And if drilling does go on the table?

Pat Tiberi has been making the rounds, trying to strike a pose that makes him look reasonable on energy. He says he favors an "all of the above approach" that includes drilling, conservation, and innovation.

While that does, in fact, sound reasonable when put that way, there are a couple of reasons that Pat's position is a little less appealing than he makes it out to be. The first is that his favored "all of the above" approach includes things like removing regulations regarding nuclear waste and putting oil refineries on public land.

The second is that there is no evidence that Tiberi would consider a bi-partisan effort to create an "all-of-the-above" approach. John Boehner, who plays Emperor to Tiberi's Vader, just made this proclamation about a Democratic plan that includes drilling:

While the Speaker now claims to embrace a comprehensive energy plan that includes more conservation, more innovation, and more American energy production, the fact is her new effort appears to be just another flawed plan that will do little to lower gas prices.

What Boehner is saying here is that he won't vote for anything but his "flawed plan that will do little to lower gas prices." And with that, we can see just how much the GOP actually cares about energy independence.

h/t plunderbund.