"You know, I just told you that there's about 27 million gallons of diesel and gasoline that could be from domestically produced crude oil that's not being utilized.Mr. President, do you consider us morons?
And not only that, we can explore in environmentally friendly ways. New technologies enables for — to be able to drill like we've never been able to do so before; slant-hole technologies and the capacity to use a drill site — a single drill site to be able to explore a field in a way that doesn't damage the environment."
BUSH: "... just cut off your mike. You can't. No."
Seriously, no one can explain what any of this means, as it leaves Bush's lips. (Mike Malloy rebroadcast this excerpt and I still couldn't figure it out)
QUESTION: Mr. President, you have spoken today about opening ANWR for drilling and also refineries. But these are clearly long-term solutions to the problem of rising gas prices. What can you tell Americans about what your administration is going in the short term?
And, secondly, have you been briefed on tomorrow's GDP numbers...
BUSH: No, I haven't.
QUESTION: ... and are you concerned -- OK. OK, and are you concerned that they will show us to officially be in a recession?
BUSH: I think they'll show that it's a very slow economy. I can't guess what the number will be.
And I haven't been shown truly.
And, by the way, opening up ANWR is not long term. It's intermediate term. But it sends a clear signal, is what it does. It sends a signal to the markets that the United States is not going to restrict exploration; the United States is going to encourage exploration.
And in the meantime, we have done -- increasing CAFTA, for example. But the market's going to, you know, do as much for encouraging conservation as anything else is now.
And so I firmly believe that, you know, if there was a magic wand to wave, I'd be waving it, of course. It's -- you know, I strongly believe it's in our interest that we reduce gas prices -- gasoline price.
It'd be like a major tax cut for people.
QUESTION: (OFF-MIKE)
BUSH: Let me finish, please, Cheryl (ph). Strike one on the exclusive.
Excuse me, strike two.
That -- made me lose my train of thought. Of course, maybe that's what you're attempting to do.
No, I think that if there was a magic wand to say, OK, drop price, I'd do that.
And so part of this is to set the psychology right that says to the world, We're not going to become more beholden on your oil, we're going to open up and be aggressive and have an aggressive energy policy.
Secondly, we're going to be sending a signal we're going to be building new refineries.
But there is no magic wand to wave right now. It took us a while to get to this fix. That's why I told you that if Congress had responded -- matter of fact, Congress did pass ANWR in the late 1900s -- 1990s -- end of the 1900s -- 1990s, but it didn't go forward.
And, you know, it's my considered judgment, given the technological advances, to say, This is -- you know, will destroy the environment, is just -- I don't think it's an accurate statement.
And so I think it's very important, Cheryl (ph), for Congress.
The other thing Congress can do, if you want to send a good signal during these uncertain times, is make the tax cuts permanent, is to let people -- send the signal that people are going to be able to keep their money. And I think that'll help the psychology of the country.
Update: I heard the talk again today on Olbermann and Bush said clearly 27 million gallons a day. So, the transcript was wrong. But he still sounds lik an idiot.