Crossroads GPS, Karl Rove’s super PAC, is spending $1.7 million in six swing states to attack Obama’s energy policy. Here’s what Rove wants swing voters to think about Obama:

We’re not really sure that it’s the best political strategy to remind voters that the Bush administration existed at all, let alone that it passed policies that are still having an impact. But we’ll assume Rove knows what he’s doing. It’s not like Crossroads GPS has ever gotten two Pants On Fire ratings from Politifact or anything.

The ad also says that drilling’s gone “down where Obama’s in charge.” Now, why did that happen? Not because Obama hates oil and gas interests: From an environmentalist’s point of view, he’s been rather friendly to those industries. Since Crossroads relied on Greenwire for its citation of the 14 percent drop in oil production on federal lands in 2011, we’ll go to Greenwire to explain why:

The reduction in oil production was most significant in the Gulf of Mexico, where it declined nearly 17 percent to 514 million barrels from 618 million barrels in 2010.

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There could be many causes, but some say Gulf production is beginning to respond to the drilling moratorium that stalled deepwater exploration for much of the summer and fall of 2010 after the massive BP PLC oil spill. In addition, permitting was initially slow after the moratorium was lifted as companies adjusted to new safety standards designed to prevent another spill. Today’s production levels are responding accordingly.

Safety standards? Pshaw, who needs those!