Robert McMahon
2008-05-07 07:00:00.0
Current rank: Not ranked

WASHINGTON -

Each uptick in prices at U.S. gasoline pumps seems to heighten the importance of energy as an election-year issue. Polls reflect widespread concerns about hardship caused by rising gas prices. On a broader scale, a new report by the Confidence in U.S. Foreign Policy Index found surging worries about the implications of the cost of energy for foreign policy. ...

Six out of 10 Americans believe reducing energy dependence would strengthen national security “a great deal.” So with gas prices nationally averaging about $3.60 per gallon, it was not a surprise to find presidential aspirants ... seizing on the issue. But the debate so far has met with moans from many policy analysts looking for far-reaching solutions to the country’s energy problems. ...

In some ways, the Washington energy policy debate appears stalled again, with one side insisting on boosting fossil-fuel resources and the other seeking to put more emphasis on spurring alternatives.

By the end of last year, there seemed to be momentum among lawmakers for a new approach to energy problems beyond a policy described by The Wall Street Journal as “enjoy cheap oil.” ... But few on the campaign trail or in Congress have been calling for immediate sacrifices by Americans, whose gasoline use continued to increase monthly through March despite rising prices.

Read more at www.cfr.org.