Datechguy's Blog

This is an asinine decision:

The Obama administration will release 30 million barrels of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve in an effort to offset oil supply disruptions in the Middle East, the Energy Department announced Thursday morning.

It’s the strategic equivalent of grinding the seed corn. I didn’t like this talk during the Bush years and I really don’t like this action now. This reserve exists for a time of national emergency, not to prop up re-elect numbers.

Don’t think for a second that it won’t happen again before election day. Anyone who has ever raided their cash reserves knows it’s much easier to justify it the 2nd time around.

Oh and just a reminder to all of those on the left who will dub this move “necessary”. A decade ago you cried out: ” Drilling in ANWAR won’t produce oil for 10 years.” Take a bow idiots, thanks to your short short-sightedness we’ll have this much less when we actually need it.

Jan 20, 2013 can’t come fast enough for me.

Update: What a coincidence

Update 2: Hotair also notes the game being played here:

Oh, yes. We’re doing this in response to an emergency all right. The emergency is that the president’s poll numbers are tanking and angry voters don’t want to continue to lay out 1/4 of their pay check at the pumps. But rather than actually do something to speed up domestic production and make us more energy independent, let’s just flush away some of the reserve we might really need if the you-know-what seriously hits the fan overseas in the next 12 months. Simply fabulous.

Update 3: Joy at the Conservatory notes some figures

This country uses up 30 million barrels of oil in around 36 hours, and that 60 million barrel figure?–the world consumes that in a single day. So, we’re making a dicey move here for no real gain.

There is a gain, a poll gain, at least that’s the plan.