5 Biggest Whoppers In Obama's Energy Speech

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

Energy: The White House billed President Obama's energy policy speech as a response to mounting criticism of record high gas prices. What he delivered was a grab bag of excuses and outright falsehoods.

Obama's main message to struggling motorists was: It's not my fault, so stop whining. The speech only got worse from there, recycling excuses and myths that Obama's peddled for years. But there were some standout whoppers that deserve debunking. The five biggest:

"We're focused on production."

Fact: While production is up under Obama, this has nothing to do with his policies, but is the result of permits and private industry efforts that began long before Obama occupied the White House.

Obama has chosen almost always to limit production. He canceled leases on federal lands in Utah, suspended them in Montana, delayed them in Colorado and Utah, and canceled lease sales off the Virginia coast.

His administration also has been slow-walking permits in the Gulf of Mexico, approving far fewer while stretching out review times, according to the Greater New Orleans Gulf Permit Index. The Energy Dept. says Gulf oil output will be down 17% by the end of 2013, compared with the start of 2011. Swift Energy President Bruce Vincent is right to say Obama has "done nothing but restrict access and delay permitting."

"The U.S. consumes more than a fifth of the world's oil. But we only have 2% of the world's oil reserves."

Fact: Obama constantly refers to this statistic to buttress his claim that "we can't drill our way to lower gas prices." The argument goes that since the U.S. supply is limited, it won't ever make a difference to world prices.

It's bogus. New exploration and drilling technologies have uncovered vast amounts of recoverable oil.

In fact, the U.S. has a mind-boggling 1.4 trillion barrels of oil, enough to "fuel the present needs in the U.S. for around 250 years," according to the Institute for Energy Research. The problem is the government has put most of this supply off limits.

"Because of the investments we've made, the use of clean, renewable energy in this country has nearly doubled."

Fact: Production of renewable energy — biomass, wind, solar and the like — climbed just 12% between 2008 and 2011, according to the federal Energy Information Administration.

"We need to double-down on a clean energy industry that's never been more promising."

Fact: Renewable energy simply won't play an important role in the country's energy picture anytime soon, accounting for just 13% of U.S. energy production by 2035, according to the EIA.

"There are no short-term silver bullets when it comes to gas prices."

Fact: Obama could drive down oil prices right now simply by announcing a more aggressive effort to boost domestic supplies. When President Bush lifted a moratorium in 2008, oil prices immediately fell $9 a barrel.

Obama said in his speech that Americans aren't stupid. He's right about that, which is why most are giving his energy policy a thumbs down.

[ready4ONE 5,400]

Since we haven't broken Bush's gas prices yet, I call BS on this article.

[Ban Hammer 13,135]

Since we haven't broken Bush's gas prices yet, I call BS on this article.

we just need a major hurricane now.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

we just need a major hurricane now.

Hurricane season is still a few months away. Peak season is about a half a year out. Not much of a chance that any hurricane will strike now.

[Ban Hammer 13,135]

Hurricane season is still a few months away. Peak season is about a half a year out. Not much of a chance that any hurricane will strike now.

wait until those two time frames meet.

[MyLittlePony 340]

Time to start walking to work.

[Leatherneck 693]

Since we haven't broken Bush's gas prices yet, I call BS on this article.

Then you don't live in California were gas prices are up 24 cents in a week, now over $4.00 per gallon.

I never paid over $4.00 per gallon during Bush's term, gas prices have doubled since Obama took office.

What exactly in the article is "BS?" Please point to one statement in that article that is not factual.

[ready4ONE 5,400]

We remain well under $4.00 per gallon but got over that mark under Bush. The "gas prices are higher under Obama" claim is not new, not true, Right Wing nut drivel thus BS.

This BS has been spread for roughly two years now. False is false no matter how often it gets uttered.

[Leatherneck 693]

We remain well under $4.00 per gallon but got over that mark under Bush. The "gas prices are higher under Obama" claim is not new, not true, Right Wing nut drivel thus BS.

This BS has been spread for roughly two years now. False is false no matter how often it gets uttered.

Ok, let me try again, I know lefties have a very hard time staying on point.

What exactly in the article is "BS?" Please point to one statement in that article that is not factual.

[mawilson 2,133]

Since we haven't broken Bush's gas prices yet, I call BS on this article.

What, you mean 99c a gallon?

[SuperDuper! 230]

Oblama: Serving up bigger Whoppers than Wendy!

[ready4ONE 5,400]

Ok, let me try again, I know lefties have a very hard time staying on point.

What exactly in the article is "BS?" Please point to one statement in that article that is not factual.

The premise of the article. How many times need I repeat the BS is the premise " record high" gas prices under Obama. That can only be true if prices are higher than under Bush. Since they are not, then you guessed it, the truth undercuts the entire article.

Why can't RWN's wait until gas prices go higher to make this bogus at present, and for the past two years since RWN's started peddling this line of malarky, claim?

[xebec 195]

The premise of the article. How many times need I repeat the BS is the premise " record high" gas prices under Obama. That can only be true if prices are higher than under Bush. Since they are not, then you guessed it, the truth undercuts the entire article.

Why can't RWN's wait until gas prices go higher to make this bogus at present, and for the past two years since RWN's started peddling this line of malarky, claim?

More pejoratives and citation-less, baseless claims from one of the usual suspects.

Are insults and propaganda your specialty?

It would be refreshing to see you actually back any of your histrionic rants, occasionally, with some sort of verifiable information....

"Crude oil accounts for two-thirds of the price of a gallon of gasoline, according to the federal government. About 10 percent of the cost comes from refining it. About another 10 percent goes toward distribution and marketing. About one-eighth of the cost of gasoline is for taxes.

The foundation’s chart (exact numbers weren’t on the article) shows that average gas prices were slightly below $2 when Bush took office in January 2001. The chart shows prices rose slightly, but were still below $2 in February 2003. Their chart shows gas prices were just below $2 when Obama became president in January 2009 and were $3.10 in February 2011. The Heritage Foundation adjusted its figures for inflation.

The average price for a gallon of regular gasoline was $1.51 the week Bush took office, according to the federal government’s Energy Information Administration. Prices were $1.74 for regular during the last week of February 2003, the EIA reported. That’s a 15.2 percent increase.

By contrast, EIA figures show the average price for a gallon of regular the week Obama took office was $1.83 and has risen steadily since he moved into the White House. During the last week of February, it was $3.34. That is an 82.5 percent increase."

http://www.politifact.com/georgia/statements/2011/mar/23/johnny-isakson/isakson-obama-policies-fuel-higher-gas-prices/

Of course, this article is about a year old, and doesn't even take into account the current climbing gasoline prices....hmmmm

Edited February 26, 2012 by xebec

[Ban Hammer 13,135]

last time i saw gas this high, it was around mid 2005 and there was a hurricane. and it was bush's fault. now there's no hurricane and it's not obama's fault.

[luckytxn 2,264]

last time i saw gas this high, it was around mid 2005 and there was a hurricane. and it was bush's fault. now there's no hurricane and it's not obama's fault.

Wait. Who said it wasn't Obama's fault. We learned that anything that happens at anytime is whoever is president at that point in times fault. Obama is screwing up royally here.He has to want this high price to enrich his corporate backers. Just imagine now in a few months the money to flow to reelect this moron from the industry.