By Adam Entous
WASHINGTON, March 31 (Reuters) - The White House said it was concerned about rising gasoline prices but raised no public objections to OPEC's decision on Wednesday to cut oil production, fueling an election-year battle with Democratic challenger John Kerry over prices at the pump.
Kerry has seized on record gas prices as a new thrust in his campaign, accusing President George W. Bush -- a former Texas oilman -- of "inaction" and of breaking a 2000 pledge to step up pressure on the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries to keep prices low.
White House spokesman Scott McClellan said Bush was concerned about the prices paid by U.S. consumers, but declined to criticize OPEC's decision to cut crude oil production by 1 million barrels per day in April, a move that will tighten global supplies even more and may drive prices higher.
McClellan put the blame on Congress for failing to pass the Republican president's energy plan. Earlier this week, he played down the need for any short-term measures to address the problem.
But after OPEC's decision, a senior Energy Department official said the administration was looking at possible "short-term things" to address the issue, though he offered no specifics. Retail gasoline prices have soared to a record $1.76 per gallon.
Kerry blamed Bush for "old thinking" on solutions to energy problems, saying he "sent a message to OPEC that his administration will continue to be complacent about our dependency on foreign oil."
SAYS BUSH BROKE PLEDGE
"George Bush ran for president pledging to pressure OPEC to relieve high prices, but on his watch the problems have gotten worse and the solution has been surrender," he said.
Kerry said he would send such a real message to OPEC to relieve soaring costs. He also has pledged to drive down fuel costs by suspending replenishment of the nation's crude oil stockpile, the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve.
The White House, for now, opposes such a move. McClellan cited "independent analysts" as saying it would have a "negligible impact" on prices, and possibly compromise national security.
"You have to keep in mind that there are national security concerns involved when you're talking about that issue, particularly in light of Sept. 11," McClellan said.
While he stopped short of criticizing OPEC directly, McClellan said oil prices should be set by market forces and that "it's important for (major oil) producers not to take actions that hurt our economy."
In the 2000 presidential campaign, Bush said it was the president's job to "jawbone" OPEC producers by getting "on the phone with the OPEC cartel and say we expect you to open your spigots."
While McClellan said the administration "remained engaged in close discussion with major producers from around the world," he made clear that Bush himself did not press them directly to lift export restrictions to help control U.S. pump prices.
Democrats, however, jumped on Bush for not taking stronger action.
"If the Bush administration went after OPEC as hard as it went after Richard Clarke, our gas prices might not be so high," said Democratic Sen. Charles Schumer of New York, referring to the White House attack on its former counterterrorism official who criticized Bush's actions before Sept. 11, 2001.
Both Bush and Kerry have called for reducing the dozens of motor fuels that must be manufactured to meet state and local pollution requirements, so that supplies can be more interchangeable throughout the nation. (Additional reporting by Patricia Wilson and Chris Baltimore)