Enablement

I don't have the heart to watch the tv show "Intervention," but we all know about the idea of enabling bad behavior, that by supporting it, other people in the addict's life are part of the problem, rather than part of the solution.

In other words, don't give more drugs to a drug abuser, money, etc. Or don't give more alcohol to alcoholics, etc.

So why should we willingly give more oil to addicts?

For base political reasons, I am resigned to the Democrats caving on drilling expansion into areas previously off limits. Sure Bob Herbert of the New York Times, in "An Empty Promise" is likely right that the amount of new oil recovered in this manner will be minimal --

200,000 barrells/day is equal to 4.4 million gallons of gasoline. As of March 2005, the daily consumption was 320,500,000 gallons/day. (Consumption is down.) This is equal to a tad more than 1% of daily consumption.

Given the rampant increase in demand in Asia, this likely will have no significant impact.

But it does give politicians the ability to show that they are "responsive."

What I wish that Democrats would do, although it could be political suicide, is tie a willingness to expand drilling to gasoline excise tax increases and increased funding for public transit and railroad expansion.

Otherwise no expanded drilling.