Amazing stupidity in the news

Guardian Unlimited | World Latest | Bush Eases Environmental Rules on Gasoline:

WASHINGTON (AP) - Under election-year pressure to reduce surging gasoline prices, President Bush on Tuesday halted filling of the nation's emergency oil reserve, urged the waiver of clean air rules to ease local gas shortages and called for the repeal of $2 billion in tax breaks for profit-heavy oil companies.

Compare the headling, "Bush eases environmental rules on gasoline" versus the story "urged the waiver of clean air rules". The headline, in other words, is a lie. Bush didn't "ease" a thing, he's recommending that the EPA temporarily ease some regulations.

And before you scream he's endangering the environment, were you also scream a few years ago when then-Governor Gray (Out) Davis was begging the EPA to grant California a waiver re replacing the gasoline addictive MTBE with ethanol? MTBE, the known carcenogenic. I do not recall a single environmental group or labor union screaming how Davis was going to give us all cancer.

That's because they're sensible when a Democrat is in office; they only go nutters when a Republican is in office.

But this story is full of laughs. Like:

Democrats, eager to blame Republicans for high gas costs ahead of the November congressional elections, said Bush has had five years to find a way to lower prices and has favored big oil companies over consumers.

But Democrats never want to lower prices. They want to tax the crap out of gasoline to 1) increase the amount of money the Federal government has to spend on crap and 2) alter the public's buying habits, that is, to encourage the purchase of more fuel efficient vehicles.

(And never say never, since the article notes that Democrat Bob Menendez, NJ, is suggesting a 60-day suspension of the federal gas tax. Nice try, but note that it's a suspension, not a repeal.)

Others in the article make suggestions, but its worth noting that none of them would change the price tomorrow, if ever. Most are long-term, which is appropriate since how we got here is long-term. Namely, a complete Democrat stonewall of any attempt to explore for new sources of oil, plus increasing gas taxes to supplement government coffers, plus blocking any expansion (or even maintenance) of refining capability, plus blocking available alternative energy sources (i.e., nuclear), etc.

This is basic capitalism in action, supply and demand. The world demand is up (see China), the supply is limited (see lack of new developments) and so the price goes up. D'uh.

And before you rush out and buy that hybrid to save on the purchase of gasoline, don't forget to factor in the thousands of dollars you'll pay as a "premium" for the privelege.

For me, I'm getting 36mpg commuting on my motorcycle, and on longer runs I'm easily 40+. Cars are so...cage-like.