GOP Revolts On Energy Policy

Yesterday, the GOP finally summoned up the courage to take on the do-nothing Democrats and demand that the House finally address the issue of energy.

House Majority Leader Nancy Pelosi, knowing that her own caucus was fractured and that if any of the GOP measures came up for a vote that they might actually lead to GOP measures passing, could have none of this.

She gaveled the session into adjournment for a five-week recess and ordered the lights out. The members of Congress will continue to get their paychecks even as government business remains unaddressed, including appropriations bills. All because the Democrats know that the energy issue is a huge loser for them, and the leftists in charge of the Democrat caucus are holding the rest of them hostage.

That's forced some Senate Democrats to consider creating a new Gang of 10 to come up with a bi-partisan energy solution, but Pelosi and the gang will not allow even that to come to the floor. That's a big win for the GOP, which could take wins where it can, and going into November, this is going to be a banner issue.

The GOP refused to cave, and proceeded to hold a renegade session. Leftists will deride the issue as a publicity stunt, but the real fault lies with Congressional Democrats who are holding the nation's energy policy in a stranglehold. They refuse to build new energy generating capacity, refuse to drill new oil wells domestically, refuse to allow construction of new refining capabilities, and otherwise enact policies that drive up energy costs through red tape.

Pelosi and the craven Democrats refuse to address the issue of oil production domestically and refuse to take any steps to: (1) reduce reliance on foreign sources that may be in unstable regions of the world; and (2) increase domestic production. Instead, they talk about nothing more than hot air - that Americans should conserve.

Conservation will not increase the supply of oil, nor will it reduce oil prices. Only a combination of supply increases and lowered demand can accomplish this. Conservation is a touchy feely non-solution to a problem that the Democrats have exacerbated time and time again with obstructionist and misguided policies.

The rise in oil prices has stifled economic growth and caused tremendous hardship for most Americans - especially those who cannot afford to take private jets such as Pelosi. Limousine liberals might love having high oil prices, but it doesn't do the nation any good.

Sen. Barack Obama's solution to the energy crisis? Check your tire pressure.

Right. That's Obama riding around and note that the rear tire on his bicycle is flat. So much for taking your own advice. Or maybe, that's just his recognition that we could stand to improve our fuel economy by keeping our cars in good shape. Indeed, that's a good idea, but it's nothing more than a band aid when you've got a great big sucking wound - oil prices that are consistently over $100 a barrel and gas prices northwards of $3.75 per gallon. Standing in the way of increased production undermines US economic and strategic security issues.

Obama and the rest of the Democrats are replaying the Jimmy Carter energy playbook, which saw nothing but misery and malaise. It also saw that the US declined in domestic energy production and still hasn't recovered. The eco-leftists have seen to that as well. The Democrats will do absolutely nothing to stem the rise in energy prices.

And the media plays along with all this by burying the GOP revolt in the back pages of the paper. Like the Democrats, they don't want this issue creeping into the collective consciousness of the American people since it would be a killer issue for the GOP in November.