Ah, the "World's Greatest Debating Society"

So Senator Bingaman (D, N.M.) says that high gas prices aren't the result of either the incredibly slow (read: immobile) permitting process for drilling in the Gulf of Mexico, or because of Cap and Trade.  So what makes the gas prices high?

He closed by arguing that only reducing the country’s overall dependence on foreign oil would result in long-term relief at the pump.

Actually, this is not half bad analysis for a Senator.  The Senate, as you will recall from The Devil's Dictionary, is an august body of distinguished gentlemen, charged with high responsibilities and misdemeanors.  So score one for the Senator for having at least a shadow of a clue.

And then he keeps flapping his yap.  The solution to foreign oil?

“First, we need to enable further expansion of our renewable fuel industry, which is currently facing infrastructure and financing constraints,” he said.  “Second, we need to move forward the timeline for market penetration of electric vehicles.  Finally, we need to make sure we use natural gas vehicles in as many applications as make sense based on that technology.”

So let's replace expensive imported petroleum with more expensive "renewable" fuels.  Let's replace expensive imported petroleum with $50,000 electric cars that go 25 miles before they need to be recharged.  The Natural Gas idea isn't bad, but that means he scores a 33%, for not even a Gentleman's D.  It's a flat out F, as in Fail.

What did Senator Dim Bulb leave out of the mix, for reducing imported petroleum?  increasing the number of permits to drill in the Gulf?  Hello?  Bueller?

Sigh.  An energy production chokepoint caused by the Fed.Gov, leading to higher prices (or preventing the mitigation of same; it amounts to the same thing).  The solution: Democratic Party environmental policy!

Senator Bingaman's education clearly did not include The Devil's Dictionary, which would have helped him avoid his current oratorical style:

SOPHISTRY, n. The controversial method of an opponent, distinguished from one's own by superior insincerity and fooling.

His insincerity is superior, at least.