Another look (cf. #S366) at the Arab oil crisis, six years old and going strong. Mr.

Metzenbaum, a member of the Senate's Energy and Natural Resources Committee, dispenses blame among OPEC, the oil companies, and, especially, the U.S. Department of Energy, but refuses, for all WFB's prodding, to consider President Carter's decontrol measure as a solution. (Note: When decontrol went into effect, the oil crisis quickly dissipated.) HM: "I'm sure you saw the story the other day where Mr. Schlesinger fears to prod the oil firms. Now isn't that unbelievable that the head of the Department of Energy is afraid of the oil companies?" WFB: "No, not at all. The White House is afraid of the New York Times." HM: "What about Bill Buckley. Are they afraid of him, too?" WFB: "No. However, I have certain rights that the government can't take away from me. I have the right to speak my mind, to practice my religion. The oil companies have the right to go out of business or not go out of business. We can't tell the oil companies, can we?, that they have to buy oil at $10 and sell it for $9." HM: "Nobody's asking them to do that." WFB: "Ah, sometimes you sound as though you were."