Inside the Beltway

Gas conspiracy

It’s been exactly one month since Brian J. Kennedy, communications director for the House Resources Committee, suspected that the Democratic Party was nearing completion of a four-part strategy to obfuscate simple supply and demand principles and obstruct passage of President Bush’s national energy policy.

“Here is how it works,” he said.

• “Step One: Avoid directly addressing problem at all costs. If confronted on solutions, vote No.”

• “Step Two: Bloviate about the evils of ‘Big Oil’ and SUVs (Yes, even though [senators and congressmen] drive one, are driven around in one, or have a private Gulfstream jet).”

• “Step Three: Call for investigations on price gouging, point fingers, and assign blame.”

• “Step Four: Repeat steps one, two, and three until issue goes away (prices temporarily decline).”

The third step was completed the very day Mr. Kennedy issued his prophecy. Seven Democratic state attorneys general joined a Democratic senator in asking authorities to investigate whether oil and gas companies have colluded to drive up gasoline prices.

Now, Inside the Beltway has obtained “daily talking points” provided this week to Democratic congressmen, cheat sheets of sorts instructing them what to tell the public about gas prices. As Mr. Kennedy predicted, all 10 points call for probes of gas price gouging, blame the Bush administration for being “in the pocket” of big oil companies, and blame House Republicans for “doing their dirty work.”

Sure enough, as gas prices drop nationwide this week, step four is complete.

Simple solution

In convening yesterday’s hearing on the Family Movie Act, Rep. Lamar Smith, Texas Republican and chairman of the House Judiciary subcommittee on courts, the Internet and intellectual property, said the legislation would help ensure that parents can provide a wholesome home environment for their children — arguably more difficult today than when Mr. Smith was a lad.

“A generation ago, there was not near the amount of sex, violence and profanity on television and in movies that there is today,” he said. “But I still remember how my parents dealt with it. … They would get up and turn the television off.”

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