Nothing brings out the shamelessness of Washington politicians like rising gas prices, and President Obama is the latest case. His Justice Department on Thursday announced a task force to investigate oil industry prices and practices for fraud. But if there is fraud here, it is that the president and Republicans in Congress continue to fuel the myth that the federal government might, with an investigation here or plans to drill there, affect the short-term world-market price of a commodity America doesn’t and never will control.
If Obama’s new investigation sounds familiar, that’s because it’s the sort of thing President George W. Bush and the GOP Congress did in 2005 and 2006. Their probes were a waste of money. Not only did investigators conclude that there was no widespread price fixing, they had a tough time even finding credible complaints of price manipulation.
Republicans are cynically encouraging this nonsense. National Journal reports that GOP lawmakers are passing bills and holding hearings that won’t result in actual laws but will allow them to bash Democrats on gas prices, which they plan to make a major theme heading into the 2012 elections.
Among other things, they are preparing to hit Democrats for not supporting a trio of bills from the House Natural Resources Committee that would expand offshore drilling. More offshore drilling isn’t a bad idea in the long term, but it would do nothing to lower current gas prices.
The Republicans’ gas-price campaign should also be familiar. Liberals tried something similar during the previous administration, when they blamed higher gas prices on Bush’s foreign policy.
Rising gas prices simply aren’t Obama’s fault. Just as they weren’t Bush’s fault. Americans need to get used to factors affecting gas prices that aren’t in America’s control, particularly that the developing world will demand more oil as the economies of nations such as China and India grow. That’s not ideology; it’s supply and demand.
Steve Stromberg is an editorial writer for The Post.
Comments (4)
Add commentReally? There is not a
Really? There is not a "single" party to blame for this crap going on with gas prices. They ALL share the blame!! It's time for Americans to wake up and actually make those suits sitting on capitol hills across the nation including DC get something done to make life affordable for our citizens again. I'm tired of using such a large chunk of pay each week just to drive to and from work. Get the prices down, actually research another viable resource and look into public transportation or make the fuel economic cars more affordable!!
"Americans need to get used
"Americans need to get used to factors affecting gas prices that aren’t in America’s control."
Yes gas prices are in America's control. We've had 40 years of kicking the can down the road and focusing on winning the next election to blame for high prices. If we had stayed on the path to fuel conservation that Carter put us on the first time we got dope slapped we would not be in the crisis.
We need to ignore the Can't Dos who wail We Can't!!! every time the discussion turns to mass transit and fuel efficiency.
We need to start considering how fuel consumption is impacted by our development planning decisions.
AND.....we need to start acting responsibly. I still see people letting SUVs idle for no apparent reason other than they don't think it's important to stop wasting fuel.