Lip Service vs. Reality on Energy Prices

The New York Times reports that President Bush yesterday called on Congress to pass the energy legislation he proposed nearly four years ago, saying that "American families and small businesses across the country are feeling the pinch from rising gas prices."

But as the paper notes, "the bill would do little or nothing to address the current spike in crude oil and gasoline price" and "the White House has neither proposed nor backed any steps to address the immediate surge in gasoline prices."

In other words, Bush is lying when he says his energy bill is key to solving our current energy problems. And as a former oil man, he knows he's lying. Even folks in the reddest of red states believe the White House's energy bill is a sham: "America cannot drill its way into energy independence," says a new editorial in the Idahol Statesman. "America needs an energy strategy that encourages new energy sources, from next-generation nuclear to wind and solar, and encourages conservation. And it needed such a strategy long ago."

Then again, Bush probably doesn't really want his bill to bring down prices - after all, higher energy prices may hurt consumers, but they have been a boon to oil companies, who are among Bush's top campaign donors.