Despite indications that the Democrats may relent and allow more domestic oil exploration, Nancy Pelosi is bound and determined to stop it:
Ms. Pelosi, who considers energy legislation a personal priority, does not appear ready to shift her view, based on discussions in a private meeting with members of the leadership on Thursday. According to accounts from those present, Ms. Pelosi said that if Democrats relented on drilling, “then we might as well pack it up and go home.”
Ms. Pelosi instead forged ahead with the effort to encourage the White House to release oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, even listing the White House telephone number and e-mail address on a poster at a news conference to encourage consumers to join the appeal. She said the release of less than 10 percent of the 700 million barrels of oil in the reserve would influence the price at the pump “now, within 10 days, not within 10 years.”
Sure, dump one-tenth of our nation’s strategic reserve into the market and you can push down the price of oil, for a while. Then, when you stop, everything goes right back where it was (except we have a smaller reserve for national emergencies). What an idiot. (Via Power Line.)
(ASIDE: By the same token, we could balance the budget — for a while — by selling off Federal property. Why not sell ANWR?)
But that’s not all. Democrats worry that when an energy bill comes up, Republicans will offer amendments to permit more drilling and force Democrats to vote on them. Instead, they decided offer no energy bill at all.
Exactly when Democrats will change their present course and bring an energy bill to the floor remains uncertain.
“Right now, our strategy on gas prices is ‘Drive small cars and wait for the wind,’ ” said a Democratic aide.
(Via Power Line.)
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