This brings us to the ever-growing influence of Congress to intrude on every aspect of our lives. The hubris that is cultivated by Congress' expansionary and spendthrift ways (as highlighted by the Citizens Against Government Waste's annual Congressional Pigbook) now extends to the emulation of God. For Congress now proposes to amend further the first day of creation. The House Energy and Commerce Committee has intoned his own version of "Let there be light":

Lawmakers crafting energy legislation approved an amendment Wednesday to extend daylight-saving time by two months, having it start on the first Sunday in March and end on the last Sunday in November...

"The more daylight we have, the less electricity we use," said [Congressman Ed] Markey, who cited Transportation Department estimates that showed the two-month extension would save the equivalent of 10,000 barrels of oil a day.

The country uses about 20 million barrels of oil a day.

Of course, the government cannot conjure up "more daylight," as Markey implies, and what light you give to the evening you also take from the morning. Like King Canute, these politicians have become so drunk with power through their daily practice of dictating the minute details of our lives that they think can impose their will on nature. In this case, it is to create more natural light (read: renewable solar energy) by legislation.

Incidentally, note how Rep. Markey suggests we could save 10,000 barrels of oil per day by moving the day forward. But, even the ardent leftists at the Socialist Worker concede the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge could yield 1 million barrels per day. That would certainly make a bigger impact on our energy shortage.