Saudis to Americans: "Screw You."

That's pretty much the message that President Bush got when he went hat-in-hand to ask the Saudis to increase oil production:

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia - Saudi Arabian leaders made clear Friday they see no reason to increase oil production until their customers demand it, apparently rebuffing President Bush amid soaring U.S. gasoline prices.

During Bush's second personal appeal this year to King Abdullah, Saudi officials stuck to their position that they are already meeting demand, the president's national security adviser told reporters.

"What they're saying to us is ... Saudi Arabia does not have customers that are making requests for oil that they are not able to satisfy," Stephen Hadley said on a day when oil prices topped $127 a barrel, a record high.

The Saudi government indicated that it is willing to put on the market whatever oil is necessary to meet the demand of its customers, Hadley said.

Bush has an opportunity to make some major political points out of this, but probably won't do it, especially after the hysterial reaction of the Dems to his Knesset speech. However, if he doesn't he will have missed a terrific opportunity to stick it to the Dems on an issue critical to the American public.

At a press event the president should say something like this:

"Friends, I've had to come here to Saudi Arabia to ask for increased oil production because Democrat politicians in our own Congress will not allow America to go and drill for oil in our own waters and on our own land. We are at the mercy of foreign nations because of these foolish restrictions. The Democrats claim they want us to be energy independent, but tie our hands in order to make that goal an impossibility. You can expect more of the same, only with even higher prices, if the Democrats continue to control access to America's energy resources."

The Dems would be apoplectic and could only sputter platitudes and nonsense slogans which the American public would see through in a second. Bush could really set them back on their heels.

But, of course, he probably won't do it and neither will McCain, especially since McCain is part of the foolish Congressional cabal that won't allow drilling in ANWR and offshore tracts that could help us solve our energy problems..