Can't Win for Losing?

"In fact, an investigation by the Daily News - using the best available numbers for Bush's travel since Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast, for the performance of Air Force One and for jet fuel prices - estimates that Bush's hurricane travel has cost $169,314 for jet fuel alone. . . .

"After the president was criticized for merely flying over the Gulf region at the height of the post-Katrina chaos, he traveled to New Orleans or Mississippi three times in 10 days. The third time, the main purpose was to use historic Jackson Square as a backdrop for an address to the nation. Each New Orleans jaunt was roughly 2,176 miles and cost $19,977.

"On Sept. 23, Bush flew to Colorado Springs to see the military command post for monitoring Hurricane Rita. The meeting, which was shown on national TV on a tape delay, was one that seemed to be a candidate for videoconferencing. Bush's flight to Colorado cost an estimated $24,606 for jet fuel."

And the press just couldn't get enough of the White House's own energy-conserving moves, announced by spokesman Scott McClellan in his first gaggle yesterday.

Elisabeth Bumiller writes in the New York Times: "On Monday morning, President Bush called on all Americans to conserve gasoline by driving less. By Tuesday morning, he had come up with some specific advice for his White House staff: take the bus.

"And that was just the beginning. The president also directed his staff members to turn down the air-conditioning; scale back nonessential travel; turn off copiers, computers and printers at night; form carpools; and use public transportation."

Blogger Wonkette weighed in with this observation: "These measures aren't meaningless, of course, they're just trivial. Even worse: They were supposedly enacted in 2001, proudly announced in a statement on the " White House Energy Savings Plan." So, you know, keep turning out those lights. The only real difference in this year's conservation measures is the promise to consider shortening the press motorcade, which this White House can hardly consider a sacrifice."

Side Note

Did Bush on Monday really call for a new era of energy conservation to bring down high gas prices and reduce dependence on fossil fuels? You might think so judging from some of the press coverage.

But look at what Bush actually said on Monday.

Bush was talking very specifically about how Hurricane Rita, on the heels of Hurricane Katrina, had affected the distribution of gasoline and that the administration had relaxed a handful of rules to minimize any disruptions. And he spoke about some problems getting gas to retailers in Houston.

It was in that very specific context that he ad libbed the following:

"[W]e can all pitch in by using -- by being better conservers of energy. I mean, people just need to recognize that the storms have caused disruption and that if they're able to maybe not drive when they -- on a trip that's not essential, that would [be] helpful. The federal government can help, and I've directed the federal agencies nationwide -- and here's some ways we can help. We can curtail nonessential travel. If it makes sense for the citizen out there to curtail nonessential travel, it darn sure makes sense for federal employees. We can encourage employees to carpool or use mass transit. And we can shift peak electricity use to off-peak hours. There's ways for the federal government to lead when it comes to conservation."