President Bush this week rescinded his father’s executive order banning offshore oil drilling. The next step is for Congress to do likewise. Its ban sunsets in September, but House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has promised to do everything in her power to keep the ban in effect. “The president of the United States, with gas at $4 a gallon because of his failed energy policies, is now trying to say, ‘That is because I couldn’t drill offshore’,” Pelosi said. “That is not the cause, and I am not going to let him get away with it.” Truth be told, we hope she maintains this position—straight through to an election loss for Democrats in November. “Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi are standing in the way of what the American people want,” Minority Leader John Boehner said. The high price of gas is a winning campaign issue for Republicans if they will only take hold of it.
The president explained his decision in a press conference this week. Illustrating the nanny-state approach of most Leftists, a reporter asked, “Why have you not, sir, called on Americans to drive less and turn down the thermostat?” President Bush’s answer was brilliant: “They’re smart enough to figure out whether they’re going to drive less or not.” He added, “I think people ought to conserve and be wise about how they use gasoline and energy, absolutely, but... it’s a little presumptuous on my part to dictate to consumers how they live their lives.” We couldn’t have said it better. Furthermore, in 2001, President Bush proposed new drilling and new refineries, more nuclear power plants, revamping the electricity grid and tax breaks for alternative energy. If these things had been enacted then, we would not be paying $4 at the pump today.
So, whose fault is it??
