"A-L-A-S-K-A."

[Zookeeper]

This letter to the editor appeared today in the Mpls. Star Tribune:

"I have a very simple answer for all the hand-wringing on high gas prices and OPEC shenanigans. It is spelled A-L-A-S-K-A."

Could this be why the Bushies are topping off our oil reserves instead of making the oil available (and lower prices)? It will be interesting to see how long it takes for the big push to drill in Alaska to solve our "gasoline crisis."

Edited for typo.

[Sparkly]

1. Chimp says it's Democrats "holding up the energy bill"

which is all about the ANWAR drilling, as I understand it.

[Catfight]

4. Bush holding up alternative energy bill! eom

[Catfight]

2. should be dated 2000

old news, the bush brothers have had this planned for years...and look for an oil rig off the coast of Florida soon.

[Redneck Socialist]

7. Jebbie asked Georgie not to drill off Florida

http://www.miami.com/mld/miami/3361463.htm

Ahh such a nice show of brotherly love.

[Catfight]

9. That was during his election year. eom

[Redneck Socialist]

10. True, but...

...as long a bushco thinks they can win Florida I don't think we'll see drilling of the coast there.

Now if we are unfortunate enough to get four more years of the chimpster we will see oil derricks popping up like daisies.

[redqueen]

3. What a moron... too typical

How long would all that oil take to extract? How long would it last?

Pity such details never worry the minds of the less-intelligent.

[Toucano]

5. Absolutely!

Lower gas prices are not on the Bush agenda.

[Viking12]

6. "simple answer" to complex problems don't work

The writer's "simple" answer onlt demonstrates that he's an idiot. We cannot drill our way out of high oil prices. Unless of course the writer comes up with a way to transcend the laws of physics :)

[maggrwaggr]

11. uh, you're completely missing the point

the point is that the oil companies don't want lower prices, of course they don't, they're experiencing RECORD PROFITS right now. Look at the quarterly reports for any of the major oil companies for the last year and a half.

The point is that they're making people THINK that if they are allowed to drill in Alaska that gasoline prices will lower.

All they want is to get their hands on the oil in the Alaksa refuge.

That's it. Bottom line.

How is it you don't understand that?

[Viking12]

12. Apparently the author of the LTTE is not the

only one guilty of simplistic thinking. Yes, oil company profits play a role in high gas prices. No, they are not the most significant factor. World oil prices are more strongly influenced by simple economic principles of supply & demand. The US can can never drill enough oil to significantly influence world supply, therefore we can never drill enough oil to significantly influence world prices. How is it you don't understand that?

[maggrwaggr]

14. obviously we're not communicating

the oil companies DON'T CARE about lowering the prices.

They ONLY WANT to drill in ANWAR.

They'll tell whatever lie they want in order to do so.

Including the lie that we can "drill our way" out of high oil prices.

Am I missing something here?

I posted a thread the other day similar to this, after seeing on MSNBC a "news report" with the headline "Is Alaksa the answer to high oil prices?"

They're about to hit us with that. That is the lie that they're about to start spewing.

Of course the answer is NO. But they're going to say the answer is YES

[Viking12]

15. Why do you repeat what I say

and then suggest that I'm missing the point?? I guess that may be where we're "miscommunicating."

[maggrwaggr]

17. I don't know!

Maybe we're agreeing and don't realize it.

I thought you were bashing the letter writer and I was defending him?

I don't know, I'm VERY tired today. Played paintball yesterday and today I feel like I was hit by a bus and had tetanus shots all over my body. I can barely walk, much less think straight.

[northernsoul]

8. If I recall correctly

the projected amount of petrol not currently being drilled for in Alaska is just enough to keep the economy running for a whopping 3 days.

I think you have correctly spotting the opening salvo of a new Republican 'talking point'

[KamaAina]

13. I spell it T-R-A-N-S-I-T

Oh, right, then we'd have to go into cities with all those diverse people instead of driving our SUV's out to the mall, wouldn't we?

[texastoast]

16. I spell it G-E-T R-I-D O-F S-U-V-S

You want to get the oil companies by the short hairs? Buy a hybrid. Dump your panel truck.