The recent jump in the price of oil has brought out the usual reaction from both parties in the Congress, featuring the usual amount of blame game and finger pointing.
"The Obama Administration has consistently blocked American energy production that would lower costs and create new jobs," charged Speaker John Boehner, as he convened a news conference with key GOP lawmakers, vowing to push forward on the "American Energy Initiative."
"Our committees are fully engaged," said the Speaker, as he noted that Americans "want solutions" to high energy prices, as he blamed the White House for doing little to keep gas prices in check.
But over at the White House, there was a different view of who was responsible for what.
Q: John Boehner says high gas prices is all the President’s fault, or largely the President’s fault. They’ve doubled since he came into office, and he says he’s consistently blocked efforts to increase domestic oil production. Your response?
MR. CARNEY: How could that be, since domestic oil production is higher -- was higher last year than in any year since 2003? This President is committed to responsible production of energy, including oil, in this country.
The pushback from White House Press Secretary Jay Carney fulfilled that side of this very familiar drama, as the Politics of Oil have become fairly routine thing when the gas pump starts showing prices near $4/gallon.
Back in 2006, Senate Republicans went as far as to propose a $100 rebate for consumers to help them deal with gasoline price increases, which would have been paid for with a change in oil industry accounting rules.
Exxon Mobil's CEO told lawmakers that was nothing more than a tax.
In April of 2006, President Bush rejected the idea of a windfall profits tax on the oil industry, arguing that would hurt economic growth.
The next year, gas prices went back of $3/gallon, and Democrats were again on the offensive, voting to strip a series of preferential tax breaks for the oil and gas industry, and threatening a windfall profits tax as well.
One year later, it was Democrats in the Congress who were on the defensive over high oil prices, as they tried to fight back against GOP plans for more oil and gas exploration.
That was when "Drill, baby, drill" was the buzz phrase.
Over the years, you can toss in a few GOP efforts to open up the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to drilling in Alaska, and a few efforts by Democrats to take away an inadvertent break on royalties for offshore exploration and this show has been on the Congressional TV Network before.
So, after yesterday's attack by Republican leaders in the Congress, President Obama will hold a news conference today at the White House, to address rising energy prices.
About now, I often get asked a simple question - when will the two parties compromise on oil energy?
My answer is always the same - when gas prices are about $8/gallon.
