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The DOE'S zigzags have brought Energy Secretary James Schlesinger under such heavy fire that White House advisers urged Carter either to fire him or to defend him publicly. Carter chose the second course; Press Secretary Jody Powell said last week that Schlesinger had been "as effective as anyone can be," given the situation." Schlesinger actually offered his resignation to Carter in April, but now he regards himself as the messenger despised because he brings bad news. He is determined to stay on. But Schlesinger is so unpopular in Congress, one DOE official confesses, that "just saying we favor something can create votes against it."
Not that Congress needs any such incentive. Having rejected Carter's conservation and stand-by gas rationing proposals, the legislators are now rebelling against his plan to phase out price controls on domestically produced crude oil beginning in June. Carter decided on decontrol in the hope that higher prices would both discourage consumption and stimulate production—and also in the belief that Congress wanted to end controls.
But the House Democratic Caucus last week voted 138 to 69 to continue controls. The vote will have no effect unless it is repeated by the full House and Senate, and in the upper chamber oil-state Senators probably could sustain a filibuster against continued controls. But the revolt does underline Carter's inability to get a consensus, even within his own party, on any kind of energy policy.
The rebellion against decontrol was led by Anthony ("Toby") Moffett, 34, who once headed Ralph Nader's organization in Connecticut and has become a leader of the "Watergate babies"—the highly independent Congressmen elected in 1974.
Believing that Congress should not simply oppose, Moffett is also pushing his own plan to force every driver to choose one day a week on which he would keep his car or cars in the garage. The motorist would get a windshield sticker identifying the day he chose not to drive; if caught on the road on the forbidden day, he would be subject to arrest and a fine.
If that is to be Congress's answer to the gas shortage, it leaves a lot to be desired. Carter has told congressional leaders that he doubts the plan is practical.
Moffett himself concedes it would be hard to enforce and, in fact, is difficult to draft in proper language. But he adds: "It's a choice between this and three-mile lines at the gas stations and shootouts at the pumps, California style."
Not yet; the shortage is not that bad.
But it could turn drastic in the future if OPEC continues to restrict production and jack up prices, as it is doing now. Meanwhile, American energy policy is not being made by the Government at all, but by gas-station owners, oil companies and a very bewildered public.