With gas prices continuing to rise to record levels in all parts of the United States, President Biden and the White House continue to go with the backfiring strategy of blaming “Putin’s price hikes” while accusing oil companies of not drilling enough, which is rather ironic. Biden previously tapped the nation’s strategic reserve on multiple occasions and at some point might travel overseas to beg the Saudis to ramp up production:
Just a year after concluding that Saudi Arabia’s de facto leader ordered the brutal murder of an American resident and journalist, and after winning the White House with a vow to make Riyadh a “pariah,” Biden is weighing travel to the kingdom next month as well as a meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. It’s a stunning reversal in the president’s treatment of a bilateral relationship that U.S. leaders have long struggled to use to their advantage at home.
Should Biden follow through with the high-level engagement, he can use the visit to address high gas prices and inflation at home by pushing the Saudis to help stabilize oil markets in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. But as much as the White House might crave a turnaround in the Middle East after the disastrous exit from Afghanistan and stalled negotiations with Iran over its nuclear program, meeting the crown prince would drive a wedge between Biden and Democratic lawmakers — and many see it as a betrayal by an administration that vowed to keep human rights at the center of its foreign policy.
But as gas prices continue to rise with no end in sight, Democrat Sen. Brian Schatz has criticized the media for not reporting more often that there’s little a president can do to bring down gas prices:
(Presidents cannot do a whole lot in the short run about the price of gasoline and it seems like that should be part of most news stories regarding the price of gasoline so more people know what.)
— Brian Schatz (@brianschatz) June 11, 2022
Really? That’s news to the Democrats Congressional Campaign Committee:
Thanks, @JoeBiden. pic.twitter.com/0iHwTLv7fB
— DCCC (@dccc) December 2, 2021
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This is a Bloomberg headline from December of last year: “Biden Cheers Lower Pump Prices, Crediting His Supply Efforts”
Here’s Sen. Schatz himself when Trump was president:
This US Senator seems to disagree with you:
“There’s a straight line between Trump’s policies and the price of gasoline,” Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) said in a brief interview, echoing a growing chorus of Democrats. https://t.co/5LxAC16FX9
— Forum Non (@ForumNon) June 11, 2022
It seems the “rules” have changed since Biden took office.
CNN seems conflicted on this issue:
Same source, same author, less than two weeks apart… pic.twitter.com/XiPq373CkO
— SmokedPorkShoulderMan (@ThatFellaDanny) June 11, 2022
This is all part of Biden’s “incredible transition” that’s taking place.
This in false. The president can (and this one has) do a LOT to drive gas prices upwards https://t.co/iGRHyvlhiz
— Winston Coolidge (@winstoncoolidge) June 11, 2022
Biden promised to increase prices IN THE LONG RUN TOO. https://t.co/1Xf5Y1NAqv
— Pradheep J. Shanker (@Neoavatara) June 11, 2022
“There’s little a president can do to bring gas prices down” say Democrats who support the policies that have contributed to driving up gas prices while telling the rubes to quit whining and buy electric cars.
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