Bush-cheney have already anounced their plans to have OPEC cut production and raise prices again.
This seems to be what you were referring to, once again with gross inaccuracy:
Bush And OPEC See Eye-To-Eye on Oil
By Richard Mably
LONDON (Reuters) - High oil prices, it seems, no longer are too high -- at least in Washington.
That's how oil industry analysts are reading comments from President Bush (news - web sites) in the wake of this week's agreement among OPEC (news - web sites) producers aimed at propping up the price of crude.
The Republican administration, not surprisingly given the Texan president's oil connections, is taking a much friendlier approach to the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries than its Democrat predecessor, the analysts said.
And the producer group's $25-a-barrel comfort zone for a basket of its crudes, equivalent to $28 for higher-quality U.S. benchmark light crude, apparently is acceptable to Washington, they said.
The price compares with an average $20.50 for U.S. light crude over the past 10 years and, excluding the past two years of unusually high prices, only $18.80 a barrel.
``As an oilman, Bush understands lower demand has to be met by lower supply. Also he understands that OPEC's withholding of oil from the market hasn't been totally responsible for the high heating oil and gasoline prices we've had in the U.S.,'' said Aaron Brady of Washington's Energy Security Analysis Inc.
``There's no doubt the Republicans are higher price oriented. At $25 or so they're content, as long as it doesn't go to $30 or more,'' said a U.S. oil consultant who requested anonymity.
``After all, Bush's energy plan aims to lift domestic supplies and for that policy to succeed he needs reasonably high prices.''
Bush on Wednesday told members of Congress that it was his understanding that OPEC, having cut output for the third time this year, was trying to do no more than stabilize prices.
He added the rider that if OPEC were trying to ``run up'' the price of oil that would hurt the U.S. economy and Washington would make its opinions known.
SAUDI PROMISES NO $30
Those opinions already are familiar to Saudi Arabia, OPEC's leading producer. Riyadh has had plenty of behind-the-scenes contact with the Bush team and its Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham (news - web sites).
Saudi Oil Minister Ali al-Naimi told Reuters last week that Riyadh would make sure that prices didn't leap back to $30.
``We don't want to cut production but we have to. We are worried that prices could climb too high,'' he said.
``I am very concerned about this. It is very serious. What we want to avoid is oil rising to $30 a barrel again.''
OPEC has found dealing with Abraham far easier than his predecessor Bill Richardson.
``We will not be begging anybody for oil,'' Abraham told reporters this week. ``We intend to engage in quiet diplomacy with OPEC, not public diplomacy.''
``It may have been good politics to point to the OPEC bogeyman before, but I think this administration is on a different tack,'' said ESAI's Brady.
``They've invested a lot of political capital in the idea that a major part of the U.S. energy problem is that there are limitations within the U.S. infrastructure. That we don't have enough refineries and pipelines.''
FAMILY AFFAIR
Saudi Arabia has good reason to feel comfortable with George W. Bush on oil affairs.
As vice president, his father visited Saudi Arabia during the price crash of 1986. Concerned about the impact on domestic production, and increased U.S. reliance on imported oil, George Bush senior was criticized at home for cosying up to OPEC.
But within months the Saudi-led cartel had abandoned its policy of market share at any cost, cutting production and raising prices.
Europe, already at odds with the new Bush administration over climate change policy, does not see eye-to-eye with Washington on oil prices either.
``The European Community considers that a right, fair and price should be closer to $20 than $30,'' European Commission (news - web sites) spokesman Gilles Gantelet said this week.
The EU is disappointed that a series of high-level producer-consumer talks has not translated into consultation from OPEC before decisions are made.
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