Bush’s oily lies

In a regime known for lies and deception, it should come as no surprise that George Bush is continuing his deceitful ways as his time in office finally nears its end. In a move aimed solely at helping Republicans in November, Bush has overturned an executive order put in place by his father, Bush the First, banning offshore drilling for oil. New drilling cannot be done, however, without Congress changing the law.

And here’s where the lies begin. He told the media, "The only thing standing between the American people and these vast oil resources is action from the U.S. Congress… Now the ball is squarely in Congress' court." Except, of course, he’s not telling the truth.

Under existing law, oil companies can explore and drill in vast areas of the coasts but they haven’t done so, for a variety of reasons. Despite Bush’s claims of “vast oil resources”, that’s still only a guess and, even it there are large reserves, it’s unknown what kind of oil is there. That detail is every bit as important as how much is there because if there’s a lot of the wrong type of oil it won’t translate into gas at the pump for American motorists.

But Bush wanted to make sure that Americans blame Democrats, adding, "For years, my administration has been calling on Congress to expand domestic oil production. Unfortunately, Democrats on Capitol Hill have rejected virtually every proposal. And now Americans are paying at the pump."

That, of course, is bullshit of the most odoriferous kind. There are many reasons for the high prices at the pumps, and to the extent that Congress can be blamed, it falls on both parties, primarily for refusing to make finding new alternative fuels and power sources a national priority. But Bush’s beloved oil companies must share some responsibility, as must a market system that rewards greed and gambling.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called it correctly when she said, "Once again, the oilman in the White House is echoing the demands of Big Oil. The Bush plan is a hoax. It will neither reduce gas prices nor increase energy independence. It just gives millions more acres to the same companies that are sitting on nearly 68 million acres of public lands and coastal areas."

So, as usual, George Bush and the Republicans are lying to the American people about both the reality of the energy situation and how to get out of it. We simply cannot drill our way out of this, and they know damn well that’s the case. The sooner we’re rid of this cabal, the better.

At the moment, there are 189 days until that man is finally gone—unless John McSame begins the third Bush term that day.