Conflicting Loyalties as Republicans Confront High Gas Prices (NYT)

[struggle4progress]

House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert switched to an S.U.V. last week after a ride in an alternative-fuel car.

By EDMUND L. ANDREWS

WASHINGTON, May 4 — Under pressure to deal with high gasoline prices, President Bush and Republican leaders in Congress are struggling to marry a newfound zeal for energy conservation with their traditional loyalty to big cars and Big Oil.

In one sign of the awkward straddle, the Bush administration proposed on Wednesday to overhaul fuel-economy requirements for cars while also saying that it opposed "perverse incentives for manufacturers to produce smaller and more dangerous vehicles." <snip>

Voting 389 to 34, the House approved steep new penalties for oil companies convicted of "price gouging," a crowd-pleasing but largely symbolic measure. Republicans then tried but failed to rush through a bill long sought by the oil industry that would speed regulatory approval for new refineries. <snip>

Now, with gasoline prices above $3 a gallon, Mr. Bush is asking for new authority to modify the current requirements, an average of 27.5 miles to the gallon, but only in a way that the White House says would not hurt domestic companies whose greatest strength has been in big cars and sport utility vehicles. <snip>

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/05/business/05energy.html?ex=1146974400&en=c6569aa9eef9adb3&ei=5087%0A

[MikeNearMcChord]

1. You would think maybe the GOP

would put country above the president, maybe their country. You would think that. :(

[struggle4progress]

2. The Gas Oil Petroleum party's loyalties have long been clear and ..

.. Operation Iraqi Liberation should have resolved any remaining doubts ...