This might be the most important election in history for big oil. The investments they've been making in the McCain and Palin ticket back that assertion up. Americans are being asked - implicitly - to answer questions like

• Should we drill baby drill off shore and in wildlife preserves, so that in 10 years oil companies will be able to profit, selling that oil to China, India, and other hungry consumers on the global market?
• Should the US (big) government accelerate its competition against US consumers, buying up millions of gallons of gasoline for the "strategic" reserve?
• Will we allow deregulation for the oil market, since it turned out so well in banking? (Thanks, McCain!)
• Do we really need to cut taxes for Exxon Mobile?

And more, of course.

Bush could, but won't for obvious reasons, redeem himself now that oil is back down to about $75 a barrel. If the US tapped its strategic reserve now, it would drive that cost down even further by reducing demand in the global market. It would be a strategic move against nations like Venezuela and Iran. Money that would be spent in drilling would be better invested in getting our strategic refineries back up and running. Am I overusing the word strategic? Perhaps our strategic reserves should only be called so when they are actually used for their intended purpose.

tim

well i guess obama will be doing great rather than McCain