'Relief'

This is kinda like cleaning up after Kartrina with a sponge.

Calling the oil issue a matter of national security, President Bush outlined a plan Tuesday to cut gasoline costs and temporarily stopped deposits to the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve.

The relatively small size of the deposits, compared to the nation's daily consumption of oil, will mean that Bush's action will have negligible impact on gas prices.

"I think we need to follow suit on what we have been emphasizing, particularly through the energy bill," Bush said, "and that is to encourage conservation, to expand domestic production, and to develop alternative sources of energy like ethanol."

Additionally, Bush said he would ask the EPA to temporarily ease clean air regulations that have caused gas shortages in some portions of the Northeast. There have been media reports of shortages as producers switch over to cleaner-burning summer blends.

"I think it makes sense that they should be allowed to, so I'm directing EPA administrator [Steve] Johnson to use all of his available authority to grant waivers that would relief critical fuel supply shortages," Bush said. "And I do that for the sake of our consumers."

You know, the consumers who don't breathe.

Syntax issues aside, it seems the environment is about to take it on the chin again. The willingness to trade environmental protections for slightly lower gas prices ahead of midterm elections shows that the administration still doesn't give a shit about global warming.

And you better believe that "expanding domestic production" means drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

Bush also ordered a federal investigation into possible price gouging, but I think the history of GOP-led investigations finding what they want to find speaks for itself.

But here's the really shocking part of the story.

Bush also called for a rollback in $2 billion in government assistance and tax breaks for oil companies over the next 10 years for items such as research and development for deep water drilling.

"Record oil prices and large cash flows also mean that Congress has got to understand that these energy companies don't need unnecessary tax breaks like the write-offs of certain geological and geophysical expenditures or the use of taxpayers' monies to subsidize energy companies' research into deepwater drilling," Bush said.

Unfortuntely, Congress also understands that this is an election year, and that campaigns cost money. So don't expect them to be too eager to bite the oily hands that feed them.