Woodward, White House, Saudis all deny deal.
How do these things get started? Could it be the Kerry attack machine? And Kerry refers to a republican attack machine a lying bunch etc...
Maybe it is a biased media.
The story was apocryphal on it's face. If such a deal were made, who would reveal it Bush? Bandar? gimme a break.
Can you say Desperation? Sure, I knew you could.
Woodward, White House, Saudis: No election deal on oil
Tuesday, April 20, 2004 Posted: 7:15 AM EDT (1115 GMT)
The White House and a top Saudi official denied a report of a deal to lower gas prices before the November presidential election.
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The charge that Saudi Arabia made a secret pact with President Bush to lower gasoline prices in time to help him in the November presidential election was denied Monday by the White House, the Saudi ambassador to the United States -- and even by journalist Bob Woodward, who raised the specter of such a quid pro quo in a book released Monday.
"I don't say there's a secret deal or any collaboration on this," Woodward told CNN's "Larry King Live" Monday. "What I say in the book is that the Saudis ... hoped to keep oil prices low during the period before the election, because of its impact on the economy. That's what I say."
The Saudi ambassador to the United States, Prince Bandar bin Sultan, who appeared on the program with Woodward, said his characterization of Saudi policy was "accurate."
"We hoped that the oil prices will stay low, because that's good for America's economy, but more important, it's good for our economy and the international economy," he said. "This is nothing unusual. President Clinton asked us to keep the prices down in the year 2000. In fact, I can go back to 1979, President Carter asked us to keep the prices down to avoid the malaise."
"So yes, it's in our interests and in America's interests to keep the prices down. But that was not a deal."
cnn.com |
