With over 3,000 U.S. soldiers and 150,000 Iraqis testifying to the effectiveness of the Rumsfeld strategy, a maybe-although-we’re-not-really-sure-but-not-yet-nuclear and belligerent Iran [pdf], and an energy policy drafted by the Ministry of Silly Walks, this is what President Bush says to reporters regarding his impending talks with King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia:

“It’s affected our families. Paying more for gasoline hurts some of the American families, and I’ll make that clear to him.”

Yes, Bush is lobbying OPEC to pump more oil, and to do so because gas prices are hurting American families. Never mind that rising oil prices are ineluctable given finite supplies and that slowly rising oil prices are probably a good thing for U.S. energy policy and innovation. Never mind that of all problems directly affecting the United States in the Middle East, the President is ready to spend diplomatic capital to save Americans - what, ten, twenty cents per gallon? - at the gas tank. I just hope Abdullah is moved.