Might as well face it

President Bush finally has confessed his addiction, and pledged to cut back on the finer-grade stuff.

"America is addicted to oil," Bush states in his State of the Union address. Yet his goal is to reduce only Middle East imports. No need to go cold turkey. Twenty years should do the trick.

He follows with an education pledge to double basic research spending over 10 years. In real terms that may prove next to no increase at all, provided anyone is left who can do the math.