Sen. Bernie Sanders called out Romney, Santorum, and Gingrich for lying and covering up the real reason why gas prices are increasing.
Here is the video from MSNBC:
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
Sen. Sanders discussed oil speculation, “There is now more supply in America available in America today than there was three years ago when the price of gas was a buck ninety a gallon. There’s less demand now than there was at any time since 1997, so we’re not looking at a supply and demand problem. What we also know is that over eight percent repeat over eighty percent of the oil futures market is not controlled by people who actually use the oil, airlines, etc. , but by Wall Street speculators like Goldman Sachs/Morgan Stanley.”
After estimating that legislation ending excessive oil speculation would drop the price of gas by at least fifty six cents a gallon, Sanders was asked by Schultz if the Republican presidential candidates were lying about the Obama’s policies driving up the price of gas. The Vermont senator answered, “Yeah, they are. The truth is, as the president indicated, we are doing a lot of oil drilling right now. But I think at the root of the problem is not the supply issue, I think the root of the problem is that our friends on Wall Street who caused this recession through their greed are at it again, and by manipulating oil futures market they’re driving up prices. What we are trying to do, Ed, now is demand that Commodity Futures Trading Commission, an arcane agency which regulates the oil futures market use emergency power to end excessive speculation.”
We’ve been down this road before as a country many times. Sen. Sanders was one hundred percent correct. The cause of the problem isn’t supply and demand. It is the excessive oil speculation driving up prices. If President Obama wants to put an end to this, he can do so at any time by uttering this one sentence. Today, we are launching a federal investigation into excessive speculation in the oil futures market. That one sentence would put the brakes on this entire scam.
Gingrich, Romney, and Santorum are lying to the American people about the cause of rising gas prices. If the Sanders legislation would pass and be signed by the president, the price of gasoline would come down, but as usual, Republicans who are looking to score cheap political points ahead of the November election oppose any more that would lower the price of gas and help the American people in any way.
I wish more Democrats had the courage to stand up and plainly say what the Independent Bernie Sanders did. The Republicans are lying to the American people. Their presidential candidates are lying. Their members of Congress are lying, and their propaganda machine is putting out a stream of endless lies all based on the hope of winning an election in November.
Republicans are lying, and it is up to all Americans who care about facts to join with Sen. Sanders and President Obama in calling them out on it.
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A Walkaway
Mar. 22nd, 2012 at 12:21 am
Excess oil speculation AND excess profits.
When the oil companies report 8 billion plus profits per quarter (per company) with gross receits of under 24 billion for the same quarter… that’s a hell of a lot of profit, especially for a big corporation.
That essentially means about a third of the price of fuel is pure profit… dripping right into the pockets of the rich. If you look at the salaries of the top honchos… it’s even worse.
If they cracked down on the speculation AND Big Oil, prices would drop dramatically (and food prices and other prices should follow, if the other corporations don’t use it as an excuse to rape us further). Life would become far easier for the poor.
Oh… and watch out for oil company bullshit. They got away with charging more for diesel this time, but it costs a lot less to make (and takes far less energy to make) than gasoline. I remember in the 70s when we had rationing, they got caught lying through their teeth and the government tried to clobber them (but they generally managed to duck the blows). They’re as bad for lying as the Republicans are.
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Ana Ruiz
Mar. 22nd, 2012 at 12:24 am
Whoooa, wait just a darn second. All three GOP candidates? There are four! Four damn it. Why does everyone leave out Ron Paul!? Holy crap. I need to go no further with this article than the title.
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Jared Drury
Mar. 22nd, 2012 at 12:43 am
because there is essentially no way possible for Paul to win. Period. Why should we pretend that he is an actual contender, the only reason he is still in this race is to take votes away from the crazies, well at least the ones that are less crazy than he is.
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lucy
Mar. 24th, 2012 at 5:06 pm
you’re the crazy one calling people who really know whats going on crazy!
Ron Paul know a lot of shit and while hes speaking the truth, there are millions of Sheeple that need to turn off the tv and wake up.
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Dominic
Mar. 22nd, 2012 at 12:49 am
Ana Ruiz..the article said there were 3 GOP candidates lying about Obama and gas prices…..Is Ron Paul also lying about blaming Obama for gas prices?..If he is than yes his name should be in there..If not that is why it was left our!!
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Cha
Mar. 22nd, 2012 at 1:12 am
Thank you, Dominic.
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Jason Easley
Mar. 22nd, 2012 at 1:30 am
Unless Ron Paul has lied about Obama and gas prices, why would I include him in an article about Republicans who have lied about Obama and gas prices? I think wanting lies told about your candidate just so you feel included is taking things a bit too far, don’t you agree? I hope Dr. Paul fires up the minivan so that he and his 34 delegates can carpool to the convention in Tampa together.
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Dana
Mar. 22nd, 2012 at 11:37 pm
Who cares? Ron Paul is just as bad as the rest of them. He’s just saying what you want to hear, so you ignore all the bad things about him. How I know not to listen to someone: they uncritically want Paul to be the next President of the USA.
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kristy
Apr. 4th, 2012 at 9:35 am
actually, dana, no he is not just saying what you want to hear. Maybe you should start to actually listen. He has been in politics for over forty years and has never once swayed on his views, or changed his beliefs. He is also one of the only people that voted against bailouts! do some research before you sling mud
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Cha
Mar. 22nd, 2012 at 1:15 am
Yes, thank you Jason & Bernie Sanders! I love it when Bernie’s calling out the Repubs.
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The invisible man
Mar. 22nd, 2012 at 5:57 am
And the MSM lies about Ron Paul but who cares? The MSM doesn’t want to include Ron because he is anti war and we all know the military industrial complex owns the MSM.
So keep pretending Ron Paul isn’t running and we will keep reminding you that he is. We will also remind you that Obama has continued the unconstitutional pol IRS of Gorge w Bush by renewing the Patriot Act. We will remind you that Obama has attempted to prosecute more whistle blowers under the espionage act than all other presidents combined. We will remind you that Guantanimo Bay still is there. We will remind you that spending for the military and security of this country will cost America over one trillion dollars in 2012 alone.
So keep the pom poms waving for democracy while you ignore the truth.
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Sarah Jones
Mar. 22nd, 2012 at 10:04 am
We will also remind you to please check how your government works before you remind us of “reality”. Obama issued ex order to close Gitmo; Congress refused to pass legislation to fund closure. See your Senate Armed Services Committee for NDAA. Patriot Act is a load of garbage, however, it has been adjusted under Obama and is not the same Patriot Act as under Bush. Now tell us what Ron Paul would do about Congress not upholding his ex order? Would he violate the checks and balances of Constitution to get what he wanted?
If you are really upset about those matters and not just a Paul groupie, I suggest you pay attention to whom you are voting for in Congress and write to the Senators, esp those in the Armed Services Committee where they follow Republican policies in spite of their track record of failure.
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Ledian Evrae
Mar. 22nd, 2012 at 11:35 am
And where, exactly, would you like the gov’t (Rep or Dem)to place the detainees at Gitmo? Shall we park them in your state? THAT is the issue with closing Gitmo.
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Tim
Mar. 22nd, 2012 at 1:06 pm
Actually no one had a problem with that exact solution when Bush was in office. How many prison breaks do we have a year and when did we become such a nation of pussy’s?
If congress had not blocked this administration most of the detainee’s would have been tried and released or put in prison in America. Half of them are probably innocent of any wrong doing.
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johnst
Mar. 23rd, 2012 at 9:08 am
I say we buy up the ranch next door to GW in Crawford, TX and build a prison there for the detainee’s.
Let them live in HIS backyard, since he created the mess in the first place.
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Dana
Mar. 22nd, 2012 at 11:37 pm
The day Ron Paul figures out that the Constitution has been amended to give human rights to people besides wealthy white male landowners, I might decide to vote for him. Might. But I doubt it.
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OooSillyMe
Mar. 22nd, 2012 at 7:25 am
Until the media starts calling these liars out, people won’t believe it.
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Tim
Mar. 22nd, 2012 at 1:12 pm
And just exactly who owns our major media. Not one of these six corporations would have been allowed to own any media a few short years ago. We used to have laws (now called regulation) that protected media being owned by government contractors and cross ownership with conflicting American interest.
It was illegal for any board member to also be an investor in, other media, energy/oil, government contracting company, military supply, company’s that invested abroad and Banking just to name a few.
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Scott
Mar. 22nd, 2012 at 9:12 am
The intention behind higher gas prices is simple.
5 times in the past, in an election year, when the price of gas has risen, the opposing party has taken control of the WH.
THAT IS THE SOLE INTENTION HERE.
In addition, the sole reason why Willard Romney and Fox are pounding the drumbeat for war with Iran is because if we do so, Iran will stop their flow of oil. That immediately drives up the world’s price.
You see, this is a game of dominance. The GOP wants to control every aspect of your personal life so badly that they’re willing to plunge the entire world’s economy into the toilet just to win back the WH.
That’s how you can tell they’re mental patients.
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Donna
Mar. 22nd, 2012 at 11:01 am
OooSillyMe…I’m afraid that unless Ronnie Reagan himself rose from the grave to deliver the truth, the GOP followers would just pass it off as lies from the”liberal media”.
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MIchael Barber
Mar. 22nd, 2012 at 11:07 am
Since there is a minimum wage, why doesn’t Bernie propose a maximum wage to stop all these oil profits from going into these BILLIONAIRES pockets? Or just tax them at %100 percent of income over $20 million dollars?
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Debbie Perry
Mar. 22nd, 2012 at 11:13 am
Bernie is one who is finally standing up to tell the truth. Oil trading should not be on the market at all. The Koch Brothers are at the bottom of these prices going up us to make the President look bad. Then the can control the country if a repub is elected. You think the Kock brothers won’t hold all the puppet strings, you are sadly mistaken. It was made quite clear as soon as the President was elected that the righties would work to make sure he is a one termer. They have done everyting they can to make this happen. Why do you think they all signed that rediculous Grover Norquist pledge. They were told to or Koch brothers would see that they weren’t elected again. Kock brothers hold the key to the republican party. Mark it down where ever you want…….
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Jes Sharai
Mar. 22nd, 2012 at 12:38 pm
I don’t really understand. All that the lower to lower-middle – middle class citizens really seem want is one thing. Lower the price of gas so they don’t have to spend so much of their hard earned money to get back and forth from work, the grocery, school, etc. They don’t care about Super PAC’s, Goldman Sachs or cutting budgets with an ax. While the speculators do their thing and the politicians do their thing – on BOTH sides – and Rush does his thing, and Bill Maher does his thing, they all have the same thing in common. They overlook the little guy. And you know how I know this? I’m a little guy and I just pumped $25 of regular at $3.75 a gallon because that’s all I could afford. And I really don’t give a damn about all of the above. I want to be able to get to work, get kids to school, go to the store for whatever. Republican, Democrat or Independent; Put up or shut up; Accusations. “They did this! No, THEY did that.” And that goes for working together to fix what’s broke. Our tax dollars pay you to do what you’re not. Why are you still there? I’m no genius, but lower gas prices should mean lower prices on everything that uses motor transportation.
Someone said the media should call the liars out. How about the media call them out on just plain doing their jobs? All of them! That should cover the liars in one fell swoop. Hold their feet to the fire.
Rant 1.0 end… Thanks for your time.
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chuck
Mar. 22nd, 2012 at 2:04 pm
Jes, I hear you and so do others that are reporting these things. Here’s what folks like yourself need to understand: There are factors such as corrupt politicians and greedy special interests that are directly causing your pain at the pump and in other areas of your life. If the good folks at politicususa and MSNBC don’t make you aware of these problems; if they don’t identify these problems then folks like you and I would be unable to enact the changes that need to take place for us to collectively fix them. I would highly recommend that you, your family and friends get involved in the political process to fix what’s wrong with America. Following BernieSanders.gov is a great start to learning what’s going on in America and how to fix it. I would also suggest watching MSNBC and following other progressive websites to keep you informed. There is no reason to believe that if we the people stand up against the bought and paid for Congress (largely paid for by special interest money) that we can’t bring about the change we need. Unfortunately, too many of our citizens have not accepted the responsibility that comes with our freedom. That responsibility is keep these politicians honest and vote them out when they serve only big corporations and not you and me. I truly believe that if you take the time to get involved like I have that you’ll also draw the same conclusions as me. Those conclusion are that far too many Republicans have overwhelmingly not had our best interest in mind and have acted in an irresponsible manner. They certainly have not acted in your best interest when it comes to governing. Join the fight. You have a voice. let it be heard.
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A Walkaway
Mar. 22nd, 2012 at 10:26 pm
Jes, I am also a poor person in America. Our income for the last two years was a fraction of the poverty line for two people. Until we lucked out and found out about a local program (and quickly qualified), we didn’t have medical care for YEARS (and we got it just in time to prevent me from having cancer plus it made it possible for me to survive and recover from a TIA). I do what I can to survive, but it’s difficult when you’re over 50 and have a disability to find a job, even with a good education (I have a M.A.). It’s even harder when you’re just starting out in a career but you’re much older than anyone else who starts out (long story, but this isn’t a second career… I didn’t have much choice before in the sort of work I did).
Try living on 7 1/2 thousand a year for two people. It’s not easy. And believe me, the price of gas REALLY hurts us. So does all of the charges added to our electric bill (and we live in Florida, so keeping halfway comfortable is very difficult and expensive). We don’t do much for fun… can’t afford it. We haven’t had a break in years. We eat and live simply with our only luxury being the internet… and that only because my wife needs it for her job. We don’t even have TV right now. So you should be able to understand how the price of gas hits us… some weeks we do very little outside the home because it costs money (like go to church).
Jes, you need to understand something. About a third of the money you pay for gas goes right into the pockets of the rich. That’s the profit margin the Big Oil Companies make (think about that every time you pump gas). At the same time you’re paying taxes, right? 4 Billion dollars a year go to Big Oil straight from the government, even though they’re making those outrageous profits. Plus the rich speculators take another big chunk of each dollar you spend for gas. Only a tiny bit is actual costs to produce, labor, and so on. A little more is taxes… which were SUPPOSED to go to take care of roads and so on. I don’t know about you, but I see a lot of roads that need work… and then I hear that the taxes I pay on gas go somewhere else. Guess who wants that to get worse… and guess who has been fighting to make things right!
Jes, there is a huge difference between the Democrats and the Republicans. The Republicans like the way things are going (the politicians at least) because the people who fund their election campaigns (Big Oil for instance) are making money hand over fist. The Democrats recognize the unfairness of this whole situation. I used to think like you do, but as I got involved I learned that there are a hell of a lot of good people struggling to try to make things right – and they’re all on the Democrats’ side. Now, I’d already learned that the Republicans were world-class liars and that you couldn’t trust anything they said, so I had that advantage going in. I’d learned that nothing they’d said about the Democrats was true… that in fact they were projecting their own desire for control onto my party. At the same time, I came to realize that every, EVERY thing the Democrats have said about the Republican party was absolutely accurate. That being said, I realized that whenever something came along that helped ordinary people (started by the Democrats), the Republicans throw barriers up or change things so that it doesn’t benefit that many people… and then they claim it isn’t as effective as it should be and must be terminated. Well… it wasn’t that effective because of their changes.
Do you see where I’m coming from? The two parties are not the same at all… there is a huge difference between them. Yeah, my party has had some bad apples in it from time to time… but they are gone (and I have to admit that the bad apples did some good while they were in). When you look at the records of the Republicans, they have had only a few good apples… most of them are rotten to the core.
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Tim
Mar. 22nd, 2012 at 1:17 pm
Love Bernie and wish we had a dozen more of him.
Election Year, oil goes up. Obama wants to stop corporate welfare to oil company’s. Oil company’s decide they can get rid of pesky guy in White house. Prices go up.
Welcome to being held hostage in America.
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daniel
Mar. 22nd, 2012 at 5:14 pm
To whom it may concern,
just how in the hell do yall democrates,socialist, commie,marxist , liberal fuckers sleep at night? The american people gave you a chance to be great, and you blew it. the first black president. and you hide his papers. you know he cant run . but you sign them anyway. you lie and it will come out. oh yes it will. i hope everyone of you go to jail because of this. obamas hole 3 years is a fucking joke.if you think 9-11 was bad, its nothing like what happend when the hole country got hijacked. shame on all of you. this is not and will not be europe. how many soilders are dead in our past histroy from fighting socialism. and this is how you thank them. by bringing it here. just how damn stupid are you in washington.you want every one to give up there money as you keep yours. you want every one to have a fair share, but , not for you. people like all the dim wits with a D by their name should be in prison. and pay back every last dime that they have stolen from us. crooked ,lying, cheating ,greedy,socialist, liberal, commies, progressive, basturds. i hope u all get yours in nov. not unless the dead people you use to vote for you. im so ashamed that you are calling your self americans to.
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A Walkaway
Mar. 22nd, 2012 at 10:30 pm
Daniel, I’m going to only ask you one question.
Which is more patriotic… blindly supporting a country and government no matter how wrong or harmful…
Or demanding better of that country and working to make it better.
That’s the difference between your idea of patriotism and mine.
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mags
Mar. 22nd, 2012 at 8:20 pm
Why is it trolls/Rebublican shills are so illiterate?!!!
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A Walkaway
Mar. 22nd, 2012 at 9:57 pm
Usually they’re the ones who think that they have to set us straight.
Uggh. I’m rather used to them (I also encounter the “meat world” version on a frequent basis), but they still turn my stomach. Their lack of intelligence isn’t anything inherent, by the way… it’s an artifact of the programming they receive. I used to be one of them (not a troll however or shill for the Repugs, but a “staunch conservative Christian”) and I can safely say that the experience diminished my sapience and temporarily reduced my intelligence. Once they break away from the lies they accept as truths (and realize their preachers are NOT on their side, but exploiting and abusing them), then education can undo the reduced intelligence.
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