Bush: U.S. must break dependence on foreign oil

Okay, even I have to crack a smile on this political spin from the Bush White House. This is from CNN.Com:

PINEY POINT, Maryland (AP) -- President Bush said Monday the economy is growing steadily and jobs are plentiful, but the United States must work harder to break its dependency on foreign oil.

Making a Labor Day appearance at Maryland's Paul Hall Center for Training and Education, which offers vocational training to Seafarer's International Union members, Bush said that "dependence on foreign oil jeopardizes our ability to grow."

"Problem is, we get oil from some parts of the world, and they simply don't like us," he said. "The more dependent we are on that type of energy, the less likely it will be that we are able to compete and so people can have good paying jobs."

Okay, so the president is saying our economy is growing steadily and jobs are plentiful. For this moment, I'll accept President Bush's claim that the economy is moving along swimmingly. So what is the big danger that could stall the economy, but the U.S. dependence upon foreign oil? The president says that we get oil from parts of the world that don't like us--mainly the Middle East. Okay, if that is the case Mr. President, then why are we sitting in Iraq? Why are we sitting in the center of region that especially hates us and wants us out of there? Are we in Iraq because we want their oil?

Okay, so let's accept this assumption by the president that there are parts of the world that doesn't like us, even though we need their oil to keep our economy running and keep Americans working in good paying jobs. What must we do to break this dependence on foreign oil and keep our economy running smoothly? Well, President Bush tosses out some cool buzzwords such as battery-operated cars, ethanol, and nuclear technology. He doesn't say anything about energy conservation.

And then there is this wonderful statement:

Bush again called on Congress to make permanent a host of tax cuts, saying, "I like it when people working for a living have more after-tax money in their pocket."

He said people in all walks of life should work hard to ensure that "our workers have the skills necessary to compete in the 21st Century."

Looking at this speech, it is so scatter-brained. Now I know that the CNN story is fairly short, and that President Bush is making the same type of stump speech he's been making for the past couple of years, but even here the train of thought is so illogical. Bush is claiming that we have to make the tax cuts permanent so that his supply-sided economic program will continue to expand the economy and provide good paying jobs to Americans, while also somehow weaning the United States off the foreign oil addiction.

Does that make sense to you?