The Head Lemming...

...Is about to lead her party off of a political cliff:

WASHINGTON — A plan to lift the ban on coastal drilling is stalled on Capitol Hill, for one simple reason: A Californian who opposes President Bush's proposal is calling the shots in the House of Representatives.

Despite growing public support for ending the ban, even in California, Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she won't allow a vote.

"I have no plans to do so," Pelosi said Thursday.

It's an example of the vast power placed in the office of the speaker, who sets the agenda for the 435-member House. Members can force a vote if enough of them sign a petition, but that's a rarity because it requires rank-and-file Democrats to line up against their boss.

In this case, Pelosi is going against a rising tide of public opinion. Faced with rapidly increasing gasoline prices, 73 percent of Americans now favor offshore drilling, according to a poll conducted by CNN/Opinion Research Corp (emphases added).

So, the high and mighty Ms. Pelosi, in her never-ending quest to appease the small percentage of enviro-whackos, is more than willing to lead her party to thwart the will of 73 percent of the American people. That, by definition, includes democrats. The same Nancy Pelosi that led the Congress to single-digit popularity. The worst Speaker in the History of the U.S. House, who actually had the gonads to label the Bush Presidency a "total failure" (when Bush himself has three times the positive approval rating as does Pelosi!)

Ms. Pelosi--if you actually want to lead your party to thwart the will of 73 percent of the American electorate, knock yourselves out.

Word to the Republicans (including John McCain): Energy is your issue. You own it. Use the issue as a sledgehammer, use it often, and use it mercilessly. Those bastards deserve it.