To the Point

Addicted to Oil: National Security and the Environment

In his State of the Union address, President George W. Bush called for cutting dependence on Middle East oil by 75% in the next 20 years. The former oil man said that America's "addiction" to oil can be broken by new technology, including clean coal, nuclear power and cutting-edge methods of producing ethanol. While even critics call that a positive rhetorical change, they complain that President's budget is cutting back on the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and ask whether he has a real alternative program. One of the top White House environmental advisors will outline the President's plans. Environmentalists will ask, why not include increased mileage standards for automobiles? What about global warming? We also get reaction from the Middle East. Are oil exporters worried?Making News: Will Boehner and the GOP Get Tough on Lobbying?Republicans in Congress have chosen Ohio's John Boehner to replace Tom DeLay of Texas as their leader, but the shadow of Jack Abramoff still hangs over the majority party. Jeffrey Birnbaum, author of The Money Men: The Real Story of Fundraising's Influence on Political Power in America, writes the "K Street Confidential" column for the Washington Post. Reporter's Notebook: Study Shows Many Supersized Ex-NFL Players Die YoungThis year's National Football League season began with the death of a San Francisco 49er. At 315 pounds, 23 year-old Thomas Herrion collapsed and died in the locker room. An autopsy showed that his heart was scarred and oversized and that one artery was blocked. In Sunday's Super Bowl, fans will see some of the heaviest athletes this side of Japanese Sumo wrestling. John Lindsay is a sports reporter who worked on a recent study of obesity in football for Scripps Howard News.