Tidewater Turning

Virginia and New Jersey both go Democrat and the next day, the House of Reps suspend oil drilling in Alaska/coasts (Reuters). Meanwhile, in the Senate, Oil Company Executives Deny Price Gouging (Boston Globe). Sounds like some congresspeople have been getting some angry phone calls about gas prices lately.

You know what would be really interesting to see right now? Notes from Vice President (former and if, say, impeached or convicted, also likely future oil company executive) Cheney’s meetings with other oil executives when talking about our energy policy in secret in 2000. And why IS that such a secret that a bi-partisan Senate committee couldn’t review it in chambers?

After all, Senators are briefed about all kinds of secret stuff. Heck, Trent Lott says that Senators were briefed about secret CIA torture camps. Or rather, the original story about the CIA’s secret prison system contained information that was given to Republican Senators and most likely leaked by a Republican Senator. Which is not to say you should trust everything Trent Lott says.

I say if they can be trusted with information about black site “We don’t torture” prisons, can’t they be made privvy to notes about conversations about gas prices and oil supplies and stuff? I suspect that the public hearing Cheney’s pitch to the energy companies would be the last straw for an already fragile administration. Should Karl “The Master Manipulator” Rove get collared or otherwise “resign” from the White House, I predict all hell will break loose. Mostly ’cause Cheney will be distracted with Scooter’s heat and the administration’s plummeting public support and unable to bring the hammer down on anyone who stands in his way.

The levies are full, that’s for sure. Couple more leaks and they’ll surely bust.

The bigger question is whether and when we’ll finally realize we’re addicted to oil and actually do something about it. (the “addiction to foreign oil” phrase is such a thin deception. Over 60% of our oil is “Foreign” oil, and there’s no way we can domestically produce as much as we consume)