Big Oil

[FPENA98]

I guess ExxonMobil, ChevronTexaco, ConocoPhilips, Occidental Petroleum, and all the other oil companies got the memo to lower gas prices, hmm, I think I'll write to my congressman now and complain that they aren't complementing the oil companies enough for finally getting the memo and lower the cost of a gallon of gas.  I guess it would be too much to expect those congressman who complained about the price of gas to praise the oil companies now that the price of oil has dropped more than $20 over the past few weeks.  It seems to me if you criticize you also should praise or complement big oil when the price goes down, after all, no politician I know has any oil rigs out in the Gulf of Mexico or in Alaska pumping out oil.

[udo]

They're too busy campaigning to do what you ask.

Campaigning is calling out to the undecided voters. It's meant to get short-term attention, and negativity pulls more short-term response than positive action.

[DR]

We can't expect politicians to treat the oil companies fairly, now can we?  They are simply the ultimate scapegoat.  I was going to use the word "rationally," but that isn't appropriate, as it is quite rational for politicians to pander shamelessly, given the  nature of the US electoral system.

[FPENA98]

Not all politicians are like this, again, it tends to be liberal Democrats who also happen to be, in many cases, ardent environmentalists and who probably are genuinely concerned about their constituents when the price of oil goes up but they fail to mention that their environmental policies are in many cases the cause of that higher gas price.  That's why I find it amusing that while they rail against high energy prices many of them support laws that do nothing but increase the price of energy.