Sen. Reid Dodges Iraq Oil Privatization (and theft) Question

[yurbud]

I think the Democrats will do good things at the wheel, but I'm still waiting on this particular issue. If they can pry the oil companies hands off the Iraqi spigot, or at least get them to give the Iraqis a respectable deal, it would show that they are putting our national interests ahead of the oil companies--and the defense contractors who would profit from fighting the new enemies we make by screwing the Iraqis.

Sen. Reid Dodges Iraq Oil Privatization Question

This exchange took place at a news conference with Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Leader Harry Reid on Jan. 19 at the National Press Club.

Husseini: Hi. Sam Husseini from IPA Media. I have a question for each of our guests, if I could. First to Senator Reid: an article appeared in The Guardian -- "Iraqis will never appear -- will never accept this sellout to the oil corporations," in The Guardian last week by Kamil Mahdi, who's an Iraqi academic in the U.K. It paints a picture of the administration in the midst of all of the carnage pushing through a new oil law "The U.S. and the IMF and their allies are using fear to pursue their agenda of privatizing and selling off Iraqis resources" with pending Iraq oil law. Are you looking into this? You've spoken about the oil companies and so on, are you looking into this oil law that the administration is apparently trying to ram through.

Reid: Is that a morning or afternoon newspaper? No, I'm sorry I haven't read that article. Um, but that's what Speaker Pelosi and I are talking about we have to lessen our dependence on foreign oil whether it comes from private sources, or in some instances where the oil is owned by the government. We have to--we use 21 million barrels of oil a day in America, 21 million barrels a day and more than 60 percent of that comes from foreign sources. And the United States controls less than 3 percent of the oil reserves in the world, we can't produce our way out of the problems we have with oil. The only alternative we have is to look to alternative fuels: the sun, the wind, geothermal, biomass. We have to do that and that's why it doesn't matter what they do in Iraq as far as our consumption of oil. We, we, we are oil hogs here in America and we've got to lessen our dependence on foreign oil and that can only be done by recognizing that we can't produce our way out of our problems and we have to move towards alternative energy sources.

http://www.husseini.org/content/2007/01/sen_reid_dodges.html

Reid said several true and good things--none of which answered the question. If Democrats allow big oil to screw the Iraqis, that will pretty much prove that no one in Washington believes in their War on Terror except as a cattle prod to get us to approve of what they were going to do anyway.

[mmonk]

1. My advice to DU'ers is not to make politicians your heroes,

make them do your bidding. Otherwise, big money will.

[John Q. Citizen]

5. I agree. n/t

[yurbud]

6. my point too

[welshTerrier2]

2. lots of discussion on this

in this thread ...

there was another thread someone started that showed my good buddy T. Kennedy, Biden and one other Democrat also dodging this question ... it's very disturbing to see ... we need Democrats to "take away the prize" so that they're not tempted to start another war ...

[BeFree]

3. Yeah dodge

but lets face it: the politicos are scared that our society is going hit the skids and the skids ain't gonna be greased. It's why we are iraqing and iraning.

There is no delicate way for them to post the scenario: they got us by the oily short hairs. Besides, laying your political cards on the table, and in the press, is no way to beat the bushes.

So yeah, dodge, what did you expect from the elite politicians?

[yurbud]

8. It is not a matter of GETTING oil, it's who profits from pumping it and gets to set the price

somehow, the rest of the world manages to get gas at the pump without invading oil producing companies, and we are fighting China for oil rights in countries where they have no troops.

[oldtimecanuk]

4. I have some real reservations about ....

Reid.... I really am not sure that he is what we want as the leader of the Senate opposition! He seems to waffle at every decision, and has yet (IMHO) to make a decision that would support what the American people voted for on November 7th. I think that the Democratic Senators really need to take a close look at who would serve them the best. There are many Senators out there that are "Stand ups for this Senate position" ie: Senator Russ Feingold etc.

ww

[yurbud]

7. If Feingold thought he didn't have a chance at President, majority leader would be a good choice