Some people are horrified by tragedy and saddened by misery. Other people see opportunities in both.

9/11 was a tragedy for this country, but Bush and company used it as an excuse to do what they had wanted to do for a long time before this tragic event—invade Iraq. The misery at the gas pump Americans have been experiencing in recent months has provided yet another opportunity for Bush and the Republicans to promote an old idea that had little previous traction—offshore and ANWR drilling.

Searching through the waste bin for castaway ideas that were never good to begin with, and are no better in meeting contemporary needs than they ever were, may turn heads during times when heads are easily turned. But it’s a low form of politics. An approach that rarely if ever merits support.