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Timothy Noah of Slate reports that despite the Justice Department's crackdown on cartels--illegal in the US--for computer memory chips, vitamins, and rubber, the price-fixing oil giant OPEC still has the adament support of the Bush Administration.
"OPEC is just about the only international organization that President Bush has any regard for. . . Bush is worried that busting OPEC might give Russia too free a hand in setting oil prices. . . busting OPEC would weaken two of Bush's least-favorite regimes, Iran and Venezuela..."
In 2000, Sen. Herb Kohl (D-WI) drafted a bill, nicknamed "NOPEC," that said OPEC is operating illegally--in violation with antitrust laws. The bill didn't go anywhere in 2000. But this Spring Kohl is rehashing the issue and it gaining bipartisan support in Congress.
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