Don't worry, the whiners, and the tinfoil hat eeevil conspiracy, "give us free gas" conservatives will be here shortly. {sigh}
Did someone say "free gas"?
=p
I think the refinery problems might be a blessing in disguise. Let the price rise to $4 or $5 a gallon. People will change their lifestyles, and the silent majority might actually speak out and actually persuade Congress to do something.
Want free gas? Eat beans. We're going to be paying $3+ for gas for a long time. Heating oil is going to kill the northeast this year. We're going to start getting some old-fashioned stagflation. I hope Greenspan doesn't try raising interest rates again.
Katrina is one hell of a hard hit -- for the nation as a whole and the economy in particular. I pray that the jihadists don't take advantage of the situation to launch an attack.
I don't see anyone asking for free gas, but I don't see why conservatives shouldn't complain about no new refineries being built since 1976. The fact is government regulation and taxation is driving gas prices up. What is so evil about a (at least semi) free market?