"Baby, I promise...this time is going to be different."

Will of MSNBC's Clicked has a nice roundup of all the other times G.W. promised action on the reduction of oil-dependence front. Why anybody got excited about his latest, boldest announcement when it's basically the same spiel he's been giving without following up on since 2002 is a mystery to me. Here:

• 2002 — "This Congress must act to encourage conservation, promote technology, build infrastructure, and it must act to increase energy production at home so America is less dependent on foreign oil."
• 2003 — "I have sent you a comprehensive energy plan to promote energy efficiency and conservation, to develop cleaner technology, and to produce more energy at home. ... Tonight I'm proposing $1.2 billion in research funding so that America can lead the world in developing clean, hydrogen-powered automobiles."
• 2004 — "Consumers and businesses need reliable supplies of energy to make our economy run -- so I urge you to pass legislation to modernize our electricity system, promote conservation, and make America less dependent on foreign sources of energy."
• 2005 — "And my budget provides strong funding for leading-edge technology -- from hydrogen-fueled cars, to clean coal, to renewable sources such as ethanol."
• 2006 — So tonight, I announce the Advanced Energy Initiative -- a 22-percent increase in clean-energy research -- at the Department of Energy, to push for breakthroughs in two vital areas. To change how we power our homes and offices, we will invest more in zero-emission coal-fired plants, revolutionary solar and wind technologies, and clean, safe nuclear energy.
  We must also change how we power our automobiles. We will increase our research in better batteries for hybrid and electric cars, and in pollution-free cars that run on hydrogen. We'll also fund additional research in cutting-edge methods of producing ethanol, not just from corn, but from wood chips and stalks, or switch grass.

A word on Will: I'm generally not a great fan of the professional blog on bloggers format. But I make an exception for Will because he's sharp, he digs up genuinely interesting stuff, and he's not afraid to inject some personality once in a while. Keep on clicking, Will.

I mean, who else will tell me about airborne wind power, the twelve best new buildings in the world and Brokeback to the Future in the same post?