This year their rationale is the collapse of a bridge in Minnesota -- one out of 600,000 bridges nationwide. 

Last year, it was to reduce our dependence on foreign oil by forcing all lower-income Americans to ride bicycles or walk, while liberal legislators moved around in gas-guzzling limousines and Lear jets.  

Last week a gallon of regular unleaded cost $2.83.  Federal taxes account for 18.4 cents of that cost. 

Jim Oberstar (D-Minn) -- chairman of the House Transportation Committee -- wants to raise that to 23.4 cents per gallon. 

Rep. John Mica, the ranking Republican on Oberstar's committee, said of the proposal "[a] knee-jerk reaction to the critical problem facing our transportation and infrastructure systems... ." 

He's right!  Every time a disaster occurs, the liberals do two knee-jerk things: (1) blame it on President Bush and (2) call for a tax increase.

Thus left-wing talk show host Ed Schultz led the chorus of Bush Bashers, proclaiming that the only reason the bridge collapsed is because President Bush didn't give Minnesota sufficient funds to maintain it.  I guess he assumed that liberal listeners were too dumb to realize that Congress rather than the President is in charge of appropriations.

Joseph Romm - who served in Bill Clinton's Department of Energy -- suggested the collapse was the result of global warming -- and liberals think that conservative Republicans are responsible for that!  

CNN's Jack Cafferty on Thursday suggested that the Minneapolis bridge collapse tragedy was the result of "pouring [money] into Iraq" and could be better spent "at home."

Use the hyperlink below to send your 25 urgent Blast Fax messages to President Bush and the leadership in the House and Senate. 

Tell them unequivocally that Americans don't want gas taxes raised, particularly in light of today's current prices. 

Commend the President for saying, in effect, that if enough funds haven't been allotted to bridge repair, then get rid of the earmarks that have gobbled up a lion's share of the federal budget.