GOP leaders urge price-gouging probe on gas

This is off CNN.Com:

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Congressional GOP leaders on Monday formally called on President Bush to launch an investigation into possible price gouging by oil companies, as gas costs shot up nearly 25 cents a gallon in two weeks.

"Anyone who is trying to take advantage of this situation while American families are forced into making tough choices over whether to fill up their cars or severely cut back their budgets should be investigated and prosecuted," House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Illinois, and Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tennessee, wrote in a letter to President Bush. "Therefore, we believe that Federal law enforcement agencies and regulators should take every available step to ensure that all Federal laws protecting American consumers from price-fixing, collusion, gouging and other anti-competitive practices are vigorously enforced."

Hastert and Frist asked Bush to direct the Justice Department and Federal Trade Commission to investigate the rising oil prices and also will request that certain areas be exempt from having to use a more expensive but cleaner blend of gasoline.

They also asked Bush to direct the Justice Department and Federal Trade Commission to investigate the rising oil prices and also will request that certain areas be exempt from having to use a more expensive but cleaner blend of gasoline.

I have one question to ask both Mr. Hastert, and Mr. Frist--why are you both not calling for congressional investigations into possible price gouging? Why are you both not calling for the top oil executives to testify before Congress--under oath--regarding these high gas prices? It is almost like both Hastert and Frist seem powerless to do anything regarding these high gas prices, even though their Republican Party controls Congress--why don't the two of you take some cajones and do something about these gas prices?

But that would anger the Republican Big Oil constituents who just love to give big campaign contributions to Republicans such as Dennis Hastert and Bill Frist.

So instead of taking their own initiative, both Hastert and Frist are willing to pass the buck over to the White House and President Bush--who also seems powerless to do anything regarding these high gas prices. Remember Bush's response to these high gas prices?

President Bush on Friday acknowledged the pain but seemed resigned to being able to do little about it.

"I know the folks here are suffering at the gas pump," the president said while promoting his competitiveness initiative at the Silicon Valley headquarters of Internet networking company Cisco Systems Inc. "Rising gasoline prices is like taking a — is like a tax, particularly on the working people and the small-business people."

But to address the immediate problem, Bush offered only a pledge that "if we find any price gouging it will be dealt with firmly."

So where else can we put the deck chairs on the Titantic?