Bless his heart, Rep. Jerry Nadler is trying to understand the woes of Americans facing the high cost of gasoline.

Venturing outside the comfortable confines of his Manhattan and Brooklyn district, the liberal Democrat was spotted Monday in the Upstate New York city of Utica talking about transportation and energy policy.

Nadler’s solution:

“We should take a hard look at reviving the canals,” Nadler said. Rail transport is cheaper than truck transport, and canal transport is even cheaper than that, he said.

Yes, you read that correctly. The liberal New York City congressman wants to invest government resources in the nearly 200-year-old New York canal system to solve the “energy crisis.”

As someone who grew up just miles from the canal, it’s safe to say Jerry Nadler has no idea what he’s talking about. I don’t question the facts. I’m sure it would be cheaper to transport goods on the canal. But with a maximum speed of 10 mph and a system of locks to slow down boats, it might be faster to employ a pack of donkeys.

This is further proof that liberal elitists like Jerry Nadler and Speaker Nancy Pelosi are clueless when it comes to energy policy. Of course, that’s to be expected. Pelosi’s rich San Francisco district doesn’t face the strains of high gas prices like those in the Midwest. It’s no wonder they oppose energy exploration in favor of old ideas.