[ThinkDifferent]

one idea, which freepers scoff at, would be for Bush to use the bully pulpit to encourage conservation

I don't object to that; of course rising prices should be encouraging it anyway. But I can see the Democratic response: "Bush admits failure of energy policy; tells nation's poor they don't deserve to drive".

[oceanview]

but the rising prices aren't, demand for gasoline is still rising - there is an inelastic point, combined with US population growth, usage is going up.

and its not the poor that would be telecommuting - it would be knoweldge workers, people who work on their PCs all day, and could do that from home.