Chris Estes

Image source CNN.com and White House

I am sorry to announce that the Socks the Former First Pet has did at age 20. The black and white feline had managed to be in on some of the world famous meeting of state. He did have a care in the world as you can see him pose on the the very same podium that President Bill Clinton spoke.

First animals have a way of working their way into the hustles buss of the White House Staffers and people around the world.  Socks recently came together with K-9 friend Buddy Bush to write a book about letters to first pets.

The CNN.com Article below talks in more detail of the lives of the first pet and how Socks Went.

WASHINGTON (CNN) — Socks, the cat who won international fame during his years in the Clinton White House, was euthanized Friday after months of treatment for cancer. Socks was adopted by Chelsea Clinton when her father was governor of Arkansas.

Socks, who was born in 1989, was put to sleep about 10 a.m. at Three Notch Veterinary Clinic in Hollywood, Maryland, said veterinary assistant Rae Dera. Veterinarians say he was probably either 19 or 20 years old.

The cat had been losing weight since November and had been treated at the clinic, Dera said. He had been suffering from a cancer in his mouth and jaw.

Since the Clintons left the White House in 2001, Socks had lived with Betty Currie, former President Bill Clinton’s secretary. The Clintons were known to have visited Socks, and Currie, when in Washington.

He had been a stray and was adopted by Chelsea Clinton, the Clintons’ daughter, when Bill Clinton was governor of Arkansas.

“Socks brought much happiness to Chelsea and us over the years, and enjoyment to kids and cat lovers everywhere,” Bill and Hillary Clinton said in a joint statement released by the William J. Clinton Foundation. “We’re grateful for those memories, and we especially want to thank our good friend, Betty Currie, for taking such loving care of Socks for so many years.”

The black-and-white feline was a fixture at the White House during the Clintons’ eight-year run. He was often photographed on the president’s shoulder and was given free rein of the presidential residence — showing up in photos in the Oval Office and White House press briefing room.

He had his own online fan club, appeared at animal charity events and was one of the subjects of now-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s book, “Dear Socks, Dear Buddy: Kids’ Letters to the First Pets.”

It looks as though the low gas prices are going away.  CNN is saying that gas prices are going back up after sliding down from the July 11th High that has hurt so many and aided in the economic crisis we are in now.  Though the gas prices going up is a good sign for gas and oil workers in the south as that means the demand for more fuel is rising.  Typically the winter months begin the rise up to the spring and summer travel season meaning more fuel.  This could be s sign of a strengthening economy.  When the demand goes up for fuel so does the demand for support of goods to supply.  Though this is only a hope for a need to supply jobs.  For me the gas industry directly effects my family.  If the off shore wells are in production that means my family business of making pipe for oil wells and pipeline is needed.  So in turn th gas price is a god send to support my family.

But rising gas prices are going to hurt others that are already hurting and don’t work in the industry.  So as a socially responsible citizen I try to transfer the funds to companies that make goods here.    So my buy American Attitude is in full swing.

I doubt the projection of $1 a gallon gas is probably not going to happen.  That failure is probably good.

Check out the CNN.com Artilce

Gas-price slide shifts into reverse, rises 12 cents in 3 weeks

(CNN) — The U.S. average price for regular unleaded gasoline rose by nearly 12 cents in the past three weeks, marking the first increase in six months, according to a national survey released Sunday.

“It is the first rise since July 11 last year when prices hit their all-time high,” said Trilby Lundberg, publisher of the survey.

The average price of self-serve regular unleaded gasoline is $1.78, according to the Lundberg Survey, which is based on responses from more than 5,000 service stations nationwide. The latest survey looked at prices January 9.

“The price had to hit bottom sometime,” Lundberg said.

She said part of the reason for the price spike is recent indications of production cuts among OPEC members, which are aimed at driving up oil prices during a time of year when there is a decreased demand for gasoline.

“January historically is the lowest gasoline usage month,” Lundberg said.

Despite the increase, gas prices are still $1.29 lower than they were on January 11, 2008, she said.
Drivers in Billings, Montana, had the cheapest gas on average, paying $1.34. Motorists in Anchorage, Alaska, paid the most, at $2.32.

Oil Executive Joe Petrowski, CEO of Gulf Oil is predicting $1 a gallon gas in early 2009.  In an article at TheBostonChannel.com shares a perspective on the oil & gas industry.  Petrowski stated that the industry often overreacts.  Read more about the Gulf Oil wholesaler’s statements.

Though my pocket will certainly enjoy the break in fuel prices, but gas prices this low will effect American Crude oil prices.  Oil and Gas producers likely can’t afford to produce at rates that low long-term.  I don’t want to give out any ideas – some company’s may not be able to weather the cost of production – thus creating another gap.  With prices so low the “Drill-Baby-Drill” days of Sarah Palin wont be feasible.

I’m not saying raise prices of fuel – I am pointing out the cost of inflation.  Also I would like to point out the obvious that when Wall-Street and the Auto Industry get bailed out the Oil and Gas industry will be next.  Just when hope is insight the real work has just begun.  I am no economist but throwing money at Wall-Street and the Auto Industry is only part of the solution – some fundamental change has to be made. When in times of peril we turn to the Government to solve the problem – to paraphrase Sharat (@ravehead) – “recovery will not come from expensive/shiny titles, but from the ranks”.

It seems that bailout money is a allocated over the weekend without the watchful eyes of most elected officials.  I figure that much of history has been created in the backroom like the pending Automaker Bailout.  Sure I agree that some form of bailout is needed and we shouldn’t be borrowing funds from any account that will improve environmental impact or stands to be defaulted on in repayment like in the CNN.com article below.

Deadlock over Detroit bailout may soon end

• Story Highlights
• Pelosi open to idea of tapping advanced technology fund for bailout
• November job loss news led to change in thinking, official says
• Talks on potential help for auto industry to continue through weekend
• Many options remain on the table, officials caution

From Dana Bash – CNN Congressional Correspondent

WASHINGTON (CNN) — Help may soon be on the way to the struggling U.S. auto industry after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi backed off her opposition to using funds from a fuel-efficiency research program for a bailout, two congressional officials said Friday.

News of November job losses “changed everything” for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, an official said.

The significant move from Pelosi signals that the deadlock over rescuing Detroit may be over.

Congressional Republicans and President Bush support the idea of tapping the $25 billion advanced technology fund. Two officials familiar with compromise talks told CNN that the working target is $15 billion to $17 billion in bridge loans, intended to fund the struggling Big Three automakers through March.

However, one senior Democratic congressional source told CNN that House and Senate committee staff will meet over the weekend to write a bill to provide $20 billion to $25 billion in assistance to the U.S. auto companies.

This aide said the “mathematicians were working” at how to reprogram the money by reducing a subsidy to come up with a figure that would be available for loans, despite an earlier report that only $7.5 billion was available from the fund passed last year for fuel efficiency research.

This aide said the bill could be on the House floor as early as Tuesday, but thought it was more likely that the Senate would vote on the bill first.

“They need to get Republicans on board and send an important signal for House members to vote for this,” the aide said.

The officials cautioned that talks are still very fluid and that there are still other options on the table and many details to discuss.

Pelosi released a statement saying that Congress was “considering various short-term funding options” but added that no funds would be released from the research program “unless there is a guarantee that those funds will be replenished in a matter of weeks.”

Pelosi reversed herself because November’s devastating jobs report — more than a half-million jobs lost — “changed everything,” one official said.

The California Democrat spoke by phone with White House Chief of Staff Josh Bolten on Friday afternoon to tell him of her change of heart, hours after Bush issued a fresh warning that without help, the automakers may not survive the economic crisis.

A senior administration official had no comment on Pelosi’s move.

A House Democratic leadership aide also said Obama Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel was on Capitol Hill Friday, speaking with House and Senate Democratic leaders. He discussed the automaker bailout among other things, the aide said.

Both Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid issued statements Friday saying they hope to have legislation ready by next week to pass and send to the White House for the president’s signature, another sign of sudden determination to bridge the deep divide over bailing out Detroit.

“It should never have come to this. The auto companies dug themselves into this hole and for years did nothing to climb out of it,” Reid said in a statement. “But we are not acting for executives’ sake; we are acting on behalf of the workers and their families. This week’s hearings have made clear that we cannot let these companies fail.”

Talks on all sides will continue throughout the weekend.

News of the jobs loss broke just before auto executives testified once again on Capitol Hill to plead for $34 billion from taxpayers.

At the start of the hearing, House Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank called the unemployment report evidence that Washington can’t let Detroit collapse.

“In the midst of the worst economic situation since the Great Depression, it would be an unmitigated disaster,” Frank said.

General Motors has warned that it will run out of money needed to stay in business this month without federal help. It says it needs at least $4 billion by the end of the month and another $6 billion in the first quarter as part of up to $16 billion of help it says it will need to survive until 2010.

Chrysler says it is also on the verge of running out of money and needs $4 billion by the end of March, part of $7 billion it is requesting in total.

Ford, which has more cash on hand, said it hopes to avoid borrowing money but wants access to up to $9 billion in loans as a backstop in case problems get worse than expected.

The auto industry CEOs ran into harsh criticism the last time they appeared before the House Committee in November, as lawmakers hammered them on their lack of details on how they would spend the $25 billion then being requested and their decision to each fly to Washington on their own private jets.

This time, the auto industry leaders came with detailed plans submitted this week on how they would return to profitability if they get the federal loans. They also drove hybrid vehicles to Washington and promised to work for $1 a year.

The hearing started an hour after the Labor Department reported the loss of 533,000 jobs in November, the biggest loss in nearly 34 years.

By the end of more than six hours of testimony, it was clear that the panel was far more open to the idea of a bailout than it had been just two weeks ago, even if a solution still seemed elusive.

“I think it’s fair to say the disastrous job report today has heightened the interest in doing something,” Frank said at the conclusion of the hearing. “If we are lucky, we’ll come out with a bill next week that nobody likes. Because any bill that any individual might like won’t pass. But there is a sufficient consensus that we need to so something acceptable to enough members of both houses so that we avert disaster.”

The CEOs’ appearance followed testimony they gave before the Senate Banking Committee on Thursday.

Despite the apparent breakthrough, several House Republicans said they remained reluctant to sign on to any bailout. Some suggested that a bankruptcy filing would be a better way for the companies to become competitive, and others said they were concerned about other industries and businesses that might seek help if the automakers get aid.