Do SOMETHING. Anything.
The govt. can't do a lot and certainly price controls would NOT be a good idea, but it would certainly help his poll numbers if it looked like he was at least mentally engaged and not just saying "oh well."
Get rid of all the blends and have one. Do something for crying out loud.
Price controls maybe. It will kill the oil industry. Remember Nixon. Of course that was wage/price freeze, but they got him for that.
IMO, Bush can begin aggressively campaigning for and verbally pushing decreased regulations for drilling, decreased regulations on refinery construction, opening up of certain areas where drilling is prohibited, incentives and encouragement for oil refined from coal, ethanol, bio diesel, and other alternatives. Above all, he can repeatedly and loudly make the point that America can actually be energy independent rather quickly, if only we would follow through on those things. He can be forceful, and not let up.
However, in the past, it has been his habit to remain relatively silent for periods of time on his causes, at least publicly.
Are you suggesting doing something destructive to the economy is better than doing nothing?
GWB looks disengaged, like he's going through the motions. Maybe he's being a dynamo behind the scenes, but his public face looks a lot like his father's did in the second half of his term...like he doesn't want to be there any more.
There ARE things that he could do:
1. Get rid of blends of gas.
2. Change laws permitting California to dictate pollution standards for the rest of the country
3. Put REAL money into alternative fuels, energy, technologies that exist RIGHT NOW, or make business conditions conducive to it (example: I'd even go for a guaranteed floor on the price of oil via a tax so it would pay to look for 50-60 dollar per barrel oil, etc).
If he thinks it's going to be a tough summer, just wait until November.