Democrats Caused Gas Price Spike

The column below is from my national blog focuses on one senatorial race -- Illinois Republican Steve Sauerberg against Sen. Dick Durbin. But the points apply to every race for federal office, from the presidency on down. (http://sauerbergforussenate.com)

Of course, the Democrats want to blame George W. Bush for everything but President Bush has been warning for many years about the consequences of our "addiction to oil." He has been emphasizing the need for more production.

The Democrats should not get away with scapegoating, because the responsibility for mushrooming gasoline prices is theirs and their alone.

Gasoline prices are what is going to defeat many Democrats in this year's election. It will be the reasons for the currently unexpected losses of congressional representatives like Jason Altmire, (opposed by Melissa Hart), Tim Holden (opposed by Toni Gilhooley), Patrick Murphy (opposed by Tom Manion), and Allyson Schwartz (opposed by Marina Kats). They're the ones who voted to prohibit oil exploration and refinery expansions. George W. Bush did not "force" them in ways that have led to the disaster of $4-plus gasoline prices.

Barack Obama has said basically that skyrocketing gas prices are a good thing. He is going to regret such comments. People who believe rising gas prices are good thing are not going to get elected to anything.

When the Democrats took over Congress in 2006, Nancy Pelosi said she was "going to do something" about gasoline prices. She has. Under her "leadership," gasoline prices have gone up 75%. That's a point Republican challengers should drive home every day.

Issue #1 in the coming election is going to be the rapidly rising gasoline prices. It will not be Iraq, nor will it be health care or the overall economy. So . . .

How can individuals like Steve Sauerberg, Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate from Illinois (opposing Sen. Dick Durbin) pull off a totally unexpected victory? He needs to get across the point that re-electing people who are the causes of the nation's problems is a form of political insanity (i.e., doing the same thing repeatedly and hoping somehow for a different result).

A key point GOP challengers for federal offices must make is this: Only 22% of the American people approve of the performance of Congress, but many people are quick to defend their local person. In fact, Dick Durbin -- and many others like him -- ARE the Congress.

Durbin has been part of it since 1982, and anything that's wrong with it is frankly his fault. He's not somehow divorced from its failures. They're HIS failures.

Left-wing Democrats like Durbin have sought to blame the oil companies. In fact, it's not necessary to love those companies to recognize that they are in fact the ones that produce all the oil and gasoline. The producers are not the cause of the pain we all feel at the pump. The cause of the problem is a Congress that seeks to deflect blame -- and that has voted repeatedly with environmental extremists.

Over the years, Durbin and his allies have done everything in their power to ensure a rapid rise in gas prices. Voting against production -- and against creating new refineries -- is now exacting a terrible cost on the American people.

During Dick Durbin's tenure in Congress (since 1982), gasoline prices have more than tripled! (See http://moveondickdurbin.org).

What did Durbin do to prevent the gas price catastrophe? Nothing. What did he do to warn the American people? Nothing. So, what can we expect from a future Congress full of Durbins? Would you believe gasoline at $6-$7 a gallon (or more)? What is Durbin's plan to prevent such an economy-destroying development? He has none.

In fact, his approach is to ensure the U.S. produces LESS oil -- presumably so we can become more dependent on the Hugo Chavezes of the world.

The people of Illinois will re-elect someone like Durbin at their peril. He's presiding over the destruction of the American way-of-life, and he shouldn't be rewarded for that.