GOP Rolls Into Day 4 Of Gas-price Revolt, Gingrich Makes Appearance

By John Bresnahan

(The Politico)  House Republicans have begun Day 4 in their "Shadow Session" on gas prices, and former Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.)  is with them.

Rep. Adam Putnam (Fla.), chairman of the House Republican Conference, is with them today, making him the highest-ranking GOP leader to show up so far. Minority Whip Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) is expected later this afternoon, and Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) will probably be here on Friday.

There are some new faces among the 18 GOP members taking part in Wednesday's unofficial session, including Reps. Robert Aderholt (R-Ala.), Judy Biggert (R-Ill.), David Davis (R-Tenn.), John Doolittle (R-Calif.),  Ralph Hall (R-Texas), Patrick McHenry (R-N.Y.), Denny Rehberg (R-Mont.), and Christopher Shays (R-Conn.).

The Republican message is the same as it has been since Friday - Republicans want Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) to call the House back into a special session so lawmakers can vote on a comprehensive energy package, especially on allowing offshore drilling. Pelosi has refused to do so up until this point, and when Democrats adjourned the House quickly last Friday, before GOP lawmakers had a chance to go to the floor to bash Democrats on high gas prices, the "revolt" started.

At this point, Republicans don't have much new to say, although Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.) did compare Pelosi to Marie Antoinette at the GOP press conference this morning.

Pelosi and the Democrats counter that Republicans have a "drill only" mentality, and even if there was an expansion in offshore drilling, it would take years or even decades to have a real impact on prices at the pump.