Politics of Oil

In 2000, George W. Bush, while campaigning for President, was correct to criticize the Clinton administration for playing politics with the Strategic Petroleum Reserve just prior to the election. In 2004, he declared adamantly that the Strategic Petroleum Reserve would not be used in such a way. It is called the Strategic Petroleum Reserve because it safeguards our nation in times of crisis, not because it helps those in office win re-election. Those playing politics with the reserve know that their efforts have almost no impact on pricing. Such actions are meant to look like the government is taking serious action, but only truly impact popularity polls. So, how does "W" explain his latest action in the face of rising oil prices, deciding to use the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to his advantage? I've heard his supporters claim that he isn't the typical politician -- that Bush does what is right, not what is popular -- attempting to explain away his low popularity numbers. His flip-flop on this issue is strong evidence, as if any more were really needed, that Bush is an extremely unpopular politician (32% popularity in recent polls), and little more.