The Discerning Texan

Glenn Reynolds quickly found a money quote regarding the Democrats' sudden about face on the gargantuan Cap and Trade Bill:

POLITICO: Dems Yank Global Warming Bill. "Apparently three days of debate was enough for what many senators called 'the most important issue facing the planet.'"

Meanwhile John Hinderaker and Paul Mirengoff weigh in on the real culprits who have driven our gas prices to stratospheric levels:

For several decades, the Democratic Party has pursued policies designed to drive up the cost of petroleum, and therefore gas at the pump. Remarkably, the Democrats don't seem to have taken much of a political hit from the current spike in gas prices. Probably that's because most people don't realize how different the two parties' energy policies have been.

Congressman Roy Blunt put together these data to highlight the differences between House Republicans and House Democrats on energy policy:

ANWR Exploration House Republicans: 91% Supported House Democrats: 86% Opposed

Coal-to-Liquid
House Republicans: 97% Supported
House Democrats: 78% Opposed

Oil Shale Exploration
House Republicans: 90% Supported
House Democrats: 86% Opposed

Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Exploration
House Republicans: 81% Supported
House Democrats: 83% Opposed

Refinery Increased Capacity
House Republicans: 97% Supported
House Democrats: 96% Opposed

SUMMARY

91% of House Republicans have historically voted to increase the production of American-made oil and gas.

86% of House Democrats have historically voted against increasing the production of American-made oil and gas.

PAUL adds: It's useful to keep this sort of thing in mind when we hear (on something like a daily basis these days) that the Republicans have run out of ideas or that Republican ideas didn't work. The truth is that most major Republican ideas weren't tried because the Democrats blocked them. Increasing the domestic production of oil and gas (a move so obvious it barely meets the standard for being an idea) is hardly the only example. Social security reform and school choice also come quickly to mind. Republican-backed policies for increasing the number of Americans with health insurance were also blocked by Democrats. And so forth.

The new media now is the voice of the people, because the media we used to rely on are now in the pockets of those who have been causing the problem to begin with. But it is up to the bloggers and other pioneers to keep the truth alive, because--as we are seeing with the media's shameless coddling of Barack Obama--it is still very much a rigged game.