The Republicans in Congress have been as much asleep on this issue as the Democrats (though, they have not been so intent on destroying the economy for shaky environmental reasons as, for instance Nancy Pelosi) but they saw the nerve this issue twanged with the public and jumped on it fairly quickly. To placate their global warming obsessed base, the Democrats responded to this campaign with a resounding, “No”. The main response was a (sounding ever so reasonable, like a parent explaining to child why they really can’t have a pony), “Tsk, tsk tsk. You can’t drill your way out of this mess”! Some, predictably, tried to blame the energy crisis on Bush and his “failed policies”. Many blamed it on “oil speculators”, who are profiting off the fears of the American people. A funny thing happened, though, when President Bush finally caught ahold of the issue. On the very day he announced the lift of the Executive moratorium on off shore drilling, oil prices plummeted more than 5$ a barrel! See, even the possibility of future oil supply being increased caused the supply and demand engine to move! That’s what speculation does to prices and it’s a good thing.

Yesterday, in the House of Representatives, a pretty interesting thing happened. A check of the news will probably not yield any mention of it. On Google News, the only congressional-related “news” worthy of their front page, was an AP article heralding the Democrats for trying to overcome years of Republican neglect in relation to…you guessed it, the children! A check of other news sites yielded much the same non-reportage. This is unfortunate because the actions of a few Republican Representatives, in response to the reprehensible behavior of the Democrat leadership of the House, was inspiring, to say the least.

Nancy Pelosi, who has stated that she is “trying to save the planet” (to some liberal applause, it seems), has stubbornly refused to allow a vote on any bill that would decide-up or down- whether to lift the ban on off-shore drilling or indeed to promote more drilling anywhere in the U.S. This is itself a despicable assault on free speech and honest debate in Congress, especially from one who claimed, as the first female Speaker of history, that she would pledge “to make this Congress the most honest and open in history”. How open is a debate where, while your opponent is speaking you gavel him down and turn the microphones off, as well as the lights?

Former Speaker Gingrich started this debate. He is a credentialed intellectual, a college history professor, a prolific author and a political consultant. The man has bona fides, gravitas. He is a student and teacher of history. When he speaks, one knows he is listening to a man of intellect and character. Nancy Pelosi, on the other hand, seems more interested in lead paint in toys (admittedly important but certainly there are very few provable casualties of this latest public health “disaster” than, say, people who drown in buckets of water…) than financial and energy freedom for Americans. This Speaker is more interested in the novels of Gabriel Garcia Marquez, fast friend of Fidel Castro, than in the history we need to know in order to avoid repeating. She is more interested in scoring points against the Bush White House and Republicans (and both, as in McCain = Third Bush term) than in the cause of bipartisanship she loudly proclaimed at becoming Speaker.  She is a disgrace. And she proved it yesterday in the House.