Oil-Addicted Bush Must Kick the Habit

The American thirst for oil is like a drug addiction, and George Bush wants another hit, writes Thomas Friedman in the New York Times. Bush’s irresponsible energy plan involves getting a little more oil from Saudi Arabia to keep prices low, and then drilling in Alaska—simply prolonging our addiction instead of allowing high fuel prices to push us toward better sources of energy, adds Friedman.

Meanwhile, Bush says he’ll blame Congress for high prices if they continue to oppose his policies—when he himself “hasn’t lifted a finger” to pass legislation to boost alternative energy use. A “real president" would “give us a big strategic plan to end our addiction to oil and build a bipartisan coalition to deliver it," Friedman writes. (More oil stories.)