There's a big surprise. Politicians can always be counted on to do things that earn political points, even if it hurts the country. Consider the economic ignorance of LBJ's reign, or Carter's, or Hoover's and Roosevelt's. That a president does something is not good evidence that it's the sensible thing to do--quite the opposite. And sadly, George "five years, no vetoes!" Bush is no exception.
That is the whole purpose of free market prices -- to convey realities to you in a form that you cannot ignore.
Unfortunately, one of the main purposes of contemporary politics is to shield you from these same realities.
None other than that smart guy again- Thomas Sowell.
The insinuation is that this mud sticks to President Bush. This President has been the epitome of another George -- George ("I cannot tell a lie") Washington.