Well, if you’re the Republicans naturally you blame the Democrats. And that’s what House Minority Leader John Boehner did on Sunday, chiding a “Do-Nothing Democratic Congress” for allowing gas prices to hit a record national average of $4 per gallon. In fact, on the day that Democrats took over Congress after a twelve-year hiatus, average gas prices nationwide stood at $2.33 – still high but who wouldn’t take that price for doing their summer driving?
Meanwhile, Republicans have their own common-sense plan, according to a Friday story by Susan Jones of CNS News:
Republicans say they are committed to boosting supplies of all forms of energy “right here at home” to reduce America’s dependence on foreign sources of oil. They insist oil drilling in the U.S. can be done without damage to the environment.
Republicans also are promoting “advanced” nuclear power and next-generation coal as well as renewable energy from wind and hydroelectric power.
They want to roll back burdensome regulations that limit the construction of new oil refineries.
For their part, Democrats point to their “accomplishments” during this 110th Congress. The Klaus Marre story in The Hill quotes Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi:
“In just the last few months, Congress successfully pressed the Bush Administration into investigating oil market price manipulation, passed a Farm Bill that boosts home-grown, advanced biofuels production, halted deliveries to the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to increase oil supply in the market, and passed legislation that invests in clean, renewable, and efficient energy technologies, including tax incentives for plug-in hybrid cars, energy efficient homes and appliances. By July 4th, we will work to develop other innovative energy independence legislation that addresses high energy costs and continues to reduce our dependence on foreign oil, and we will look into speculation in the energy futures market.”
Innovative, huh Nancy? So far your “innovation” has almost doubled the price of a gallon of gasoline and caused misery in many Third World countries where the price of corn has skyrocketed because of mandates your party placed on the use of ethanol. (That one can be blamed on Al Gore, he cast the tie-breaking vote that established the ethanol regulations when he was Vice-President. He may take credit for inventing the Internet, but in reality he invented the ethanol-fueled food riot.)
As one may expect, this story hasn’t received a whole lot of traction in the partisan media. The two sources I cited are pretty much the only outlets who have given Boehner the time of day on the issue. We know, it’s all Bush’s fault.
This is actually part one of two, with the other half coming this evening. In that post I’ll add another perspective on our energy woes and posit a theory of my own – Al Gore figures prominently there.
Let’s not forget that it’s the Democrats who are also blocking oil companies from accessing oil shale deposits as another source of domestic oil.
http://money.cnn.com/2008/06/06/news/economy/birger_shale.fortune/?postversion=2008060617
The GOP shares plenty of blame for the ethanol mandate, too. Many Republican Senators and Representatives from farm states strongly support ethanol. I doubt you’ll find a more staunch ally of the misguided biofuel mandate than Senator Chuck Grassley.
Marc, coming from a state with a sizeable corn crop I’m aware that a number of Senators from agricultural states thought this would be a good way to help out the corn farmers. Unfortunately, this is a case of not thinking through the possible ramifications long-term but assuring themselves endorsements from agricultural groups, campaign contributions from Big Agriculture, and perpetual re-election as long as the farmers are happy.
Obviously there were a few Republicans in favor of the bill, which made for an interesting coalition of farm-state Senators and those Senators in the pocket of environmental interests – primarily the former though.
Mike, I think the support for ethanol is a good example of how most politicians of both parties are more concerned about pleasing special interest groups rather than sticking to the Constitution. Having worked for a Senator I have seen it first-hand and it’s not necessarily a sinister thing, it’s just unfortunate.
Voters send Representatives and Senators to DC in order to represent their interests. Since voters have different interests depending on whether they are doctors, farmers, fishermen, loggers, miners, gun owners, lawyers, etc., it only makes sense that politicians would craft laws in response to these desires.
When the voters start to view government as something that exists to grant their wishes instead of protect their liberty, they will use their interest groups to demand goodies like the ethanol mandate. Most politicians aren’t brave enough (or possibly foolish enough) to resist the will of these voters. Unfortunately, those who have the views of you and me are in the minority and so are the politicians who actively support liberty.
It goes with the old saying that a democracy meets its doom when people figure out that they can vote themselves goodies from the Treasury. I think this was why the Founders a) intended this to be a representative republic, and b) made the Senate as an appointed, not elected, body. Unfortunately the 17th Amendment took care of the second part and governance by polls has pretty much dismantled the first section.
Repeal the 17th!
And while we’re at it, the 16th too.
instead of just talking lets all do somthing lets take a stance go to the web site thegaspricesstink.com and stand and make a differance