(continued) will Rep. Walden agitate for lower tax rates? What about Walden’s earmarks of over $46 million? Will he think about lowering his earmarks, in light of the federal government’s record profits?

* * * * *

As Ronald Bailey of Reason writes: “Finally, if Congress wants to blame someone for high oil prices, blame the benighted oil producing countries that have underinvested in oil production for at least a decade. But Congressional grandstanders can’t haul the likes of Venezuela’s Chavez, Russia’s Putin, and Iran’s Ahmadinejad to their hearing rooms.”

The spectacle of the House blaming the oil companies in a free market for high prices would be bizarre, if it didn’t happen so often.

And, perhaps, if the oil companies weren't making the highest profits of any corporation in history. In the UK, they've been accused of "profiteering" and told to return a greater share of their unimaginable wealth to the people who have no choice but to buy their products (and the products of everyone else who must ship at high prices), or face stiffer taxation.

And, perhaps, if the oil companies weren't accumulating part of their profits by government welfare, in the form of tax subsidies.

As much of an abuser as big government can be, big business is often demonstrably worse.