Blog @ MoreWhat.com

If you are the most liberal president the United States has ever seen and you give a speech that is panned by the mainstream media what does that tell you? If you cannot win the praises of the liberal media who fawned all over you since you declared your intention to run for the White House in 2008 it’s time to consider a career change.

For those who are interested and haven’t had a chance to review the commentary on Obama’s Tuesday night Oval Office speech two links are provided below:

Media on Obama’s speech: Did we mention it was short on specifics?

Reaction to President Obama’s Speech

Then there is the review from this blog. The handy White House transcript of the speech provides the targets. In just the third paragraph Mr President raised a question or two.

Because there has never been a leak this size at this depth, stopping it has tested the limits of human technology. That’s why just after the rig sank, I assembled a team of our nation’s best scientists and engineers to tackle this challenge — a team led by Dr. Steven Chu, a Nobel Prize-winning physicist and our nation’s Secretary of Energy. Scientists at our national labs and experts from academia and other oil companies have also provided ideas and advice.

Not having any evidence to the contrary the size and depth of this gusher is not contested. But Mr President, if you ‘assembled a team’ of the best and the brightest to ‘tackle this challenge’ almost immediately what does that say about two months passing with little to show for it? And stating the event has ‘tested the limits of human technology’ is hard to believe. If reports are correct it appears you have declined assistance from those who have offered to help. A good example would be the Dutch offering to perform skimming operations.

The very next paragraph Mr President you claim the brain trust results had you tell BP to bring out more stuff. Hardly a testament to the limits of human technology if you simply ordered more stuff. And if, as you say, up to 90% of the gushing oil can be captured in weeks why wasn’t it possible before now? Or is ‘up to 90%’ a set of weasel words allowing for nothing more than has been done to date?

And it just gets better in paragraph number six.

But make no mistake: We will fight this spill with everything we’ve got for as long as it takes. We will make BP pay for the damage their company has caused. And we will do whatever’s necessary to help the Gulf Coast and its people recover from this tragedy.

That pretty much leaves everything open to interpretation. That may why the MSM said the speech was short on specifics. Think of the words in paragraph six as you would when discussing work to be performed by a potential contractor for your home repairs after some disaster. ‘For as long as it takes’ and ‘whatever’s necessary’ are not phrases you want to hear. Making someone pay for damage they caused is subject to legal challenge and in any event can take years longer than anyone can wait. So there you are, nowhere.

Obama says the federal government has been in charge of the cleanup since the beginning. But carefully says ‘we now have nearly 30,000 personnel’ cleaning up. Meaning ‘now’ and not since the beginning. Mr Obama also urges governors in the region to activate the National Guard yet carefully mentions he authorized it but when…. just before the speech?

It gets worse from this point. There is no reason to continue but feel free to review the video or transcript which is widely available and of course the White House website has it.

This is just pathetic. And yes, President Obama does not warrant all the blame for the spill. But his performance as President of the United States regarding this matter falls miserably below any minimum standard acceptable. If the person sitting in the Oval Office cannot muster the resources public or private to address the issue in a timely manner this country is in real trouble.

Gee, what will he do when a real disaster occurs? By his actions this apparently was not considered a disaster of the magnitude he describes in the speech. Or at least not until public opinion changed his mind.

Stanford Matthews
MoreWhat.com

As with any tragic circumstance there are always people, places and things forever affected. Reasonable people everywhere will be empathetic and often contribute to solving the problems encountered. This is when the best humans have to offer shines. The generosity and community spirit of many Americans excels when tragedy strikes. But there is a problem that can overshadow inspirational human action.

The oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is no exception. News reports are dominated by angry and otherwise emotional responses to the frustrating day to day events of this disaster in the making. Politicians are doing their dance and President Obama is no exception. Feeling the heat over what some call his Katrina the President lashed out at BP on his recent trip to the region and some have called for BP’s CEO to step down.

BP chief says not quitting over spill - newspaper

Chief Executive Tony Hayward has said he is not thinking of quitting despite the outcry in the United States over the scale of damage from a ruptured deep-sea oil wellhead in the Gulf of Mexico.

“It hasn’t crossed my mind. It’s clearly crossed other people’s minds but not mine,” he told The Sunday Telegraph in an interview when asked if he had thought of stepping down as head of the British energy giant.

All the angst and PR being displayed by so many is not helping. All involved should be doing what some are. Offering constructive suggestions and seeking solutions to the problem. Raising the emotional component of a tragic event does not contribute to solving the problem. There will be plenty of time for that for those interested when the problem has been resolved. Which may in fact be a very long time. But emotional outbreaks and political rhetoric will not make that day come more quickly. Quite the contrary, these actions will delay a positive outcome.

As for BP’s chief resigning, it makes about as much sense as McDonald’s chief resigning over the following:

McDonald’s pulls 12M cadmium-tainted Shrek glasses

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Cadmium has been discovered in the painted design on “Shrek”-themed drinking glasses being sold nationwide at McDonald’s, forcing the burger giant to recall 12 million of the cheap U.S.-made collectibles while dramatically expanding contamination concerns about the toxic metal beyond imported children’s jewelry.

If you think that is not a fair comparison consider this. There is no excuse for not knowing what is in a product you sell. There is no excuse for not knowing cadmium has toxic properties and is an element long thought to cause severe health problems. Whether it is or not one should not allow it to be used at least in products sold to the public.

In comparison to the BP oil spill the McDonald’s recall is on point. Another case where someone let a problem or its solution slip through the cracks. If you think the problems caused by the BP spill outweigh the risk to millions of children try making that case on the network news. Every liberal on the planet will skewer your life for all to see.

The real point here is leave the CEO of BP and the one at McDonald’s alone. Or at least wait until the story ends and we know where we are before you seek your pound of flesh.

Can we simply work on the problem and leave the blame game for another time? Probably not, but hey, I’m just sayin’…..

Stanford Matthews
MoreWhat.com

There are simply too many troubling stories in recent weeks. And this post simply selects a few that demonstrate the contrast of issues needing attention. From the never ending failure to enforce immigration law in the US to years of ignoring an issue of equal importance to national security, Iranian nukes, President Obama adds his ‘Katrina’ to the list of issues railed on by liberals during the Bush years but now silent with the Messiah in the White House. And let’s not forget about financial reform, too big to fail, bailouts and the announcement of a merger between United and Continental airlines.

An estimated 10 to 12 million people are thought to have entered the United States illegally, and most come from Latin America. Hispanics are the largest minority group in the American southwest, and immigration reform has become a potent political issue in the Hispanic community, where calls for crackdowns on illegal immigration have been viewed as anti-Hispanic.

There was a time when the number of illegals was estimated near 30 million. Over time it has been greatly reduced. The excerpt above points to the problem. ‘People thought’ to be here illegally. More important is stating ‘most come from Latin America.’ That the largest minority group in the southwest is ‘hispanic’ and the ‘hispanic community’ protests enforcement of immigration laws speaks to the larger problem. Being here illegally, making the most noise about amnesty, expressing no intention of becoming American while invoking the race card explains the fallacy. Illegal immigration is an entirely self-serving proposition. It denounces the very principles it claims to represent.

President Barack Obama says an expanding oil slick in the Gulf of Mexico is a massive and unprecedented environmental disaster that will require a relentless, coordinated effort to overcome.

That ‘relentless, coordinated effort’ is taking a long time to begin. Compare this to reaction over the response to Katrina during the Bush administration. NOAA has had an oil spill response program for 15 or 20 years. So why the long delays here? Now it is suggested the oil slick will travel around Florida and up the east coast of the US. Another example of how ineffective big government is.

And then there is the small matter of a merger in the airline industry.

The merger between United and Continental Airlines will be worth some $3 billion.

The combined company will have nearly 700 planes, 80,000 employees, and fly to 370 destinations in 59 countries.

Airline industry expert Joseph Schwieterman of DePaul University in Chicago says the announcement is a positive sign for an industry that has struggled since the 2001 terrorist attacks on New York and Washington.

The airline industry struggled long before 2001. In many ways the troubles of the airlines is quite similar to that of automobile manufacturers. So two airlines merge as the answer to solve their problems. It does nothing to confront the underlying problems of the industry. But it does present a possible example of what the current push for financial reform in Congress, too big to fail and more bailouts in the future will bring. More problems for the American taxpayer, consumers in general and evidence politicians have no idea what they’re doing or are lying to you about their intentions.

This post concludes with a brief mention of Iranian nukes. This issue is the most troubling in this list. Continued failure to properly address and resolve it may result in a mushroom cloud. The only positive outcome thus far illuminates ineffective leadership around the planet, not just the United States. And that is little consolation.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad kicked off the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference with a lengthy diatribe against the United States and other Western powers who seek to sanction his country for its controversial nuclear program.

Mr. Ahmadinejad spoke for more than half an hour, giving what has become something of his trademark - a speech criticizing the United States, Israel and invoking God - and sending the U.S., British and French delegations walking out of the hall in protest.

There is nothing new about this issue. The UN is as impotent as ever. The Obama administration has done nothing. China, Russia and Iran have used this issue to their collective advantage and no one else presents an answer. As another terrorist demonstrates how vulnerable to attack everyone is weak minds obsess on how to be fair to those who do not understand the concept. When will we treat terror threats like terror threats? Stop coddling those who support and produce terrorism and other acts of war.

Stanford Matthews
MoreWhat.com

A stop at Google News to see what the MSM offers today starts out with US considers Goldman Sachs criminal charges. You have to ask yourself if that includes suspects like former employees of Fannie and Freddie as well as their co-conspirators in Congress, then and now? The push to place everyone in a home of their own whether they could afford it or not started the whole mess. It took years of quiet meddling by POLS and regulators as well as those who made a bundle in the market to lift regulations designed to avoid such problems. But the liberals need a villain to cover their tracks and apparently Goldman Sachs will suffice for their witch hunt and slight of hand redirection of blame.

And you have to wonder if BP is stepping up to pay for the spill in the Gulf of Mexico now that the slick is reaching shore and conspiracy theories abound? And it is reasonable that the Obama administration would postpone offshore drilling plans due to the incident. But that delay plays well into the liberal agenda in the first place. Another set of villains to be targeted by the left for political purposes rather than pursuit of justice.

Economic growth is slower than expected according to a report at WaPo. Again you have to wonder who really expected it to be above a 3.2% annual rate in the first quarter of 2010? The public opposition to continued fiscal irresponsibility likely includes business leaders and those who do the hiring and manage the risk of whether or not to expand. That is if they even have access to the resources (funding) to do so.

You would be hard pressed to find examples exhibiting effective leadership in government these days. When the taxpayer via government entities should be partnering with the private sector to improve the economy and resolve issues across the board little evidence exists that anyone is prepared to do just that.

That leads well into a sentiment expressed frequently on this blog. Come November, throw the bums out. Continue natural term limits through 2012. Repeat as necessary.

Stanford Matthews
MoreWhat.com

BEIJING (Reuters) - China urged other powers on Tuesday to show more flexibility in dealing with Iran’s disputed nuclear programme, playing down prospects of sanctions after six countries met to discuss the standoff.

While Western powers have looked to further sanctions against Iran over its rejection of a U.N. plan to rein in Tehran’s nuclear ambitions, Russia and now especially China have resisted such steps and called for more negotiations.

How about this for a conspiracy theory? China and Russia have ties with Iran. They could care less if the US or its allies view Iranian nukes as a problem. China is hell bent on being a dominate force on the planet and has achieved much in that regard. Russia has lamented the fall of the Soviet Union since it happened and Putin is determined to regain that status as a world power.

Imagine Russia wants to relive the Missiles of October scenario from 1962 and allow Iran to be their proxy and provoke a nuclear standoff or worse, launch a strike against Israel? Israel may well be able to react in advance and preempt a first strike. Add to that any reaction that would come from China and others with nuke capability and Armageddon is poised to occur as the end of the Mayan calendar approaches in 2012. Coincidentally, the year President Obama is up for re-election and the VPOTUS warning of a test shows up late.

Even without the conspiracy theory, the so-called international community continues its impotent policy toward the current nuclear threat.

Stanford Matthews
MoreWhat.com

Another question mark in foreign affairs is Saudi Arabia. Even without President Obama bowing to Saudis for all the world to see, the US has maintained a strange relationship with this Arab country for many years. Most would agree it is simply a matter of hedging bets on oil supplies. But even the country noted as the home of 9/11 hijackers and the birthplace of Osama bin Laden is not exempt from terrorist action within Islam.

Deputy Interior Minister Prince Muhammad bin Nayef was receiving visitors at his home in Jeddah late Thursday when the bomber got close and detonated his explosives. The prince had opened his house to visitors as part of observances for the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Imagine that. Open the house for visitors during Ramadan and have a terrorist try to kill you. Yes, Ramadan, the Islamic event of fasting and asking forgiveness for one’s sins. Gotta love this religion of peace. So many contradictions, so little time.

Stanford Matthews
MoreWhat.com

The community organizer who is friends with the domestic terrorist William Ayers, hate monger Jeremiah Wright and hires friends from the most corrupt political machine (Illinois) has the audacity of something other than hope to reference the founding fathers and call on the public to support his agenda that is anything but American.

Like mutually exclusive terms President Obama insults the meaning of this nation’s Independence Day when he tries to connect the principles of the founding with his socialist agenda. Those who have dismissed the idea that his agenda is socialist overlook nationalizing private industry, spending and government expansion with the intent of complete government control that will render this great country into nothing more than a banana republic.

Addressing our dependence on foreign energy by taxing all we use rather than a transition approach that draws on our own fossil fuel resources until alternatives become viable in a free market is counter to American ideals which rely on the innovation of a free people. Expecting the public to buy into a universal or socialized, government-run healthcare system rather than encouraging free market solutions also runs counter to American ideals. With these two examples only God may know what the Obama agenda has planned for education, immigration and the remainder of his ideas for transforming the United States into another socialist country like some in the EU and others in this hemisphere.

And then we have the impotent GOP. Based on the report below the Senator who lost an election to the community organizer was chosen to give the opposition party response to ObamaGov. While we can all debate whether or not it would have been wise to have a united response from the US regarding turmoil in Iran the larger issues of our own nation under the leadership of Barack Obama seems more to the point or at least an issue of primary importance. We can do little to help others if we cannot help ourselves and the GOP response appears to be a continuance of Republicans being lost in the wilderness.

Will someone please find a way to encourage this nation’s leaders to remove their collective heads from their collective hind quarters and return sensible government to a young nation which just observed its 233rd birthday.

Stanford Matthews
MoreWhat.com

Pres. Barack Obama

On U.S. Independence Day, President Barack Obama is calling on Americans to remember the spirit of the nation’s founders, and to embrace his domestic initiatives. Republican Senator John McCain, meanwhile, wants stronger U.S. language against Iran’s violent crackdown on protesters.

President Obama, in his weekly address, asks Americans to remember the sacrifices and achievements of the men who voted for independence 233 years ago.

“We are called to remember how unlikely it was that our American experiment would succeed at all; that a small band of patriots would declare independence from a powerful empire; and that they would form, in the new world, what the old world had never known - a government of, by and for the people,” he said.

In July, 1776, the representatives of 13 British colonies in America, gathered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, voted to declare independence from Britain and formed a new nation. At the same time, colonists in hastily-organized and poorly-financed militias battled the British Army for several years, until London officially recognized U.S. independence.

Mr. Obama called on Americans to recall those patriots’ spirit and support his plans to reform the U.S. education, health care and energy policies.

“We are not a people who fear the future,” he said. “We are a people who make it. And on this July 4th, we need to summon that spirit once more. We need to summon the same spirit that inhabited Independence Hall 233 years ago today.”

The president is celebrating Independence Day with a traditional barbecue and fireworks on the White House lawn, with 1,200 military families invited to attend. He is also celebrating his daughter Malia’s eleventh birthday. Mr. Obama leaves late Sunday for a week-long trip to Russia, Italy and Ghana.

Sen. John McCain (file photo)

In the weekly Republican Party message, Senator John McCain of Arizona is also paying tribute to the nation’s founding fathers, who he says “stood up to a powerful oppressor and claimed their natural right to liberty.”

McCain is also invoking the patriots’ spirit as he calls on the Obama administration to speak out more forcefully in support of the anti-government protesters in Iran.

“They did not ask us to arm them or come to their assistance with anything other than public declarations of solidarity and public denunciations of the tyrants who oppress them. We have a moral obligation to do so,” he said.

Senator McCain is rejecting earlier White House claims that a more vocal response by Washington would have supported the Iranian government’s claims of U.S. interference.

“Do they really believe Iranians do not know why they are protesting, and who is oppressing them? Do they think Iranians whose votes were discarded, whose voices have been ignored, whose lives have been threatened by the regime they wish to be rid of, will think America has put them in that position?” he said.

U.S. Independence Day is traditionally celebrated with picnics, parades, concerts, fireworks displays, and readings of the Declaration of Independence.

Besides the thumping given to Ariana Huffington by George F Will on ABC’s This Week (Sunday April 5, 2009) another column by Will ‘drives’ home the point that government meddling in the private sector or attempting to force the public to do what it doesn’t want to do is as ‘feckless’ as other liberal dreams held by those like the HuffPo Queen. (referring to harmony as being inevitable from the roundtable discussion)

Public isn’t buying into auto policy
By George Will
Washington Post Writers Group
Sunday, April 05, 2009

The stunning shift in consumer preferences that should make the White House’s freshly minted auto experts feel vulnerable has been reported under headlines such as “Like a Rock: Hybrid Car Sales Plummet” (Wall Street Journal, Dec. 9) and “Hybrid Car Sales Go from 60 to 0 at Breakneck Speed” (Los Angeles Times, March 17). Absent $4 gasoline, customers do not want the vehicles the politicians want them to want, even with manufacturers now offering large rebates and other incentives. The two best-selling vehicles in America this year are large pickup trucks. (click here to read the rest)

Through Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan, Bush (41), Clinton and Bush (43) nothing has been done to address the initial ‘heads up’ that oil is vulnerable or that other energy policy and use could benefit from having more options. Beyond the common criticism or debates on who is to blame or why alternatives have not been pursued effectively is the stubborn reality of bringing a product or service or commodity to market. It must be economically viable to succeed.

Just like peace on earth and goddwill toward men, it’s a nice sentiment but won’t happen until enough people want it. The same goes for alternative fuels, hybrids, electric cars or, to borrow a pet phrase from Obama, ‘a host of’ other issues.

Government rarely considers that the millions of people in this or other countries have millions of varying needs and problems to solve on a daily basis. And that government actions and their one size fits all mentality fails to impress. What’s worse is that whatever meddling politicians choose to be interested in is always paid for by the people that do not want it.

Stanford Matthews
MoreWhat.com

Economic times being what they are who would expect the price of gas to rise? What could consumers learn about the last time the prices fell after reaching near five dollars a gallon at the pump? From the basics of supply and demand to specific world events that affect the markets the consumer sometimes has a significant effect on prices. A huge decrease in demand as gasoline prices peaked last year is often cited as why the price eventually fell. Wouldn’t it be nice if consumers did not require such a severe price increase to encourage cutting back on gasoline purchases? A small reminder of the power of the consumer was illuminated last year but will likely be forgotten in times ahead. That is one reason for this post being published now.

The excerpt below links to an interesting analysis of how the price at the pump is determined. This blog cannot speak to the validity of this appraisal but it is interesting nonetheless. In other words it is worth a read.

Did you know that gas price gouging almost never occurs as prices rise? Rather, it’s most often when dealers keep prices artificially high even as their costs fall. As gas costs were near $5 a gallon until falling and oil companies earn around $100 billion each year, it’s a good time to question what really goes into the price of gas. The numbers on the gas station sign hide a complex set of transactions. Before gas can power your car, it must be discovered as crude oil, traverse three markets, and be refined from crude into gas. Inside, we’ll explain the three markets, walk you through the role of refineries, and show how oil companies use creative tactics to manipulate gas prices…

The piece below is what renewed the interest here on gas prices and how it all works and who is in control a few weeks ago. It mentioned one of the big players.

Lack of Spending Kills US Jobs, Profits
By VOA News
27 January 2009
(brief excerpt)

Valero, the largest U.S. oil refiner, said it lost more than 43 billion as the recession dampened demand for gasoline.

The item below simply describes this major player and is from Wikipedia.

Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE: VLO) is a Fortune 500 oil and gas refining and retail company based in San Antonio, Texas. The company owns and operates 18 refineries throughout the United States, Canada and the Caribbean with a combined throughput capacity of approximately 3.3 million barrels per day, making it the largest refiner in North America.[1] Valero is also one of the nation’s largest retail operators with more than 5,000 retail and branded wholesale outlets in the United States, Canada and the Caribbean under various brand names, including Valero, Diamond Shamrock, Ultramar, Shamrock, and Beacon.

A piece from Motley Fool expands on the list of player and how things are going right now.

Along with Valero Energy and pint-sized Calumet Specialty Products (Nasdaq: CLMT), Holly possesses the ability to process sour-crude feedstocks that provided a competitive advantage during oil’s last climb. With expansions and improvements nearly completed at both refineries, Holly will not only face the next rise in oil prices with about an 18% increase in refining capacity, but also an enhanced ability to process sour crude. In fact, the Navajo refinery will soon be equipped to rely entirely on sour crudes if needed. Although I’ve been cool on the refining sector lately, as the majors have been cutting production, I am intrigued by the company’s competitive refining spreads and the steps underway to enhance that sour-crude advantage.

And who can forget the large campaign by the man below suggesting what we should do about energy? So what has he been doing lately?

T Boone Pickens buys Peabody Energy Corp., Chesapeake Energy Corp., sells ABB Ltd., Westport Innovations Inc, Valero Energy Corp., Tenaris S.A., Talisman Energy Inc., Schlumberger Ltd., The Shaw Group Inc., SANDRIDGE ENERGY INC, National Oilwell Varco Inc., Petrohawk Energy Corp., Halliburton Company, The Greenbrier Companies Inc., Foster Wheeler Ltd., Fluor Corp., DresserRand Group Inc., Chevron Corp., Clean Energy Fuels Corp., BPZ RESOURCES, INC, XTO Energy Inc. during the 3-months ended 12/31/2008, according to the most recent filings of his investment company, BP Capital. T Boone Pickens owns 9 stocks with a total value of $40 million. These are the details of the buys and sells.

This is just a little public service feature that will hopefully keep people’s minds on some of what falls to the back burner these days. Notice what is focused on in the news lately and what has been pushed aside. Not like the current economic conditions will make those items pushed aside a non-issue for the future. Can those we elected to serve in Washington keep their eye on all important issues? Or will they falter and obsess on the most popular while dropping the ball on others?

What could happen or what could be ignored to cause another damaging rise in energy prices? Just a little food for thought on a lazy Sunday in February 2009.

Stanford Matthews
MoreWhat.com

The approach of the general election featuring the selection of a new President in the United States has seen an incredible amount of turmoil surrounding the current political season. The war on terror while producing success such as the troop surge in Iraq has fallen on the deaf ears and blind eyes of the Democratic party as they criticize the party occupying the White House in the form of President Bush and also offer no congratulations that the US has suffered no further attacks on American soil during his watch. Struggles in the financial sector are also blamed solely on the President and his party by the members of the political opposition.

These situations are not an entirely American ordeal of course as the leaders of Russia in the form of Vladamir Putin and Dmitri Medvedev are experiencing similar controversy. The report below may suggest a change in tone from the Kremlin although recent events are more reminiscent of the Cold War than not. Two Russian Tu-160 bombers left Venezuela this week after conducting air patrol flights in the region. They may return in November for a joint exercise that hasn’t been seen since the Cold War that Putin claims he doesn’t want to be ‘dragged into with the West.’

Just like in the old days of the Cold War, Russia flexed its muscle in a small way with the Tupolev jets but in a more symbolic but provocative way with its nearly simultaneous testing of a new ICBM. The Bulava carries six warheads and can travel 10,000 km. Not surprisingly the Russian media expressed the missiles ability to penetrate any future missile shield. A statement likely directed against the US plans to install missile shields in Poland or elsewhere to protect allies from the likes of Iran or other ‘rogue’ nations bent on expanding their influence through terrorist actions.

The apparent change in tone from Mr Putin was not likely in response to European Union members limp challenge to Russia’s thumping of nearby Georgia. After ruling out sanctions, the EU held a meeting and then condemned Russia for the move. Do you suppose they are somewhat timid due to Russia’s control over so much of their oil supply?

Almost mirroring US financial sector woes Russian President Medvedev blamed the move on Georgia as risking the orderly flow of business in the financial markets of Russia. More turmoil and upheaval in Russia may be faced by the ‘privileged class‘ with ties to the West, international finance centers and of all things NATO complicating their agenda. It may be difficult to tell if the Georgian conflict and repercussions from it were responsible for the need to prop up their markets with this week’s 20 billion cash infusion or if Russia was simply experiencing the same problems the rest of the world was.

Perhaps after some time to digest current events and take the world’s temperature, Putin took a different approach to public affairs in the report below. Just like the financial woes in the US and elsewhere, politicians may be making too much of it too soon. If in six months we’re hearing no more of it the proof that most of the talk was purely political will be obvious. Just as obvious as the players doing nothing to prevent future problems and that they were just being politicians.

Stanford Matthews
MoreWhat.com

Putin Rejects Cold War, Backs Economic Integration

By VOA News
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin says his nation is seeking full integration into the world economy and will not be dragged into another Cold War era with the West.

Mr. Putin was speaking to Russian officials and business leaders in the Black Sea resort of Sochi.

On Thursday, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Russia is becoming “increasingly authoritarian” and “aggressive.” At an event hosted by the German Marshall fund, Rice delivered her strongest comments to date about Russia’s invasion of Georgia and other recent actions.

She said the U.S. goal is to make clear to Russia’s leaders that their choices are putting Russia, in her words, “on a one-way path to self-imposed isolation and international irrelevance.”

She said that for Russia to reach its full potential, it must be fully integrated into the international political and economic order. She said Russia is in the “precarious position of being half in and half out.”

In Moscow, Russian President Dmitri Medvedev said Thursday that relations with the United States remain a priority for Russia. He said it would be politically short-sighted to squander the achievements and potential in relations by reviving stereotypes of the past.

Some information for this report was provided by AFP and Reuters.

Before getting to the endless loop that is the entirely politically motivated noise spewing from Nancy Pelosi’s mouth, a brief word on the collective efforts of both stripes in Congress and the fact that nearly every poll on the planet ranks their approval in the teens or twenties. With that fact on the table, how ridiculous is it for Democratic Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi to dedicate an entire press release on blaming others?

Quite often during the current woes in the financial sector recollections of the savings and loan BAILOUT have been expressed. After the crash of 29 and since many safeguards have been put in place that many agree have aided avoiding another similar disaster. Black Monday in 1987 may be an example of the market’s ability to sustain extreme adverse conditions since the Great Depression. Until the subprime mess and the recent ‘meltdown’ in the financial markets the S&L crisis was probably a faded memory in most people’s minds, including those in Congress, Nancy.

As is the case with most crisis situations every political hack, including you, Nancy Pelosi, cannot resist the temptation to make the story political and pile all blame on the opposition party. The same can be said of your Presidential nominee for 2008. No, not Hillary Rodham Clinton, but Barack Obama who has used this story to attack his rival, Senator John McCain. But Obama may be getting confused or over his head on this story as he announced agreement with the Administration’s efforts to calm the storm and hesitated on announcing his idea of how to solve the problem. Like you, he wants to wait to say that is what I would have done if it works or pounce on the opportunity to make a political statement if it does not.

Simply stating that you represent change as a solution really solves nothing. With no resume’ or list of accomplishments in public service in elected office, Barack Obama’s change would only constitute a different person in the White House which will happen anyway since George Bush is term limited. The change that John McCain offers is based on his long career both in the military and in the Congress. He has actual records that one can access showing his history in government. He has established relationships and the mechanisms required for getting things done. Obama has none of that, Nancy. And YOUR majority in Congress since 2006 has an approval rating in the basement. So get off your high horse and start working with people to get things done.

Need you be reminded of your failed New Direction for America and the laughable highlights such as the most ethical Congress in decades? Stop insulting the American public you claim to champion and get something meaningful done. Your latest fiasco is the empty offshore drilling measure that does not accomplish what is needed and is only another tactic for you to rail on your opponents. Stop throwing the BS and get to work.

Congress’ Approval Rating Ties Lowest in Gallup Records
Bush approval remains near record low
by Lydia Saad

PRINCETON, NJ — Approval of Congress has dipped below 20% for only the fourth time in the 34 years Gallup has asked Americans to rate the job Congress is doing. Today’s 18% score, based on a May 8-11 Gallup Poll, matches the record lows Gallup recorded in August 2007 and March 1992.

from Polling Report, Congressional Approval Ratings
a long list of various polls and dates confirming no one thinks highly of Congress and the job they are supposed to do. That includes you Nancy.

Pelosi Statement on $85 Billion AIG Loan

Washington, D.C. — Speaker Nancy Pelosi issued the following statement tonight on the announcement by the Federal Reserve that it will lend up to $85 billion to the American International Group:

“The Bush Administration’s eight long years of failed deregulation policies have resulted in our nation’s largest bailout ever, leaving the American taxpayers on the hook potentially for billions of dollars. An $85 billion loan is a staggering sum and is just too enormous for the American people to bear the risk; Congress will demand answers to prevent this from happening again.

“I have asked Chairman Barney Frank of the Financial Services Committee and Chairman Henry Waxman of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee to hold a series of hearings that will examine the Bush Administration’s mismanagement of financial market regulation and how it led us to this remarkable failure. The questions we need answers to are whether fraud played a role in AIG’s failure; why foreign stakeholders are not contributing to help pay for the bailout; and why the Bush Administration didn’t use its existing regulatory authority effectively and sooner.

“The American people deserve to know how eight years of Republican government failed to protect their homes, pensions, college saving plans, and other long-term investments. We cannot afford four more years of the Bush Administration’s mismanagement of our economy.”

The above is just another waste of time presented to you by Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and the Democratic party. If Obama was elected as President she would focus all her attention on the remaining GOP members of Congress as the reason she cannot get anything done. And Obama would parrot the response as he won’t have a clue what to do if placed in the Oval Office.

Stanford Matthews
MoreWhat.com

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Still considering the upside and downside of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as the GOP nominee for Vice-President requires returning to the initial obvious question. Representing a state that receives the bulk of its revenue from energy interests and married to an employee of BP, a company with image problems of its own, the natural suspicion is where do her allegiances lie? To the obvious question there is the obvious liberal answer in the second paragraph of the excerpt below from WaPo.

Sarah Palin and Big Oil

Energy Wire talked to Gov. Sarah Palin in May about her views on Big Oil, offshore drilling and a long-awaited, expensive and controversial natural gas pipeline for which she has been pushing hard. With McCain’s announcement Friday, suddenly her comments seem a lot more interesting.

Many environmental and Democratic activists attacked her yesterday for being too close to Big Oil. They dislike her support for drilling in environmentally sensitive areas, her skepticism about alternative energy sources, and her opposition to listing polar bears as an endangered species. “Sarah Palin reinforces John McCain’s plan to continue the Bush-Cheney big oil energy policies,” said Daniel J. Weiss, senior fellow at the Center for American Progress. “Palin may be new, but her big oil energy agenda is very old-fashioned.”

Can you be pro-energy, pro-environment and not be corrupted by relationships and transactions with which you must be involved to discharge your duties as a state executive? BP is not a big fan of Sarah Palin’s, according to the report above, as may be the case with other oil interests. She has tried to bring on board other smaller concerns who may willing to use other strategies than the limited scope of ‘big oil’. While she is in favor of drilling in ANWR (and this blog is not) there are places she does not favor drilling and in one instance it is due to concern over the fish population. Not sharing a single opinion is hardly reason to reject a person for public office. And Sarah Palin demonstrates that supporting energy exploration and development does not have to be an all or nothing game. The other criticism in the liberal complaints above may be a bit narrow-minded or simply a campaign tactic to paint the desired picture of a party opponent.

Those opposing McCain/Palin like to say McCain is too old and Palin is too young or McCain is politics as usual and Palin has no experience. If you cannot see the difference between McCain/Palin and Obama/Biden you are not looking hard enough. If you wish to paint the GOP candidates as an extension of the Bush Administration your debate discipline is lacking meaning you’re lazy. To this point in the discussion on this blog McCain has had one glaring flaw on current issues that he does not appear to have reconciled to the satisfaction of many. That would be his support of amnesty for illegal aliens. The criticism that Palin lacks whatever credentials someone thinks she needs to be a heartbeat away from President is probably overplayed. There are plenty of seasoned politicians that raise the same concern for many of us and one of them is Joe Biden.

Before ending this particular post, one more look at Palin and energy. She appears to be at least skeptical on alternative energy sources. Had we as a nation pursued these sources 30 years ago when the word crisis was first seriously linked with oil we might now be within reach of practical replacements for the fossil fuel. But some of the conventional drilling strategies will not provide quick fixes either. And still there are few people talking about the need for refining capacity in addition to domestic oil production. Point is, if Palin is not a big fan of alternatives, right now, that may be part of the reason. She may subscribe to the saying a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush, no pun intended, and focusing on known tehcnology is a better bet than untested alternatives.

So, for Paln on energy, this blog sees no problem thus far.

Stanford Matthews
MoreWhat.com

While returning to research for updating a previous post series, Women in Politics, the following editorial was found. It provides a little light onto Dems, California and the energy situation in the US. Although some of the points have been expressed elsewhere, nonetheless, it is a good brief read. As we approach the November election and the Dems hold there convention in Denver, this item from the Lompoc Record is especially timely.

Stanford Matthews
MoreWhat.com

Move over, Dems, let oil flow

Why aren’t we drilling for more oil in Santa Barbara County?

Ask the Democrat movers and shakers on the South Coast. While you’re at it, ask the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, Rep. Lois Capps and Senator’s Feinstein and Boxer and the entire California Democrat delegation.

Locally, on July 3, the Board of Supervisors at the urging of 1st District Supervisor Salud Carbajal placed an “emergency item” on the agenda “to consider opposing the opening of federal waters to oil drilling” after President Bush lifted a moratorium on offshore drilling.

Then, when it was learned that several well-informed citizens would speak on the issue, it was suddenly dropped from the agenda. My, that’s a brave move, but not unexpected in a political environment dominated by overanxious liberal environmental activists who favor shrill rhetoric over an objective analysis.

With going green going crazy and global warming fear monger, Al Gore, the failed Presidential contender fanning the flames of doom, one of the strongest criticisms of biofuels like ethanol made from corn was two-fold. It takes more energy to produce corn-based ethanol than can be derived from it and using the amount of corn required to have any significant impact in moving from fossil fuels places extreme pricing pressures on the food supply.

With most of the ‘alternative’ sources of energy years off in the future in terms of practical application, the flames the likes of Al Gore, et al, are fanning are not producing a solution rather a panic of catastrophic proportions. And the far left loves this strategy. Create new victims, attack manufactured villains and the lines of people trying to get taxpayer funding to ‘research’ alternatives may eventually reach around the globe. That is about the only connection between the globe and the term, global economy.

But while the opposing sides, of which there may be more than two, sort out the energy future in this country, one report indicates we should take a more reasoned approach to any major shifts in widespread use of alternative energy sources. According to the report below, “The process yields about eight times more energy than it consumes so it is a much more energy efficient way to produce ethanol.”

If that statement is true, the case for sorghum as an alternative energy source is probably one of the more promising developments in this crazy pursuit. The pursuit is not crazy because it is intended to find non-fossil fuel alternatives but because of the total abandon excercised by most proponents. The Chicken Little posture demonstrated by the most fanatical fans does more damage than good. A little care and a reasoned approach to solutions will minimize mistakes and speed any postive results.

Stanford Matthews
MoreWhat.com

Sorghum: A Biofuel Alternative?

By Paul Sisco
Washington
Biofuel Sorghum report / Broadband - Download (WM)
Biofuel Sorghum report / Broadband - Watch (WM)

International research scientists are meeting in Houston, Texas August 19-22 to discuss various biofuel alternatives to corn, especially sorghum. Some scientists say sorghum - cultivated for food and fodder in various parts of the world - might one day help power our vehicles. VOA’s Paul Sisco has today’s Searching for Solutions report.

In the United States, sweet sorghum is grown for livestock feed and also used as a sweetener in the form of a syrup. In India, the sweet juice inside the plant’s stalk is turned into ethanol and used as a fuel.

This has spurred William Rooney and his team at Texas A & M to work with sorghum. They say it grows faster than corn and can produce more ethanol per plant. “In the near future as we move forward you will see these types of crops become more and more prominent,” Rooney said.

Today, nearly all the ethanol in the US comes from corn. It is widely used as a gasoline additive. But using corn-based ethanol has not stopped gasoline prices from rising, and researchers are experimenting with algae, grasses, and plant stalks as biofuels.

Gene Stevens, at the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources at the University of Missouri, works with sorghum.

“We produced as much ethanol with the corn as we did with the sweet sorghum but the only advantage was that we used less fertilizer with the sweet sorghum,” he explains. “It may be that sweet sorghum may have a niche in some of those soils that are not so productive.”

Also, producing ethanol from sorghum uses less energy than corn — says Mark Winslow with the non-profit International Crops Research Institute.

“The process yields about eight times more energy than it consumes so it is a much more energy efficient way to produce ethanol,” Winslow says.

Critics of corn based ethanol production say it has contributed to rising food prices because of the amount of grain used to make the fuel. That explains, in part, why the search is on to find other biofuel sources.

“I think you are going to hear more about the crops that are starting to make sense,” Rooney says.

Among them sorghum, says Rooney, a proven source of ethanol with more potential than corn.

By Brian Wagner
Miami
Wagner report - Download (MP3)
Wagner report - Listen (MP3)

The United States plans to spend $600 million in coming years to propel development of renewable fuels and other new energy solutions. The funding goes along with millions that private investors are spending to find ways to cut the nation’s dependence on oil. VOA’s Brian Wagner recently met with business and research leaders striving to find the best new energy solutions.

The future of alternative energy appears to be rich, whether it is the potential of new biofuels, citrus peel or farm waste products to supply new energy sources.

At a recent conference in Florida, green entrepreneurs met with researchers and farmers to plot the industry’s future. Scores of research firms are developing conversion methods to process a variety of raw materials into ethanol. Farmers are finding ways to turn long overlooked products, like livestock manure and non-food crops, into fuel supplies.

Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer told delegates that green energy is creating great new opportunities for the U.S. economy, especially in the farming sector.

“There is no turning back from a future in which more of our energy resources are grown and harvested in a sensible way,” he said. “That means agriculture is going to be right in the middle of the game.”

Schafer said, under a newly approved farm bill, officials plan to spend $600 million over the next five years to develop and implement new energy technologies, including biofuel crops. That comes in addition to $35 million already being spent.

Green entrepreneurs say federal support is crucial to propel development of advanced technologies that are needed for new energy solutions. Federal loans also are an important tool to give nascent projects the chance to develop into successful businesses.

Some business leaders say government spending still is not enough to offset oil expenditures in the United States, which consumes about 20 million barrels of oil each day. Agriculture Secretary Schafer faced some tough questions from green business leaders at the recent conference.

“Investing 30 million, 50 million even 100 million seems very small in comparison with the opportunities and the size of the problem,” said one attendee.

Schafer said he agrees that more money should be spent, and that is why officials are trying to encourage more private investment.

“It is not just a government effort, it is private sector, too,” he says. “But we are not spending enough money. We are just saying let that oil come in from overseas and we are not doing enough about it.”

In Florida, officials are trying to capitalize on the boom in green technology. Governor Charlie Crist has sought to expand energy research programs at state universities and ordered energy companies to begin offering more electricity from renewable sources. He says his goal is to draw green businesses to the state.

“I believe that Florida can be the green technology hub of America, and clearly the equivalent of the Silicon Valley of green,” he says. “Florida can be known as energy and green industry leaders throughout the world.”

Alan Hodges, an agricultural economist at the University of Florida, has been following the renewable energy field for more than 20 years. He says federal and state initiatives have created a unique climate for growth now.

“There is tremendous interest right now,” he says. “I don’t think there has ever been more interest than there is now, and it is all because of high oil prices.”

Government and private sector interest in new energy has come and gone before.

Joseph Weissman of Aurora Biofuels has been researching the potential of growing algae as a potential source of fuel oil since the oil crisis of the late 1970s. As certain algae grow, they produce oils that can be harvested and converted into fuel. He said government funds helped advance his work until gasoline prices dropped a few years later, and public funding disappeared.

He says the involvement of more private money will help ensure the development of new energy technologies into the future.

“That was lacking in the past, it was all government money,” Weissman says. “Plus government money isn’t driven by the same forces. When someone [private investor] has invested money in something they will see it through one way or another. The government may change its mind overnight.”

Researchers say it is difficult to determine whether algae or another technology is the most promising for the future, and when the general public can expect to see the benefits. But they agree that energy costs will continue to remain high, driving further interest in new energy sources in the future.

from MoreWhat.com:

Sure, the Ag Secretary comments on how great renewable energy ops will be for farmers. Don’t take this wrong, farmers have had a tough time and we all benefit from the food they produce but making things like ethanol and raising food prices as well as an alternative energy source that requires more energy to make than you get out of it begs the question. What the hell are we doing that for?
Of the funding mentioned in the article above, it appears the legal scam artists have a $120 million per year from this pork barrel on which to satisfy their thirst for cash. Liberals complain to conservatives about opposing the rush to green and attacking global warming along with the myriad of schemes such rushes create. Conservatives shout at the liberals for crying the sky is falling and we need to drill with little mention of refining capacity. Both sides focus their sound bites on criticizing the other side and little gets done. But please people, slow down on the pork barrel, low probability, high cost waste of money antics like a $600 million giveaway. After all, it is the taxpayers’ money you’re entrusted to use wisely. Ya, like that ever happens.

Stanford Matthews