Blockheads

There is a very good chance that motor fuel prices will continue to increase if a Democrat is elected president. There is also a very good chance that prices will rise if a Republican is elected. The key is that Democrats will still be in control of congressional agendas and a key feature of that agenda is to block any further oil exploration in U.S. territory--period. Block it for any reason. Block it if gas goes to ten bucks a gallon. Block it no matter how badly their constituents may be suffering. Block it under any and all circumstances, even the most economically dire imaginable. Block it because it doesn't advance the cause of renewable fuels. Block it because new discoveries won't come on line for years therefore will not help the current situation. Block block blockity block.

The liberal/leftist/progressive resistance to further hole-punching in Mother Gaia is adamantine---carved in stone everlasting. The only way this green grip on our throats will be broken is if the Dems. suffer a complete political donnybrook and decisively lose control of the Congress and Senate which seems unlikely this election cyle although if Dem. obstructionism persists in the face of 5, 6, 7 dollar or higher fuel prices then I would not be surprised at a thorough housecleaning in 2010.

For now of course the Dems are in the obligatory throes of blaming oil company execs. Oil company profits have increased a percent or so in the last year. If the oil companies decided for some insane reason to stiff their stockholders (most of us nowadays) and cut prices enough to eliminate that 1 percent difference the numbers on the pumps would fall about 5-10 cents a gallon, at most. Boy I know it would make me sing hosannas of joy to see prices drop from $3.79 to $3.69. I could finally buy that Lambo I've had my eye on by gollykins.

The Dems won't back down willingly because in their lunge away from the center they have thrown in their lot with the environmental left who appear to want mankind in general and the evil U.S. in particular to use less motor fuel, electricity, plastics, chemicals, etc. etc. In short they want less use of anything, anything at all, that has even the remotest prospect of injecting another single molecule of CO2 into the environment. Climate change is the religion, CO2 is the Devil, oil companies are the demons attending that Devil, and anyone wanting to live a reasonably comfortable American lifestyle is a member in good standing of the Legion of the Damned.

To want to drill in ANWR, or the continental shelf, or anywhere at all is to challenge the dogma of the new religion and its apostolic intolerance can give those boyos waiting for the return of the 12th Imam a run for their money. Don't believe me? Imagine a Saudi-sized oil discovery off the west coast 20 miles from San Francisco. Do you doubt there'd be thousands of screaming purple-faced demonstrators ready to fling their bodies underneath, well, whatever is handy to avoid the apocalyptic horror of the sight of a drilling rig in the far foggy distance?

These obstructionist tactics are a slam-dunk to continue unhindered if the big O. ends up sitting in the oval office and only slightly less likely if the current RINO nominee ends up there. So enjoy the 4 bucks a gallon while you can. After a couple years of Democratic "energy policy" that price is likely to be looked on with a wistful nostalgia.