ABC News contributor Donna Brazile on Sunday - like so many Obama-loving media members have in recent months - said, "The president can't control gas prices."
This led George Will to marvelously ask of his This Week co-panelist, "If he can stop the seas from rising, why can't he bring down gas prices?" (video follows with transcript and commentary):
DONNA BRAZILE, ABC NEWS CONTRIBUTOR: Well, first of all, you put forward a proposal and you say, look, I'm trying to lower gas prices. I've come up with a proposal that will end all of this speculation, that will put more feds to ensure that people are not driving up the gas prices because of capital investments.
The truth is, is that the president can't control gas prices. I come from a petroleum-producing state, and we can drill all day, we can pump all day, and, by the way, it's two-year anniversary of the BP oil spill, and I'm still worried about marine life in the gulf.
GEORGE WILL: But there's something about our obsession with the imperial presidency -- it's true in both parties -- that says nothing's out of our control. After all, Mr. Obama, the night he clinched the nomination, said this will be the moment when the rise of the seas stop. Well, if he can stop the seas from rising, why can't he bring down gas prices?
For those that have forgotten:
But I digress:
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS, HOST: The president can admit that everything's out of control.
PEGGY NOONAN, WALL STREET JOURNAL: Can he admit it? No. But...
WILL: Why not?
NOONAN: But I think...
WILL: It's true.
NOONAN: Well...
(CROSSTALK)
BRAZILE: Production is up, and still gas prices continue to fluctuate.
WILL: Presidents would be...
NOONAN: Yeah, but something like the -- the pipeline comes through, the Keystone pipeline, he can make a decision that can be helpful or not helpful. I don't think it -- it helps if he just says, oh, my gosh, everything is beyond my abilities. He could seriously back some proposals that might be helpful.
WILL: But that's what we need, surely, is a president who will look the American people in the eye and say, you know, there's an awful lot in this complicated world government can't do a darn thing about. And they would be so much happier.
Yes we would, George. Yes we would.
Readers should also see "Donna Brazile Endorses George Will for Vice President."
