil companies. They even export more refined gas than usual when the supply isn’t to their liking.
These latest thingies are all about oil profits and nothing to do with gas prices.
With all that said, I wish gas were completely unaffordable. That would force people to change. It might stop relentless urban sprawl, cut down on smog and greenhouse gas emissions. But they’ll keep the price just high enough to where people will complain about it, but they’ll still buy it.
This battle of semantic punditry grows tiresome.
Shorter Bush: I was against it before I was for it.
hehehehe…..Duros must be schizophrenic….
Duros: “This battle of semantic punditry grows tiresome.”
the previous two posts are his own!
ROFLMAO
If i’m supposed to be puting $100 in my bank account, and instead give $100 to Pedro, isn’t that the same as diverting those funds?
So, how much oil are we talking about? How long before it gets made into gasoline and what kind of a dent is it going to make in the $3.05 a gallon around these parts(NE)? And right before Memorial Day as well?
This just seems like an empty gesture designed to boost his numbers. (32%!)
Please don’t forget the temporary suspension of environmental rules refiners have to go by.
OK, now NOT topping off the SPR and increasing its levels to the highest point in history is “diverting?” I think I need a new dictionary…
Can someone recommend a good Moonbat-English dictionary for me? I’m getting completely lost…
J.
JayIDTea has been repeating his mantra about “historic highs” in the supply of oil in the SPR. But like all of JayIDTea’s talking points, it is both false and misleading.
Bloomburg:
This from the same people who brought you: “It’s a tax increase! Not a rollback of future cuts!”
Funny, ain’t it?
You are correct Jade, the reserves are about 2% below its maximum high level. Oil was released because of a national disaster (Katrina)…..which is exactly what the reserve was designed for.
Unlike clenis’s sale to attempt to manipulate the market…..
Unless you also want to argue that April doesn’t count as “right before an election.” Becuase if that’s the way you want to go, please inform us of what the pre-election window is for using the strategic reserve to manipulate oild prices. Is it 30 days out or 2 months out or what?
Typical obfuscating from the idiot right. Bush said that trying to manipulate oil prices using the strategic reserve is bad public policy but now that’s exactly what he is doing. It don’t matter if he’s tapping the reserve or curtailing additions to the reserves, he’s doing it “to make more oil available for consumer needs and relieve pressure on pump prices.” What you guys on the right really should be doing is explaining to us all how that doesn’t add up to “manipulating the oil market.” Cuz, remember, Bush said this: “Strategic Reserve should not be used as an attempt to drive down oil prices right before an election.” But that’s exactly what he’s doing.
“Unlike clenis s sale to attempt to manipulate the market& ..”
Um, if Bush isn’t attempting to manipulate the market what is he trying to do?
Paul do you post multiple times just to avoid being moderated, or are you incapable of a really LONG thought?
There is a tremendous difference between “tapping into” the strategic reserve (which is what Bush SAID) and not having the government adversely affect the “supply” side of supply and demand.
Please see JayT’s brilliant english language lesson a few posts above here for your defination of “tapping”….
“There is a tremendous difference between tapping into the strategic reserve (which is what Bush SAID) and not having the government adversely affect the supply side of supply and demand.”
Stupider and stupider. Read this again pedro:
“The Strategic Reserve is an insurance policy meant for a sudden disruption of our energy supply or for war. Strategic Reserve should not be used as an attempt to drive down oil prices right before an election. It should not be used for short-term political gain at the cost of long-term national security.”
That’s what Bush said. Now to me, that doesn’t sound like he’s making any disctinction about HOW the reserve is used to manipulate prices. He’s just saying no president should use the reserve to manipulate prices, period. You know, the strong resolute thing. Now along comes a 32 percent approval ratings 7 months before an election and Bush does what? He stops puuting oil in the reserve “to make more oil available for consumer needs and relieve pressure on pump prices, a senior administration official said Tuesday.”
Now are you saying that Bush isn’t using the Strategic petroleum reserve to manipulate the market? Because simply ceasing to fill the damn thing manipulates the market, you idiot. AND THAT’S WHY HE’S DOING IT. He even states that he’s doing it to manipulate the market! Or do have a different interpretation of “relieving pressure at the pump” than I do?
Bottom line, Bush is using the reserve to manipulate prices. God, you guys are so brainwashed. It’s simply astonishing.
“Please see JayT s brilliant english language lesson a few posts above here for your defination of tapping & .”
Put your dictonaries away boys and just answer this one question: Is Bush using the Strategic Oil Reserve to manipulate oil prices? Yes or no.
“… and not having the government adversely affect the supply side of supply and demand.”
This is just classic because this is EXACTLY what Bush is doing. When we cease filling the reserve, that is reducing government demand, that puts more oil back on the market. He is, in other words, increasing the supply. Now I don’t know what you mean by “adversely” but Bush is definitely trying to affect the supply of oil because with more oil on the market prices will drop. How is all of this NOT manipulating both supply and demand?
Last post for the evening.
If you guys want to argue that Bush’s use of the reserve to manipulate oil prices is better than Clinton’s fine. Have at it. But don’t sit there and pretend that Bush isn’t doing exactly what he said he wouldn’t, do which is using the reserve to manipulate oil prices.
Frame, you’ve got to admit it is entertaining to hear these justifications for their leaders every move. Everything since Bush got into office has turned to crap, and still these people find a way to blame it on Clinton, or liberals, or the media.
Do you really think these people even believe their own spew? Maybe that’s why they post on message boards, to convince each other that the sow’s ear of con policy is in fact a silk purse.
Maybe oil prices would go down if conservative message board trolls didn’t expend so much energy spinning.
Just a reminder that at one point late in the Clinton presidency, gasoline prices were averaging 90c/gallon.
Thank you oil president!
Says Bush:
“Our strategic reserve is sufficiently large enough to guard against any major supply disruption over the next few months,” Mr. Bush said. “So by deferring deposits until the fall, we’ll leave a little more oil on the market.”
Okay, so tell me. How is this not using the reserve to manipulate prices before an election?
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/26/washington/26bush.html
“Do you really think these people even believe their own spew?”
It’s hard to imagine, then again, some of them seem pretty dumb.
Tapping vs. not adding,
overtopping the levees vs. breaching the levees
hehehehe& ..Duros must be schizophrenic& .
Duros: This battle of semantic punditry grows tiresome.
the previous two posts are his own!
ROFLMAO
HA HAHAHAHAHAHA
Bite it.
Sorry, frame, they’ve all scattered like cuka-roaches.
I didn’t bother responding to paul, because the guy is so disingenous as to use a partial quote as the basis for his argument.
Here is the ignored part of the Bush quote that puts the rest of his idea into perspective
“Today my opponent, in response to public outcry, proposed that our nation tap into the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. That s bad public policy” (emphasis mine)
Clearly Paul can’t see the difference between dumping a product on a market, and decreasing the demand for a product. That is his problem (one of many…)
Oh fucking please. A partial quote?
Are you telling me now that you support using the SPR to manipulate oil prices if the right method is used? Is that it?
Because whether you “dump” product on the market or you stop taking oil off the market the aim is the same: to reduce oil prices.
Tell me, seriously, what the intended difference in policies is.
And let me add, Bush said that tapping the reserve to reduce prices was bad public policy. But why is it bad public policy? Because, in Bush’s own words:
“The Strategic Reserve is an insurance policy meant for a sudden disruption of our energy supply or for war. Strategic Reserve should not be used as an attempt to drive down oil prices right before an election. It should not be used for short-term political gain at the cost of long-term national security.”
Now if you want to argue that Bush wasn’t precluding the certain uses of the reserve to drive down prices, then fine. That seems to be what you’re implying but you haven’t simply come out and said it. For the sake of clarity just come out and say: “There are acceptable ways and unacceptable ways to use the Strategic Reserve to drive down the price of oil before an election.”
Say that and then I won’t believe you’re an idiot hack.
You must have a high opinion of yourself. I could care less what you believe.
I will tell you that the SPR is not involved in what Bush has suggested. That oil remains comfortably esconced in its salt-dome, and that is the point.
“I will tell you that the SPR is not involved in what Bush has suggested.”
When you’re willing to live in an alternate reality of your own creation, ya, it’s pretty obvious you wouldn’t care what I or anyone else believe.
You must have a high opinion of yourself. I could care less what you believe.
frame,
Clenis tells everyone the same thing. He keeps posting here, but he doesn’t care what anyone else thinks or believes. I guess that means he doesn’t waste much time reading your post either.
Question:
Halting deposits to the nation s strategic petroleum reserve has what kind of effect?
a) No effect. The deposits would have been far less than the daily amount of gasoline purchased by consumers.
b) Very little effect. At best it is only for propaganda and only starts a round of meaningless observations by winger pundits and Fox News hosts, that Bush is ‘doing something’ about the high prices, ‘showing leadership in helping the American people.’