Sen Bob Casey Jr: I'm trying by doing nothing

(PA Sen. Robert Casey Jr. and Future Leader in His Own Mind Barrrack Hussein Obama share a good laugh about the oil crisis)

A few days back ago, I sent an email to Pennsylvania senator Bob Casey Jr. (D) stressing the importance of the need to open up drilling in the United States, in effort to reduce our countries dependence on foreign oil.

I decided to share his reply with you, just to give you a sense of the lack of action, common-sense and green-weenieness occurring in the Senate.

Thank you for taking the time to contact me with your thoughts about increasing oil drilling in the United States. I appreciate hearing from all Pennsylvanians about the issues that matter most to them. I share your deep concern over the dramatic increase in the price we pay for gasoline, diesel, and home heating oil. I'm working on a bipartisan basis to find solutions for short-term price relief and long-term energy solutions to help Pennsylvania families and protect our economy and national security.

Hey that sounds pretty good right? I mean the guy is trying. Trying to reach across the aisle to those "evil" Republicans. Trying to ease our pain?

As you may know, Americans consume approximately 21 million barrels of oil every day. To meet this demand, we must import over 10 million barrels of foreign oil. As the world price of a barrel of crude oil has recently topped $140, some are calling for the United States to increase its domestic drilling activities. Proponents of this policy argue that more domestic drilling will result in lower world prices through increased supply and will promote energy security by reducing our dependence on foreign sources of oil, some of which are located in countries ruled by undemocratic, increasingly unstable regimes.


Some are calling for drilling? How about almost 70% of the American public (Rassmussen Reports). And you've got to love the fact that he calls the countries who call for the immediate and painful death of the USA "unstable regimes".

According the U.S. Department of the Interior, 79% of all known oil reserves on public lands are open for drilling right now. In fact, drilling activity in the United States has increased 361% over the past 7 years. Unfortunately, because we consume 24% of the world's oil while we have only 3% of the world's oil reserves, further increases in domestic drilling will not produce enough oil to lower oil prices that are set on a world market. For these reasons, I do not believe that increased drilling will provide a long-term solution to this serious problem, nor will it provide short-term price relief.



Ah, here we're getting into the meat and potatoes. Where do they get these numbers from? This is absolute crap. 79% of oil on public lands? For one, that's not full production. For two, no one is talking about the junk land the government is giving oil companies to use to drill with that have no oil. We're talking about legitimate, proven oil fields, and exploring to find more oil, not just being content with what is "known" to be there.

I continue to work on a number of initiatives to provide both short- and long-term solutions to our oil crisis. On April 26, 2007, I introduced the Energy Security and Corporate Accountability Act, S. 1238. This bill would close billion-dollar tax loopholes for Big Oil and use the savings to fund critically important renewable fuels research and infrastructure development. In addition, to provide more immediate savings to Pennsylvania families, the bill would include an excise tax on windfall profits amassed by major oil companies. The funds collected would then be used to create a new Low Income Transportation Energy Assistance Program to make gasoline more affordable while we continue to promote development of renewable fuels.



Okay so basically he's promoting taxing the oil companies to pay for more hand-outs to the poor. Awesome, Robin Hood.

In addition, I urged President Bush not only to suspend the filling of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, but, in a July 31, 2008 letter, called on him to release 70 million barrels of oil directly into the consumer market. I also urged President Bush to use all means at his disposal to pressure the Saudis and OPEC to increase the supply of oil to lower gas prices. At the same time that the Saudis refused to open the spigots on their oil production, President Bush agreed to sell them advanced weapons technologies. I joined with my Senate colleagues to explore ways to block this arms sale unless oil production was increased.


Now this point really irks me. There is a reason why we have a strategic oil reserve. Its called strategic for a reason, and to tap into it just for the hell of it is not only irresponsible, its criminal. Tapping into the strategic oil reserve now would be like using your life savings to pay for a new HDTV. Is this guy shitting me? You mean to tell me he doesn't understand what the purpose of the reserve is? Here's a hint Casey, its not for buying votes. Boy, let's just go ahead and use that all up so we truly won't have a leg to stand on and we'll all have to drive SmartCars.

In a June 16th letter, I called on the Federal Trade Commission, charged with protecting consumers, to end questionable business practices like withholding oil refining capacity, that may not be officially termed "price gouging" but unfairly manipulate gas prices.

Oh, but never mind congresses withholding of the building of oil refineries, period. I keep forgetting, it's all the oil companies fault. I mean really, what the hell have the ever done for this country...

Finally, I continue to work with my colleagues to address oil price speculation. Over the course of numerous Congressional hearings, experts have reported that the forces of market supply and demand should produce a world price of oil as low as $80 per barrel. The fact that oil is trading at prices almost 75% higher indicates that speculators are playing a role in the high price of oil. I support efforts to crack down on speculators who can now evade regulation in so-called "dark markets" or on foreign-owned exchanges that nevertheless trade U.S. commodities on U.S. trade terminals. We need more transparency or "sunlight" on these transactions.

No, what you people want is for the Government to take it over. Even Rep. Maxine Waters (D) herself let the cat out of the bag when she said that they should just socialize the oil companies.

Again, thank you for sharing your thoughts with me. Please do not hesitate to contact me in the future about this or any other matter of importance to you.

Yeah, believe me, the pleasure's been all mine.

If you have access to the Internet, I encourage you to visit my web site, http://casey.senate.gov. I invite you to use this online office as a comprehensive resource to stay up-to-date on my work in Washington, request assistance from my office or share with me your thoughts on the issues that matter most to you and to Pennsylvania.

How the hell did I email you if I didn't have Internet?



Sincerely,
Bob Casey
United States Senator