Bush Addresses the Country's Energy Problems

Given the follies of the last seven years, it's hard to imagine how George Bush could become any more irrelevant in today's political climate; however, he's managed to do it again.  Today Bush held a press conference, declaring a call to action from Congress to address the country's current oil and gas crisis.  If the crisis has taught us anything, it has imparted on us the indisputable fact that dependence on oil for fuel is a zero sum game.  Alternative energy sources, whatever they may be, are the only long term solution to our current energy problems.  Yet, in the face of this obvious fact, Bush's recommendation to congress is to lift a number of restrictions on drilling for oil.

Really?  More drilling?  This is the answer to rising fuel costs?  Bush's proposal is both surprising and expected; surprising in that the proposal to drill more only further increases our dependence on oil, and expected because big oil companies stand to benefit from the proposal over the long term.  

Bush's proposal mirrors that of Republican presidential candidate John McCain.  This is unfortunate for McCain.  The average American Republican who feels the financial pain at the gas pump on a regular basis must know that more drilling isn't going to help.  McCain should be distancing himself from Bush in any way he can, not embracing a flawed energy policy recommended by him and his lame duck administration.  McCain, if you're going to win in '08, you'll have to do better than that.