Bush Inc. has No Solutions for High Gas Prices

In repeating his "call for Congress to pass a long-stalled energy bill," Pres. Bush "conceded ... there is little he can do" about rising gas prices: "I wish I could simply wave a magic wand and lower gas prices tomorrow; I'd do that. Unfortunately, higher gas prices are a problem that has been years in the making." But Bush's "admission that he lacked the power to lower prices was a notable turnaround." Bush "promised as a candidate in 2000 to present oil products to increase supply and drive down prices." Bush, in '00: "I would work with our friends in OPEC to convince them to open up the spigot, to increase the supply" (Mason, Houston Chronicle, 4/20). John Kerry (D): "The issue today is not that the president doesn't understand the problem, it's that he has no solutions. The energy plan he continues to campaign for will make us more dependent on foreign oil, it will keep gas prices at record highs instead of making them affordable for consumers, and it will make our air and water more polluted instead of investing in a cleaner future" (VandeHei and Blum, Washington Post, 4/21).  The Hotline April 21, 2005 Thursday