From an article on the speech in the Houston Chronicle:

'Bush complained that Capitol Hill has come to equate support for drilling in the wildlife refuge with indifference about the environment.

He suggested a different equation: opposition to opening up the area means "you don't care about the gasoline prices that people are paying."

Ok, few things here.

The United States has 1.8% of the world's remaining supply of oil. This means that if we drill every last drop, we're never going to be self-sufficient, and eventually we will run out. Drilling more is simply prolonging the problem - though that's never stopped the Bush Administration before.

Secondly, Bush said, '"That [drilling in the Refuge] would be about a 20 percent increase of ... crude oil production over U.S. levels, and it would likely mean lower gas prices," but check this out, Mr. President. The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is not a 7-11, it's an unspoiled, remote area - you can't just throw a hose up there, and start pumping down crude this month. Experts estimate it will take 10 years to get the oil online, so it's a complete red herring in terms of actually solving the problem.

Thirdly, why is he not calling for the oil companies to offer a little 'refuge' from high gas prices? The same article notes that BP and Shell are both reporting first quarter growth in profits. Hmmmm.....maybe, just maybe, if he insists that our nation remain addicted to oil, he could ask his oil buddies to take a hit, and not just the environment or consumers.

Crazy? You betcha!