George W. Bush's major reasoning behind pushing for energy "reform" is that gas and energy prices are too high, so something must be done. Should the resulting bill actually raise energy prices, though? The New York Times' team of Elizabeth Bumiller and Carl Hulse take a gander at the situation in today's paper:

President Bush demanded on Wednesday that Congress send a long-stalled energy bill to his desk for signing by the summer, even as he admitted that the legislation would do nothing to lower the rising gasoline prices that polls suggest have cut into his approval ratings.

"I wish I could simply wave a magic wand and lower gas prices tomorrow," the president told a gathering here of the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. The bill "wouldn't change the price at the pump today," he said. "I know that, and you know that."

[...]

Representative Steny H. Hoyer of Maryland, the No. 2 Democrat in the House, estimated that the House bill would provide up to $22 billion to the industry over a decade in the form of tax relief and potential federal aid. He cited one Energy Department estimate that the measure would boost gasoline prices by 3 cents a gallon.

"That's right, Mr. and Mrs. Taxpayer," said Mr. Hoyer. "Apparently, this Republican majority believes you need to pay more for gasoline." [emphasis added]

Maybe the Dems can get their act together on this issue and produce an ad to the effect of Hoyer's comment. "Apparently, this Republican majority believes you need to pay more for gasoline." That's brilliant stuff. Now it's time to let all Americans hear about it, too, not just Times' readers.