CNN making excuses for bush again

[YDogg]

This morning around 6:50am Eastern I was watching/listening to CNN. Miles O'Lyin' started a story about gas prices with some pathetic excuse like this: "Even though bush is a former oil man, there is little he can do about gas prices." That was his lead in to the story ... not a follow up, nor was it couched in terms of what he *had* read. It was an upfront disclaimer of sorts.

How frustrating is that? I'm not really surprised anymore with this editorializing, but it still disgusts me. How many more excuses meed to be made for bush? What is the motivation?

[sendero]

1. Believe it or not..

... there isn't much he can do. Not now. He could have NOT done some things, like invade Iraq, but at this point he cannot control the commodities markets.

He COULD threaten the oil companies to go medieval on them if they don't plow some of their ill-gotten profits back into price reductions, or threaten with a "windfall profits" tax to keep them in line - that would help a little but that is about all he really can do IMHO.

[Ecumenist]

But that would necessitate him doing that to himself and

his family and friends and of course, we can't have that, can we?:shrug:

[depakid]

5. If the CNN were anything other than a thinly veiled

propganda organ for the RNC, they might have replayed his own statements about "jawboning the Saudi's" that they repeated over and over back in 2000.

If a Dem were in office, that's EXACTLY what they would do....

[sendero]

9. If the Dems..

.... can't make political hay out of this situation, we might as well put our heads between our legs and kiss our sweet asses goodbye.

I personally believe that Bush**'s low polling numbers are as related to gas prices as much as anything. Finally, the average American's ox is gored. Then and only then they wake up.

[depakid]

14. If they had half the balls of Huey Long

It wouldn't matter what the so called "mainstream media" said- or how they slanted things.

It's an easy situation to demogogue effectively- and even honestly.

[Dr. Death]

8. Nothing the pres can do? How about this?

Send the FBI to the offices of oil executives, arrest all of their asses, and throw them in the slammer. Can't do that you, say? Why not? Let's call them enemy combatants, which under our new laws can be held for as long as the pres likes without charges. Heck, they're a lot more dangerous to US citizens than made-up terraists.

[YDogg]

11. Agreed ...

... but what frustrates me to no end is the delivery of editorialized news from CNN (and other "news" outlets). Coupled with everything else (bush's secrecy, lies, mismanagement, secrecy, lies, etc.), it's damned disgusting.

[sendero]

12. At this point..

... I take a philosophical view of the media. Fact is, we had it on OUR SIDE throughout the 60s and 70s. Now it tilts to the right.

When it was on OUR SIDE, it contributed to some of the excesses (I know a heretical thought, but that is what I think) of OUR SIDE that made it easy for the right to come in and make "liberalism" look bad.

At the present time, it is starting to erode. Americans are not buying the happy talk any more. Despite the continual propping up of Bush, his poll numbers are in the shitter. The more the "media" keeps this propoganda going, the more Americans, realize they are about as objective as a Palestianian terrorist or a West Bank settler.

[Ecumenist]

2. But I thought he was a graduate of Yale business school...

AND I seem to remember him mentioning something about "jawboning" OPEC to keep fuel prices reasonable. Hmm, Interesting...

[DS1]

3. Asshats on the radio were doing the SAME thing

Oh, there's no single company big enough to manipulate prices, and it's a market thing anyway. Bush can't do anything about.


back track 6 years ago and CLINTON is raising gas prices to punish the working class, and he won't do anything about about it because he's got no balls to stand up to the Sauds, etc etc

I hate this country

[DrDebug]

16. No company big enough?

Largest companies by profit worldwide in 2005:

1. Exxon Mobil $36.13 bl
2. Royal Dutch/Shell Group $25.31 bl
3. Citigroup $24.64 bl
4. BP $22.63 bl
5. Bank of America $16.47 bl
6. General Electric $16.35 bl
7. Total $14.51 bl
8. Chevron $14.10 bl
9. ConocoPhillips $13.62 bl
10. Microsoft $13.06 bl

http://www.forbes.com/2006/03/29/06f2k_worlds-largest-public-companies_land.html

That's 6 oil companies and since Exxon merged with Mobil, all Seven Sisters are present in the Top 10. Remind me why they were called Seven Sisters... Were they called that because they always worked as a team??

[C_U_L8R]

4. What's even funnier is...

that the freepers and pretty much all republicans
thought that they'd have CHEAP GAS because Bush was an "OIL MAN".
Haahahhahahaha.. republicans are so freekin' GULLIBLE.
I'm really tempted to create a business targeting these folks cause...
they'll buy ANYTHING !!!!

[Ecumenist]

7. Slap a reasonable facsimile of any wingnut conservative

and you'll have a sure sale!

[Dr. Death]

6. Yep, I saw that too, and was disgusted also

CNN carryin' water for Bushco, as usual.

It's all part of the repuke strategy of lowering expectations: "See, government can't really do anything for you; you have to take care of yourself." It's the same idea that gave us bodies floating through the streets of NO in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. The other part of it is the concerted repuke strategy to increase corporate profits at the expense of citizens. I would argue that it's *because* Bush is a "former oil man" that we have oil companies running rampant: he and his clique are taking care of their friends.

[yourout]

10. There is alot he can do to affect oil prices.....

Invade an oil rich country and take about 10% of the worlds oil off the market.(Iraq)
Destabilise and threaten the middle east causing unease in the market due to concerns about attack.(Iran)

[bluethruandthru]

13. If Bush can't do anything to affect oil prices

Maybe he should ask his good buddy Trent Lott what he wanted Clinton to do 6 years ago when prices went over $1.50 a gallon..and, according to Lott and the Repukes..it was all Clinton's fault.

[alcibiades_mystery]

15. They said the same thing about the California Energy crisis

And all the conservatives were out on TV saying it was the "socialist" way that California had deregulated their energy markets (that is, not totally) that was causing the problems. Then, FERC finally steps in, much to Ken Lay's consternation, Skilling quits, and we learn shortly therefter that Enron and all the other power companies were gaming the whole fucking thing, shoving however much a "megawatt hour right up grandma Millie's ass," as the traders said. Poof: the crisis disappeared. Can't do anything about it, or won't?