Republicans on the Hill are criticizing President Obama's trial balloon notion of releasing oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR). While the White House insists no decision on tapping the SPR has been made - they haven't figured which way the political wind is blowing on the issue - the GOP insists that Obama's recognition that "supply matters" means that he should build the Keystone pipeline and open other areas to oil exploration. The Hill: In response, the White House has launched a full-court press to undercut Republican efforts to blame Obama's energy policies for the high prices. The president has made four high-profile energy speeches during the last month and he will travel to Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Ohio on Wednesday and Thursday to continue touting his energy plan. Obama has stressed that there are no quick-fixes to high gas prices, while also reassuring the public that he is doing everything within his power to give consumers relief. He has...(Read Full Post)