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In 2000, with oil and gas prices on the rise, then-candidate George W. Bush criticized the Clinton Administration for not doing enough to increase pressure on OPEC to raise production:

"`We need to be mindful of the power of strong and consistent diplomacy,' Bush said. `We need to start playing with chips we've earned in the past (in the Persian Gulf War) on behalf of American consumers.'" (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Presidential candidates turn up the heat," September 21, 2000)


"Bush continued to criticize the Clinton administration saying it has virtually no fuel policy. He said that in dealing with the current oil problem, he first would have used his `capital' with some of the OPEC nations, such as Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, and asked them to `open the spigot.'" (Washington Post, "Gas Prices, Surplus Fuel a Gore Proposal," June 28, 2000)


"Bush blames soaring gas prices on the Clinton administration, saying it has failed to get foreign oil producers to raise production, which would lower prices." (Florida Times-Union, "Bush oil ties, high prices become issues," June 24, 2000)


"Texas Gov. George W. Bush criticized the vice president - and the Clinton administration in general - for failing to sharply define American interests. `This is an administration devoid of an energy policy...I would hope the administration would convince our friends in OPEC to open the spigots.'" (Los Angeles Times, "OPEC Boost In Output Won't Cut Gas Prices," June 22, 2000)


"Governor George W. Bush and others are deriding the Clinton administration for not arm-twisting OPEC into increasing production." (The Dallas Morning News, editorial, "Ignore gas price quick fixes," March 19, 2000)





http://democrats.senate.gov/dpc/dpc-new.cfm?doc_name=fs-108-2-86