Moon of Alabama
Today Bush stopped refilling the national emergency oil reserve which has been depleted in the aftermath of Katrina.
In 2004 Senator Kerry had demanded such a stop. What was Bush's answer?
First the news, showing Bush leads by example:
Under pressure from angry drivers and leaders in both political parties, President Bush said today he was taking steps to at least slow the rising price of gasoline.
He said that deposits of oil in the nation's strategic petroleum reserve would be halted for the summer to increase supplies available to the public.
[...]
The president traveled in a 14-vehicle motorcade to deliver his speech at a hotel in Washington. A pool reporter noticed that the prices posted at an Exxon station near the Watergate building complex were $3.29. $3.39 and $3.49 a gallon.
Bush to Halt Deposits to Oil Reserve
WaPo; April 25, 2006
and now his words on the oil reserve two years ago:
Q Sir, Senator Kerry has suggested halting shipments to the emergency oil reserves. Your energy bill is a long-term strategy. What are some short-term steps that can be taken?
THE PRESIDENT: If people had acted on my energy bill when I submitted it three years ago, we would be in a much better situation today.
Secondly, we will not play politics with the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. That Petroleum Reserve is in place in case of major disruptions of energy supplies to the United States. The idea of emptying the Strategic Petroleum Reserve plays -- would put America in a dangerous position in the war on terror. We're at war. We face a tough and determined enemy on all fronts. And we must not put ourselves in a worse position in this war. And playing politics with the Strategic Petroleum Reserve would do just that.
President Discusses Iraq, Economy, Gas Prices in Cabinet Meeting
White House; May 19, 2004
Moon of Alabama