Senate Democrats are accusing President George W. Bush of an "absence of leadership" for failing to slow the rapid rise of U.S. gasoline prices, which now has passed the three dollars per gallon mark in parts of the country. The 15 senators signing the letter include Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, and senators Joe Biden, Hillary Clinton, John Kerry and Joe Lieberman.

http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7003235222

and b.) forget their environmentalist principals when the going gets tough

California is proposing to mandate reductions of carbon dioxide, which 10 other states, including Massachusetts and New York, want to impose, too. It is not a good sign for Democratic leadership on the issue of climate change that two of its leading potential presidential candidates in 2008 do not have their John Hancocks on the letter, and the leading potential Republican candidate does.

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/editorials/articles/2006/04/17/climate_change_no_ shows/

It's so frustrating. This is an issue that has wide support among the scientific realists, the left in general, the environmentalists, and most sensible people, but for some reason (polling and a big vote-counting computer program, I bet) the Democrats simply can't get on board...