I recently heard the following riddle: “Q: What’s the difference between a Republican President and a Democratic President? A: About $1.50 a gallon.”

OK, that’s funny, right? But then when I tell my friends that, they ask, “well, how would a Democratic President have controlled the price of gasoline?” My answer is that a Democratic President would not be able to control the price of gasoline of course, but that the fact that we are now approximately six years out with a guy in the White House who does not have an energy policy other than to remain the top bully in controlling petroleum reserves, and to consume as much as you really want.

Consider what the alternative might have been? Al Gore has been concerned about the environment since he was a Senator (and probably before). Remember when he was given so much heat about his thoughts on the last days of the internal combustion engine? People accused him of wanting to take away the current automobile as we now know it. While he certainly could not have made that happen single-handedly (any more than he could’ve “invented the internet”), a Gore administration would’ve provided incentives for people to switch to more fuel-efficient vehicles. I remember reading about the plans on his website during the 2000 campaign. They were detailed in the extensive Gore/Lieberman plan for America. The point is, this administration consists of a bunch of old oil guys. They have NO INCENTIVE for getting the private sector to research alternative fuels. It will take government incentives and a major government investment to get the ball rolling in this direction. Unless companies see some incentive to support alternative fuel use, they won’t do it. They have shareholders to answer to, and anything that cuts into the bottom line won’t fly. Of course, a certain amount of “good will” is good for PR, but there has to be some government subsidy into this to get the ball rolling.

Now let me put it this way. $300 BILLION spent on the war in Iraq so far. Almost 2000 American soldiers lost. According to Johns Hopkins, tens of thousands mentally or physically wounded and out of the war. How much alternative energy development would that have netted us as a country? How much national security? How much elimination of foreign oil?

Even without that kind of investment, with a Democratic administration we’d at least be on the PATH, you know? Would gasoline still be $3 a gallon? Possibly. The point is, we’d be that much closer to doing something about it, and 2000 families would have their relatives home for Thanksgiving next month. Oh yeah, and the rest of the world wouldn’t hate us right now either.

I don’t know what it will take at this point for the world to come back into balance. It just seems like everyone’s waiting for this administration to leave. They’re just holding on until then. Finally, 58% of American disapprove of the job that Bush is doing according to a USA Today Poll taken about this time last month. And that’s before this whole Harriet Miers business that has now even alienated his base. How sad that it has taken so long for the general public to wake up?

Even those on the fence will be waking up when the Federal Prosecutor gets done with Plamegate later this week. I’m hoping that Bush himself is implicated in Plamegate, as suggested on ABC News’ This Week the Sunday before last. Impeach the guy. In fact, we’re at war, are we not? Bush’s father, George H.W. Bush once said that outing a CIA operative was tantamount to treason. If Bush is even partially guilty (he did, in fact, consult a lawyer last year on the matter), that would make him guilty of treason. Certainly, a traitor cannot be president? What do they do to traitors during wartime anyway? Much like Judith Miller, “I forget…”

Interesting… I was just looking for some backup on this, and I found this article in the NY Times about how Patrick Fitzgerald isn’t planning on offering a final report into Plamegate! That apparently means that there is some “there there.” How fascinating! There has been speculation that someone testifying before the grand jury has “flipped” and has started talking. I guess we’ll have to wait a little longer to see. Hmmm… Bush and Cheney as unindicted co-conspirators? Has a nice ring! And just look at this! Dick Cheney resignation rumors flying? It’s going to be an interesting couple months. I am so going to love seeing this corrupt administration fall, and take the GOP with it for the next 30 years.

Sorry this post is all over the place… I’m starting to get giddy.