OBAMA: We could save all the oil that they're talking about getting off drilling, if everybody was just inflating their tires and -- and -- and getting regular tune-ups, you can actually save just as much.

Making this statement should be the end of any politician's career. It is so inexplicably stupid, so devoid of connection to reality. It is worse than a "senior moment." It is worse than a Dan Quayle moment. Anyone who makes a statement like this has no business setting an energy policy.

Oh, and for those Obama supporters who want to defend this: Obama's own campaign cannot come up with any research to defend this statement.

How does drilling for more oil increase gasoline supplies when US refineries are working at capacity?

A: Doesn't address the stupid statement Obama made.

B: Let's build more refineries. Fast. Oh, and nuclear plants. You know, like Europe does.

He ignored the fact that Republicans have been advising the very same thing! Drilling tomorrow won't reduce what you pay at the pump. But taking care of your car, and reducing your speed, can impact your wallet...NOW.

There's nothing stupid about encouraging simple conservation measures.

Let me guess....you don't KNOW how much oil it would save do you?

Well, the BUSH Dept. of Energy says it could say upto 800,000 barrels a day. Right now, not years from now.

It will take 20 years to get ANWR drilling upto full production...know how much it will be in 2029?

760,000 barrels a day.

What's the bigger number?

SandyB - I know, right? If Bill Clinton hadn't have killed drilling during his administration, oil would already be flowing. Also, you might have noticed the price of oil going down lately. That began IMMEDIATELY after Bush lifted the executive ban on drilling, which, even though it had NO impact on production of oil, caused oil speculators to react. Decreasing the price of oil.

Wolf - nobody is saying that taking conservation measures is stupid. You are ignoring what Obama said. I think conservation is great. But read what he said again.

Was it stupid when Arnold Schwarzenegger or Charlie Crist offered the exact same advice?

Saying that the price of oil dropped $25 per barrel because Bush did away with the executive ban on offshore oil drilling is pretty stupid. There is still a ban on drilling, that is why Congress would have to do something to actually begin the 10 year process of letting leases and beginning exploration.

If you want to blame Clinton for halting new exploration and production off the coast, why didn't Bush do something about this in 2001?

Why did he wait for 7 years if it was such a good idea? Remember that the republicans controlled both the congress and the White House and did nothing.

Repticilus - No, I don't know. And neither does the Obama campaign when pressed for the information. You don't cite so I can't check your figures. But I've never heard anyone say it will take 20 years. I've heard 10, and often 7 years. And that is only ANWR, which is just a piece of the puzzle - not drilling generally, which is what Obama was talking about when he made the stupid statement.

BTW, I love when people make statements like the *BUSH* Energy Department. It shows how little you understand executive-level bureaucracy, but I'm glad to see you are implicitly supporting the unitary theory of the executive.

Middleview, markets react to information. The price didn't drop by magic. I would be interested in hearing your alternative explanation. And Bush should have done much more. But he is disappointment in many ways, so attacking Republicans doesn't really damage my position.

Middleview, read the statement again. Obama wasn't giving advice. He was making a statement that is factually untrue.

AKRON, Ohio, Nov. 8, 2007 -- As American drivers begin to think about increased holiday travel in coming weeks, the cost of fueling the family car is higher than it has ever been in November. With this in mind, officials at the country's largest tire manufacturer, The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company , are reminding motorists to seek an often overlooked cost advantage at the pump - the air pump.

Tires' importance at the gas pump is growing as gas prices climb. As of November 7, average U.S. retail gasoline prices had jumped by more than 84 cents versus year-earlier prices, according to the AAA's Daily Fuel Gauge Report. The pump price had risen to a nationwide average of $3.043 per gallon (regular grade), and as high as a $3.312 per gallon average on the west coast.

When ignorance of tire care is factored in, the rising fuel prices become even scarier.

"Running a tire 20 percent underinflated - only 5 to 7 pounds per square inch (psi) - can increase fuel consumption by 10 percent. That can easily cost motorists two or three miles per gallon. Not only that, but running underinflated also reduces the tire's tread life," said Bob Toth, Goodyear's general manager, auto tires.

If that's not enough, the Society of Automotive Engineers reports that 87 percent of all flat tires have a history of underinflation.

The U.S. Energy Department has reported that every pound per square inch of tire underinflation wastes 4 million gallons of gas daily in the U.S. At today's prices and with more vehicles on the road, that's a huge expense. An underinflated tire deflects more energy, increasing rolling resistance, which robs the vehicle of fuel efficiency.

Still, many motorists seem to simply ignore their tires. Survey information from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) shows that about one in every three cars has a significantly under inflated tire. According to the Rubber Manufacturers Association (RMA), 85 percent of drivers do not know how to properly check their tire pressure.

I read what he said, Sparky. If you think he's wrong on the facts, show your arithmetic.

Not bad, prorixum. Not bad at all.

Keep it up, maybe these blinded-by-the-Messianic-light moonbats will come back to reality.

I did say maybe.