Playing at being a Republican policy maker

I see now that the Senate Republicans have another great idea up their sleeve, a $100 check to everyone in America to lessen the gas crunch. Tied to it, however, is opening up the ANWR to drilling.

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Every American taxpayer would get a $100 rebate check to offset the pain of higher pump prices for gasoline, under an amendment Senate Republicans hope to bring to a vote Thursday.

However, the GOP energy package may face tough sledding because it also includes a controversial proposal to open part of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska to oil exploration, which most Democrats and some moderate Republicans oppose.

Let's see. There are probably about 170 million adult Americans. So, we're talking about perhaps $20 billion to process and pay the rebate checks. That might fill two or three tanks at today's gas prices. That's probably less than a week's driving for those who are really feeling the pinch. Whoopee!

Meanwhile, we get to destroy the environment and enrich the big oil companies too. That's just great!

Let's see if we can come up with something else to make this thing really fly. Let's see, maybe we don't give the rebate to out-of-the-closet gays. We certainly won't give it to the African Americans who were displaced by Katrina, because we don't know where they are. Perhaps we should also exempt the poor and lower middle class from the rebate, since they don't deserve it. After all, they don't contribute as much to the economy as the CEOs of the world.

I've got it. Let's just give the rebate to the richest 1%. That'll reduce the cost alot.