These "grillings" are all for show. How many times have oil execs been paraded in front of politicians (or hosted at George Bush's ranch) to answer questions about whether or not they are gouging. The answer is always "no" and the politicians turn and say, "see, they're not gouging." What a joke!! Welcome to the world Georgie boy created for his buddies. They sure owe him a lot.

Sooo...did we learn anything from this phenomenal exchange of wisdom from these so called political and industrial leaders that we don't already know. What we haven't heard is the plan to provide more oil, if supply is the issue, to relieve the suffering that the average person feels when they fill up for gas.

If the "big oil" execs are "gouging," what should congress do? What CAN they do?

Gas prices are affected by supply and demand. Unfortunately, the party parading oil execs for this latest show, is the same party that has prevented our increasing oil supply and, thus, reducing gas prices. That party has blocked efforts by oil companies to tap into our nation's oil reserves.

Oil prices (specifically oil futures) are also currently being affected by speculation--mostly by hedge funds--and by the devaluation of the dollar. And as long as the status quo (no expansion of oil supply and distribution here at home and no recovery in the dollar vs. other currencies) doesn't change, oil futures (and gas prices) will only go up.

That same party is opposed to the better alternative energy source that is clean--nuclear (or nucular).

I hope the intent by that party isn't the crippling of our economy, but it sure looks that way. Their senators should be in the hot seat with citizens grilling them over our suffering the effects of their failed policies.

@Donald: right on!

Donald is right. Add to increased demand the weaking dollar (in which oil is traded), security issues which interupt production, and the unbelieveably large scale of the projects required to get oil to market and all of the sudden it doesn't take a genious US politician to figure out why gasoline prices are "high" (some people pay more for bottled water than for gas, and our gas is still less than half the price europeans pay).