WaPo Ignores Republican Criticism of Lack of Drilling in Energy Bill

Washington Post staffers Jonathan Weisman and Steven Mufson gaver readers of the December 7 paper an article on a "comprehensive energy bill" that passed the House of Representatives without delving into Republican criticism that the bill lacks any provision to produce or procure more energy domestically, such as from interior and off-shore natural gas and oil reserves.

Weisman and Mufson noted in the lede that the bill will raise "fuel-efficiency standards" and "require increased use of renewable energy sources" and later quickly dispatched with Republican opposition by finely chopping Minority Leader Rep. John Boehner's (R-Ohio) criticism:

Even House Minority Leader John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) -- who assails the measure as a "no-energy" bill and as a tax increase that would raise, not lower, energy costs -- lauded the CAFE (corporate average fuel efficiency) standards as a good and reasonable compromise.

Oh really? On it's "Online Newshour" Web page, PBS -- hardly a right-wing news venue -- gave readers more of Boehner's critical quote:

Republicans derided it as a "no energy bill" because it doesn't open new U.S. acreage to oil and natural gas drilling, Reuters reported. They said the bill will do nothing to curb soaring prices for gasoline and home heating fuels.

[...]

"There's nothing in here that's going to lower gas prices in America ... nothing that is going to help American families deal with heating costs this winter ... nothing to increase production," said Republican leader John Boehner of Ohio.

In the Washington Post front pager, not once do the words "drilling" or "natural gas" occur, although Republicans and conservatives often hit environmentalists and Democrats for opposing drilling for natural gas in the Rockies or for oil in ANWR or the Gulf of Mexico.