Both parties pitch proposals to lower gas prices

By Lisa Mascaro

Monday, July 14, 2008 | 4:11 p.m.

WASHINGTON -- The battle over who can convince voters they have the solution to $4 a gallon gas is in full swing on the Hill.

Republicans, increasingly emboldened by polls showing public support for more drilling as part of their "all of the above" energy strategy, are trying to swing Democrats, who believe the country cannot drill its way out of the crisis and must rely more heavily on conservation and green energy sources.

After President Bush announced his executive order this afternoon to rollback restrictions on off-shore drilling, Republicans spent the day chiming in. They plan to unveil a petition Tuesday signed by 1.3 million Americans urging Congress to do something to lower the pain at the pump.

Democrats, meanwhile, noted that today was Day Five of their call for Bush to free up oil in the strategic petroleum reserve, believing that single act could immediately lower prices.

Democrats dismissed Bush’s call for more drilling, and are not likely to take up the congressional action needed to make it so. They repeated their concern that oil companies are already sitting on 68 million acres of leased federal land, and they should develop that before they set up shop along coastlines.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid called Bush’s announcement a "political gimmick," and promised to unveil legislation this week to rein in oil market speculators who many experts believe are driving up prices.