In the face of high gasoline prices, the GOP line has been what it has always been for every problem--that Liberals are to blame. From the President, to the pundits, blogs, and ministers, this is the talking point they keep coming back to:
"And so I think if you take a good look at what it means to build a refinery, or expand a refinery, you'll find there's a lot of regulations and paperwork that are required, thereby delaying the capacity for more product to come on to the market and discouraging people from doing -- building refineries. That's why we haven't had one since 1970-something."
President George W Bush--September 26, 2005
http://www.whitehouse.gov/...
"Environmental laws on emissions, gasoline blends, etc. all can create barriers to entry and raise the costs for firms in the market already."
Steve Verdon--October 4, 2005
http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/...
"And why are refineries operating at capacity and, in fact, have insufficient capacity to meet growing market demand? Look no farther than years of liberal-socialist opposition to building new refineries for environmental reasons."
Thomas E. Brewton--May 18, 2004
http://www.thomasbrewton.com/...
"The environmentalists went after the refinery. The environmentalists stopped the rebuilding of the refinery and the judge issued the restraining order. That has happened all over the country. We haven't had a new refinery since Jimmy Carter. What will we do about this? It takes years to build up the infrastructure."
Pat Robertson--August 31, 2005
http://www.cbn.com/...
But are Liberals really to blame? Not according to the oil and gas industry:
"The Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights (FTCR) today exposed internal oil company memos that show how the industry intentionally reduced domestic refining capacity to drive up profits. The exposure comes in the wake of Hurricane Katrina as the oil industry blames environmental regulation for limiting number of U.S. refineries."
Mid-South Peace and Justice Center--September 7, 2005
http://midsouthpeace.blogspot.com/...
"Energy executives and analysts insist that in spite of the supply crunch that has kept oil above $50 a barrel for much of the year, demand and prices are still prone to ups and downs, so the industry should not rush to drill wells and expand refineries just because it is flush with cash."
Brad Foss, AP Business Writer--October 28, 2005
http://news.yahoo.com/...
Case Closed!