Democrats to Ask Bush to Release Emergency Oil

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democrats plan to put more pressure on the Bush administration this week to lower U.S. gasoline prices by demanding that up to 60 million barrels of crude oil be released from the nation's emergency stockpile, a Democratic legislative aide said on Monday.

The White House has been criticized for taking crude oil off the market to fill the Strategic Petroleum Reserve even while the national retail price for gasoline rises toward $2 a gallon.

Sen. Charles Schumer of New York will lead a new push among Democrats asking the White House do something to help stabilize pump prices, an aide to the lawmaker said.

On Tuesday, Schumer will join other senators to announce a new, nonbinding resolution that calls for the administration to release 1 million barrels a day for 30 days from the emergency reserve. The resolution also proposes that the White House tap another 1 million barrels a day for a month if needed.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&ncid=578&e=12&u=/nm/20040517/pl_nm/energy_congress_dc

keep them RISING so people stop buying fuel wasting suvs! Gah!

The Bushies are filling the reserves for the expressed purpose of doing exactly this. The Dems are just getting out in front of this to take some of the credit.

Masterful.

nt

let's see what the republicans in Congress do...

even at this benchmark price.....

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x1617375

The repugs were all over Clinton for releasing the oil reserves to help stabilize prices.
But Bush is filling the reserves with the most expensive oil EVER just when supplies are low.

Down is up, Up is down. Its been said more than once.

The fact that Bush criticized Clinton-Gore for doing it in 2000 tells me that it is more likely that he will do the same thing and then boast of his brilliance for buying so much more oil for the SPR than Clinton did.

FIRE THE LIAR

Because of the MIHOP or LIHOP terrorist attack prior to the election in November.

So, let's not bitch and let him fill it. Something tells me we are going to need it.

If not, he wouldn't let the prices get as high as they are right now.

it gives him a gift to give the masses in october. open up the spigots, increase the supply, the sauds up production, etc...

"my foresight bestows upon you the gift of $1.75/gallon."

the national reserve isn't there to make tiny changes to market prices for gas, its there for a national emergency on the level of world war ii.

If the democrats push this, it puts the burden on Bush to explain why he won't release any oil. The democrats can connect that explanation to the stories about the White House preparing for an anticipated terrorist attack prior to the election. Plus, if the pressure on Bush becomes strong enough, he will flip-flop like he always does. Then he can be criticized for the flip-flop.