Crude Warnings

High gas prices are drawing politicians' attention. "Democratic proposals range from a temporary halt in shipments to it to releasing a portion of the crude" oil in the 660 million barrel U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve, for some price relief, Reuters reports. But George Bush told reporters, "We're at war. We face a tough and determined enemy on all fronts, and we must not put ourselves in a worse position in this war. And playing politics with the Strategic Petroleum Reserve would do just that." Instead, he urged Congress to pass the stalled energy bill, which activists call "corporate welfare in the guise of a national energy policy." Last week, U.S. climate change negotiator Harlan Watson said that the Bush administration's climate change policy was misunderestimated: "We need to get our message out better."