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used the specter of rising prices at the gas pump to attack President Bush for America's dependence on foreign oil

What an SOB!
His buddies the envirowackos keep us from pumping our own oil from Alaska and off the California coast, and building new refineries, and he blames President Bush?

Burnett also noted Kerry's criticism of American dependence on foreign oil was curious, as he has repeatedly opposed efforts to increase domestic production.

He and his cronies in the wacko-environmental movement are doing everything they can to stop increases in domestic production, from drilling in new areas (southern NM, Alaska) to prevention of new refinery construction and expansion (endless environmental reviews, formation of opposition "truth and environmental justice" groups) to ever-increasing air quality requirements (forcing refiners to produce specialty blends for specific areas which precludes movement of refined product from one area to another when needed). Their goal is to drastically reduce travel by automobile in this country because they see it as an environmental threat via increased use of resources, urban sprawl, loss of wildlands, etc. They are doing whatever they can to change American lifestyles to their ideal which is lockup resources so only the privledged elite have access to them and only with their permission.

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Boosting CAFE standards would simply mean that American families would be forced to buy two seat mini-cars with a $50,000+ price tag..hardly a practical alternative for families with children who will be taxed to death under a Kerry administration. Can the Senator also show an available truck that can haul economically meaningful amounts of cattle or grain to market and get 30+ MPG? How about a tractor or combine that meets proposed new pollution standards and gets high milage? Obviously he hasn't spent much time out here in fly-over country.

Bush should counter with this ad......"Kerry wants us to stand up against OPEC?

Fine

Allow drilling in the ANWR and we can increase domestic jobs and end our reliance on foregn oil....

All of which will work as long as people like Kerry don't impose FURTHER gasoline taxes!!!

Fade to some arabian desert oil rig......

In 1970, a few years before the Arab oil embargo and subsequent energy shortage (and about five years before Zevon's song appeared), the price of gasoline was 36 cents a gallon. On a scale where 1982-1984 = 100, the Consumer Price Index was 38.8. In other words, gasoline prices in pennies were about identical to the Consumer Price Index. In April of 2001, the Consumer Price Index stood at 176.8, which once again means that the price of gasoline in pennies is about the same as the Consumer Price Index. Adjusting for overall inflation, gasoline does not cost much more today than it did in 1970.

Gasoline is a smaller share of the consumer budget today than it was in 1970. Moreover, real incomes are higher today than they were in 1970.

If you drive 10,000 miles per year in a car that gets 20 miles per gallon, you buy 500 gallons of gasoline per year. In 1970, this would have cost $180, and today this would cost $900.

However, in 1970, per capita income in the United States was $3600. Today, per capita income is over $25,000. 500 gallons of gasoline would have used up 5 percent of the average person's income in 1970, but it uses up only 3.6 percent of an average person's income today.

Moreover, you can get a lot farther on 500 gallons of gasoline now than you could in 1970. Today, you have the option of driving a car with much higher fuel efficiency than the cars that were available in 1970.

CUT from Arithmetic in a Whine