[I provide an update to all this in my own comment at the bottom]
Okay...the other day on Ed Schultz I heard this (supposedly) intelligent senator (Dorgan?) say that 'the price of oil has nothing to do with supply and demand' and went on to talk about "speculators" in the market being to blame for everything!!!
Such blinding ignorance from one of our elected leaders in congress...
...or could it be propaganda instead by one of the water-carriers for big oil interests?