I think this might stink too!

[crazyforgoofy]

According to a report in the Hattiesburg American, Vice President Cheney's office placed calls to the Southern Pines Electric Power Association on Aug. 30 and Aug. 31, insisting that the agency immediately repair two electrical substations that supply power to Atlanta-based Colonial Pipeline Co., a company that pumps gasoline and diesel from the Gulf Coast to the Northeast.

Southern Pines complied with the order from Cheney's office, the paper says -- taking a risk that the repair work would knock out power throughout its system and delaying by at least a day efforts to restore power to two rural hospitals and a number of water systems in Mississippi.

Neither Cheney's office nor Colonial Pipeline would respond to questions from the paper about the vice president's directives.

http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050911/NEWS05/509110304

 

[Charade]

I don't think that's in the same class as the Williams incident. A tough call IMO.

 

[bsnyder]

It does seem like a tough call, but it's not at all in the same league as what the Congressman did.

At that point in time, we had a media-induced hysteria about gas shortages that was causing problems in different parts of the country. I'm sure the government was also doing other things to alieviate that, and head off a total panic.


And at least Cheney didn't make the call to turn the lights back on at his own house. That would really stink!

 

[crazyforgoofy]

It does seem like a tough call, but it's not at all in the same league as what the Congressman did.

At that point in time, we had a media-induced hysteria about gas shortages that was causing problems in different parts of the country. I'm sure the government was also doing other things to alieviate that, and head off a total panic.


And at least Cheney didn't make the call to turn the lights back on at his own house. That would really stink!

I wonder if the people who waited another 24 hours to have power would agree with your

 

[peachgirl]

I wonder if the people who waited another 24 hours to have power would agree with your

I think the stench is directly linked to which side of the aisle it's coming from.

 

[ThAnswr]

I don't think that's in the same class as the Williams incident. A tough call IMO.

It does seem like a tough call, but it's not at all in the same league as what the Congressman did.

But, of course.............it's different.

 

[Pete's Mom]

I think the stench is directly linked to which side of the aisle it's coming from.

Or whether you had to pay $ 5.86 a gallon like I did.

 

[bsnyder]

I wonder if the people who waited another 24 hours to have power would agree with your

My was with regard to Cheney making this call for his own personal gain, which he did not.

This official at the hospital (25 beds) doesn't seem particular worked up about it and I assume they worked on generator power for those 24 hours:

Mindy Osborn, emergency room coordinator at Stone County Hospital, said the power was not restored until six days after the storm on Sept. 4. She didn't have the number of patients who were hospitalized during the week after the storm.

"Oh, yes, 24 hours earlier would have been a help," Osborn said.

And The Times and the WaPo reported at the time that the Colonial pipeline would be a key to preventing gasoline shortages. From the WaPo, Sept 1:

No matter how much crude oil can be brought on shore, the real problem lies with refining it into gasoline and shipping it to filling stations, said Fadel Gheit, an oil and gas analyst at Oppenheimer & Co.


The two main gasoline pipelines from the Gulf to the East Coast -- Plantation, which terminates near Reagan National Airport, and Colonial, which ends in New Jersey -- remain mostly idle, as they await electricity to run pumps.

...Steve Baker, a spokesman for the Colonial Pipeline Co., said diesel generators are being trucked to the region and should have that line running by the weekend.

Bush even mentioned this in one of his speeches:

We're also working with energy companies to repair and reactivate major refineries and pipelines. The good folks must understand that major refineries have been shut down, which means it's going to be hard to get gasoline to some markets. We're working to help these pipelines get up and running. Pipelines carry refined product.

And so we're working with the majors -- major oil companies to get the -- with Colonial Pipeline so they can carry the products of the major oil companies, the refined products. Right now, the Colonial Pipeline, which is a major pipeline serving the East Coast, is back in operation, but only at 50 percent capacity. We anticipate that as the days go by, more and more of that capacity will be restored. Other major pipelines are coming back online. But as I said, we're going to have a temporary disruption of gasoline product.

 

[bsnyder]

In any storm government officials and even the power companies have to make these decisions. I think in this case they made the right one. Does anyone really disagree with the decision?

 

[ThAnswr]

Or whether you had to pay $ 5.86 a gallon like I did.

Holy crow! I would've passed out at the pump. Then again, we didn't have to worry about the price because there was no gas to be had.

All of our school trips have been cancelled except the 5th grade trip to Epcot which is by charter bus. If the trip was by school bus, it's been cancelled.

 

[Charade]

But, of course.............it's different.

You believe otherwise????

 

[Pete's Mom]

Holy crow! I would've passed out at the pump. Then again, we didn't have to worry about the price because there was no gas to be had.

I was on empty and had no choice. I only bought 2 gallons but still it made me sick to my stomach. Now it is $ 2.64 a gallon.

 

[shortbun]

I was on empty and had no choice. I only bought 2 gallons but still it made me sick to my stomach. Now it is $ 2.64 a gallon.

Cheapest we've had here since Katrina is $2.74 and only one station in town has that. Everyone else is above that. Gas prices are weird.

 

[auntpolly]

My was with regard to Cheney making this call for his own personal gain, which he did not.

See, if only I could be so sure about that, I might agree with you.

 

[BuckNaked]

See, if only I could be so sure about that, I might agree with you.

Well, if you subscribe to the dogma of so many opponents of Bush/Cheney, i.e., that they are helping their buddies make money hand over fist due to the high gas prices, it doesn't make much sense for the VP to cut back on those profits by doing something to help lower gas prices, does it?

To compare actions that helped millions at the pumps as opposed to actions that helped one person, and used federal resources to do it, is silly at best.

 

[auntpolly]

Well, if you subscribe to the dogma of so many opponents of Bush/Cheney, i.e., that they are helping their buddies make money hand over fist due to the high gas prices, it doesn't make much sense for the VP to cut back on those profits by doing something to help lower gas prices, does it?

To compare actions that helped millions at the pumps as opposed to actions that helped one person, and used federal resources to do it, is silly at best.

You know, it's you Republicans who are making this a "who's the biggest ****" contest, post-Katrina. There are ****s and selfish folks around every corner over this one. I wouldn't apologize for any of them, but you guys sure have filled a huge new board with some fast talkin' apologizin' for the Bush administration.

I don't know what Cheney was up to, but I doubt it was altruism. And save your breath -- I can't prove that, but history will.

edited to add - the word bleeped out wasn't meant to be bad!!!! It was just b**b, as in idiot!

 

[BuckNaked]

You know, it's you Republicans who are making this a "who's the biggest ****" contest, post-Katrina.

Right...

There are ****s and selfish folks around every corner over this one. I wouldn't apologize for any of them, but you guys sure have filled a huge new board with some fast talkin' apologizin' for the Bush administration.

Equaled only by the fast talkin' apologizin' for the local and state officials in LA.

I don't know what Cheney was up to, but I doubt it was altruism. And save your breath -- I can't prove that, but history will.

Right...

 

[auntpolly]

Right...



Equaled only by the fast talkin' apologizin' for the local and state officials in LA.

Please!
Oh, my! So many local and state official apologists around here! Where???? The only people I've stood up for are the victims.

 

[Tigger_Magic]

You know, it's you Republicans who are making this a "who's the biggest ****" contest, post-Katrina. There are ****s and selfish folks around every corner over this one. I wouldn't apologize for any of them, but you guys sure have filled a huge new board with some fast talkin' apologizin' for the Bush administration.

Which is equaled only by the posts that exude the seething hatred of the Bush administration. Maybe it's just fair and balanced after all.

I don't know what Cheney was up to, but I doubt it was altruism. And save your breath -- I can't prove that, but history will.

Yeah, he was probably trying to ensure the VP limo had plenty of fuel to get him to his broker's office to cash in more Halliburton shares.

 

[auntpolly]

Which is equaled only by the posts that exude the seething hatred of the Bush administration.

Fair enough - can't deny that.