Gas Prices Make Politicians Say Stupid Things: Pelosi Edition

Nancy Pelosi went on a little rant and had this to say:

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We have two oilmen in the White House. the logical follow-up from that is $3 a gallon gasoline. there is no accident. It is a cause and effect. A cause and effect.
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Kos thinks more of this "might actually start inspiring Democrats to hit the polls this November." He's right, assuming they abandon all capacity for rational thought. President Bush has done plenty that Democrats can get all worked up about. High gas prices is not one of them.

President Bush has definately taken many pro-energy stances. The list of proposals he has favored or probably favors include: trying to open ANWR to drilling, leasing federal lands for drilling, loosening environmental restrictions for refineries, pushing nuclear power, and passing an energy bill so laden with pork that it actually included a program to provide big power with ten billion $1 bills to be burned instead of fossil fuels. (That last one is probably not true - but there was alot of wasteful programs).

But all these things - which Democrats hammer him for - would INCREASE the supply of oil and gas. This would lead to a DECREASE in the price of gas. I don't see how that isn't fairly obvious.

Now, these programs would no doubt also increase domestic energy companies profits. (Domestic profits could increase even when price decreases if the quantity increase more than makes up for the change in world prices). But that is not the same as his policies leading to higher prices. The policies which lead to higher prices actually come from Ms. Pelosi's party. Of course, we shouldn't care about any of this.