now sounds more like president bush. >> we need to take action now to expand domestic oil production. >> american oil production is the highest that it's been in eight years. >> critics say the president is taking credit he doesn't deserve, since new oil wells take 5-15 years to come on line, and most u.s. production gains have come off private, not federal, land. >> that's really why you're seeing an increase in production. it doesn't have anything to do with government. >> democrat dan born says the president's political receipt vehicle not in policy. >> over the last three years, we've opened millions of new acres for oil and gas exploration. >> reporter: but he's not closed millions of acres. in 2009 and '10 the u.s. issued the fewest on shore leases in decades. >> i'm directing my administration to open more than 75 percent of our potential off shore oil and gas resources. >> reporter: but compare. bush opened the atlantic, pacific and most of alaska to drilling. obama closed all those areas.