NEWS AND OPINION:
Maybe the White House should seriously revisit “Drill, baby, drill,” a popular Republican slogan which landed on public radar, ironically, during a 2008 vice-presidential debate between then-Sen. Joe Biden and Republican hopeful Sarah Palin.
She used the phrase during that encounter, and advised Mr. Biden that voters were indeed very interested in “domestic sources” of energy.
During Mr. Biden’s State of the Union speech on March 1, Rep. Lauren Boebert also reminded both the president and public that the motto was still relevant. The Colorado Republican wore a stylish shawl emblazoned with the phrase “Drill Baby Drill.”
That advice apparently did not resonate with the White House.
A new Republican National Committee analysis reveals that Mr. Biden has shopped around for oil in some far flung spots, but not in his own backyard.
“Joe Biden wants to buy oil from a lot of places, just not America,” the analysis said, noting that Iran, Venezuela and Russia and OPEC are among the potential purveyors here.
“At this point, America is one of the only places Biden isn’t looking for more oil and gas. He hasn’t even called American producers to ask them to produce more energy. The U.S. is an energy producing country. It’s time for Biden to get out of the way, stop begging foreign producers, and unleash American energy instead,” advises Tommy Pigott, rapid response director for the RNC.
Meanwhile, American Petroleum Institute president and CEO Mike Sommers has sent a letter to Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm and other administration officials outlining steps that key regulatory agencies should take to ensure “long-term American energy leadership and security.”
The organization also surveyed the public to find that 90% of U.S. voters support the idea that the U.S. should develop its own domestic energy resources rather than rely on foreign sources.
TODAY’S LOUSY GAS REPORT
The national average U.S. price of gasoline hit $4.104 per gallon on Monday, breaking the existing record by a fractional amount.
“The previous all-time high was set back in 2008 at $4.103 per gallon, just ahead of the U.S. Great Recession and housing crisis. The national average price of diesel is also nearing a new record, now at $4.63 per gallon, likely to break the record of $4.846 per gallon in the next two weeks,” GasBuddy.com reports.
“In addition to setting a new all-time high, the national average is seeing its largest ever 7 day spike: 49.1 cents per gallon, eclipsing the 49.0 cent weekly rise after Hurricane Katrina in 2005,” the organization said.
And the highest price of all?
That would be found in the Mission District of San Francisco, where it’s $6.23 a gallon.
NOT HAPPY IN IOWA
President Biden is not winning over hearts and minds in the Hawkeye State.
“Just 35% of Iowa adults approve of Biden’s performance, with 59% disapproving and 6% unsure,” reports the Des Moines Register, which conducted the Iowa Poll and released it Monday.
“Just 4% of Iowa Republicans approve of the way the Democratic president is doing the job, the poll shows. Among Democrats, 82% approve of Biden’s performance, as do 29% of political independents,” the Register’s poll analysis said.
“The president’s low ratings come as the United States faces problems on multiple fronts, including persistent inflation, the continuing COVID-19 pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Many Iowans hold a dim view of how the United States is faring overall, the new Iowa Poll shows. Just 23% of Iowa adults think the nation is headed in the right direction, compared to 67% who think it’s going off on the wrong track, and 11% who are unsure,” the analysis said.
But it gets worse.
“Among Iowa Republicans, 95% believe the country is on the wrong track, compared to 30% of Democrats and 70% of independents,” the analysis noted.
The Iowa Poll of 813 Iowa adults was conducted from Feb. 28 to March 2.
BILL CLINTON’S RETURN
Former President Bill Clinton appears to be returning to the public stage.
His personal podcast — “Why Am I Doing This?” — is now in its second season on Spotify, Apple and other audio providers. A new documentary video celebrating Mr. Clinton’s 75th birthday titled “Cooperator in Chief,” is available through the Clinton Foundation.
Also of interest: Mr. Clinton has reactivated the “Clinton Global Initiative.” Launched in 2005, this substantial public interest was timed to coincide with the United Nations General Assembly to address “the world’s most pressing challenges.” The gathering went virtual when the pandemic arrived, however.
That may soon change. Mr. Clinton wants his event back.
“The existential threat of climate change grows every day. Democracy is under assault around the world, most glaringly in Ukraine where Russia has launched an unjustified and unprovoked invasion that has put millions of lives in grave danger. The number of displaced people and refugees worldwide is higher than it has ever been,” Mr. Clinton wrote in a public letter on Sunday.
“To meet the urgency of this moment, I am calling on the Clinton Global Initiative community to come together again — alongside new members and voices including influential emerging leaders and grassroots activists,” he said.
Mr. Clinton has already set the start date for the three-day event in Manhattan — which is Sept. 19. Details of the agenda and an exact venue are yet to come.
POLL DU JOUR
• 68% of U.S. adults think that it’s important for the U.S. to be “number one in the world militarily.”
• 51% think the U.S. is the number one military power in the world.
• 47% think that the U.S. is one of several leading military powers.
• 50% think that it is important that the U.S. to be number one in the world economically,
• 16% think that the U.S. is number one in the world economically.
SOURCE: A Gallup poll of 1,008 U.S. adults conducted Feb. 1-17 and released March 2.
• Follow Jennifer Harper on Twitter @HarperBulletin.
• Jennifer Harper can be reached at jharper@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.