The oil is theirs… the Saudis, that is.  And, when President Bush asked them to increase production once again, they said “no.” 

With the price of oil hitting record highs, President Bush used a private visit to King Abdullah’s ranch here Friday to make a second attempt to persuade the Saudi government to increase oil production and was rebuffed yet again.

The President seems to have no leverage with the Saudis.  As reported before he left for this mid-East trip

Mr. Bush was asked what he would tell the king this time that he did not say when he was here last.

“That I didn’t say last time?” he asked, adding, “The price is even higher.”

DUH?  Now, that’s a damned persuasive argument, don’t you think?  Well, forget leverage, let’s just keep kissing their feet.

On Friday, the White House announced a series of initiatives meant to increase the partnership between the United States and Saudi Arabia on energy and fighting terrorism.

Among the steps: Saudi Arabia will join 70 partner nations of a global initiative to fight nuclear terrorism, and will join more than 85 countries participating in an initiative intended to reduce the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

In exchange, the White House said, the United States will help the Saudis develop civilian nuclear power, as well as new infrastructure to safeguard its energy supplies.

Now, excuse me, but it seems that every time we help one country of another develop any kind of nuclear power or sell them arms and military equipment sooner or later that knowledge and those weapons are used against us.  Remember?  We are the ones who supplied Saddam Hussein for years. 

I am well aware that Saudi Arabia has been a friend… from afar…. for some time.  But, we too many of our friends are fickle and from history we should all know that a friend today can become a foe tomorrow.

Democrats like Senator Charles E. Schumer of New York are pressing for sanctions against Saudi Arabia. Mr. Schumer wants to limit arms sales to the kingdom, saying he wants them to “cooperate and not strangle American consumers.”

The Bush White House opposes such methods. But with gasoline nearing $4 a gallon, clearly Mr. Bush is looking for some cooperation. Oil prices rose by more than $3 on Friday to more than $127 a barrel, according to The A.P.

Well, fellow Americans, we are left with a couple of options.  We can either support sanctions against Saudi Arabia, such as limiting arms sales as Schumer suggested, or we can pay the price now and finally understand that we need to stop talking about alternative energy and get busy doing something about it.

Well, the Democratic controlled House approved a new GI bill designed to make sure returning veterans are provided the educational benefits they were promised.  Chances are that’s as far as it will get, but it is an effort.

The House voted Thursday to endorse a greatly expanded GI education benefit for veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan to be financed by a proposed .47 percent surtax on the wealthy.

The action pushes Democrats into new political territory for this Congress: raising income taxes outright on the rich to pay for new spending — and not just to shift the burden and pay for tax breaks for the middle class.

Individuals earning more than $500,000 and couples with joint returns in excess of $1 million would feel the surtax, which would apply only to income above the threshold level. Republican tax writers said small business partnerships and Subchapter S corporations would be hit as well, but Democrats argued that the education investment—costing $52 billion over 10 years—was warranted and worth the political risk on the tax issue.

Of interest in the bill, the wealthiest earners will foot the bill.

“You talk about working families? We’re talking about asking people who make over $1 million a year to increase their taxes $500 for these veterans to go to college,” said Rep. John Tanner (D-Tenn.). “This is dedicated funding, and it comes from people in this country who have to most to give to the people who gave the most.”

Thirty-two Republicans joined the majority on the 256-166 vote, a rare showing of bipartisanship in the bitter debate over Iraq policy that had provoked yet more political maneuvering on the floor just minutes earlier.

With 32 Republicans joining the Democrats in the vote, we are seeing a shift in House voting trends.  Perhaps, it is an act of desperation on the part of the Republicans.  They have lost several House seats to Democrats in the past couple of months and the trend seems to indicate that more Republican seats will be taken in the general election.  So, as a last ditch effort to show what has been previously Republican stronghold areas that the Congressmen care about the people… in this case, the veterans… some of the Repubs are starting to cross the line to join more populist cases.

I suppose there is little to no chance of the bill making it to the White House.  It still has to pass the Senate.  But, if anything has been exposed, it is the fear that is choking the old Republicans out of Washington.

Oh, for heaven’s sake!  Maybe it’s because I’m from the south and everbody is “honey” or “sweetie”, but people, let’s stop getting our knickers in a twist every time someone says something.  We spend too much time looking for reasons to be offended.  It has become a national pastime.  And, now it is becoming rather boring. 

Anyone who takes the time to become offended by Barack Obama responding to a reporter and addressing her as “sweetie” in passing needs to get a life.  It is not a derogatory term.  It is not demeaning, especially as he used it.

In a world where we spend hours scouring the television and video streams looking for so-called misstatements, we have hit a new low if Obama’s “sweetie” is going to cause a stir.  Perhaps, we need to take a look at the setting and the circumstances.  Quite honestly, if Obama had groped the lady and been in her face, I probably would have been appalled.  But, watch the circumstance… and then decide.