Congressman Doc Hastings (R-WA) has made an effort to get us back on track with the issues of domestic importance which matter most this week with a new op-ed at Roll Call. In it, he addresses what, as most of you know, I consider the key issue facing the nation today which ties in to every other domestic and foreign policy concern: energy policy. He doesn’t pull any punches, either.

With gasoline prices quickly surging to $4 per gallon and beyond, pinching the pockets of families and business across the country, it’s no surprise that gasoline has become a regular talking point in President Barack Obama’s stump speech. Yet instead of offering real solutions, the president is telling the American people that there’s “not much we can do” about high prices. He’s waving the white flag of defeat — essentially telling Americans to get used to paying more than $4 for gasoline.

It’s not just about what President Obama can do tomorrow to address higher prices, it’s about what he’s done over the past two years to get us to this point. The president’s attempt to deflect criticism and his ‘don’t blame me’ attitude expose how out-of-touch he is with reality and the everyday needs of American families. President Obama has an energy plan — it’s just not one to increase American energy production. Instead, President Obama’s plan is to block, delay and tax American energy.

Regular readers don’t need me to run down the entire list of offenses we’ve seen in this area over the last two years, but Congressman Hastings sums them up quite nicely. We’re talking about a minimum of 12,000 jobs directly lost because of the drilling permitoreum and who knows how many related support industry jobs lost. We’re talking about stifling energy production in our own country across all sectors, even as those doing the stifling bemoan the high cost of energy. We’re talking about executive branch efforts to skirt the legislative process through departmental policy initiatives, regulations and fees which are only thinly veiled energy taxes.

Yes, I’m very happy that bin Laden is dead. Well done. Now it’s time to get back to work shoring up the ship at home, which is listing badly and in danger of going down. Our thanks to Congressman Hastings for penning this much needed analysis.