Obama pathetically claims credit for increased oil production
Jack Crowe of the National Review noted that former President Obama claimed credit for the recent boom in U.S. oil production last Tuesday.
"I was extraordinarily proud of the Paris accords because – you know, I know we're in oil country and we need American energy, and by the way, American energy production," Obama told the audience gathered at Rice University's Baker Institute on Tuesday night. "You wouldn't always know it but it went up every year I was president. That whole, suddenly America's like the biggest oil producer and the biggest gas – that was me, people." ...
"Just say thank you please[.]"
Obama: "Suddenly America is the largest oil producer, that was me people ... say thank you." pic.twitter.com/VfQfX1SR0x
— Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) November 28, 2018
It seems he expects someone to say "thank you" to him. I went back to the expert on all things related to the presidency of Barack Obama, President Barack Obama's Oval Office Address on BP Oil Spill and Energy from June 15, 2010, available on YouTube starting at 10:06.
"We consume more than 20% of the world's oil but have less than 2% of the world's reserves. And that's part of the reason oil companies are drilling a mile beneath the surface of the ocean, because we're running out of places to drill on land and in shallow water." [SNIP go to 10:58]
"Countries like China are investing in clean energy jobs and industries that should be right here in America. Each day we send nearly one billion dollars of our wealth to foreign countries for their oil."
Put that way, perhaps the loss of $528 million on his loan to Solyndra only represented a half-day's oil imports. And the money was likely spent in America and paid to Americans!
In the same address, President Obama announced that he was replacing Elizabeth Birnbaum, his original choice to be the chief regulator of the oil industry, the Minerals Management Service, with Michael Bromwich! Newshounds may recognize that name: he is currently the subject of a complaint alleging a violation of Rule 1.4(a) of the District of Columbia Rules of Professional Conduct for his actions as Christine Blasey Ford's attorney.
Meanwhile, the U. S. Energy Information Agency has posted the latest figures for Federal Offshore-Gulf of Mexico Field Production of Crude Oil, which shows January 2009 production of 1,281,000 barrels per day as compared to 1,918,000 in August 2018 under President Trump.
Thank you, President Trump! In fairness, note that in September 2008, under President George W. Bush, the Texas oil man, production was a mere 242,000 barrels per day. That puts Trump 1,676,000 barrels per day ahead of the NeverTrump crowd.
No wonder there are such touchy feelings among the politicians! Meanwhile, I can take comfort that even though neither the government nor the media have ever said "thank you" to me for my contributions to ending the flow of oil into the Gulf of Mexico, I do enjoy lower gas prices and income taxes. For that I say to all, "You're welcome."