We see $140-a-barrel petroleum, and its headed further up. Adding to the cost of food, possible inflation and driving the dollar down in international trade. And we are at the mercy of Venezuela, Iran and other bad actors, as well as Nigeria and other unstable places, due to our huge need for imported oil.

So what has congress done?

ANWR Exploration
House Republicans: 91% Supported
House Democrats: 86% Opposed

Coal-to-Liquid
House Republicans: 97 % Supported
House Democrats: 78% Opposed

Oil Shale Exploration
House Republicans: 90% Supported
House Democrats: 86% Opposed

Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Exploration
House Republicans: 81% Supported
House Democrats: 83% Opposed

(And the Democrats do this as Cuba and China drill for oil--Cuba barely 50 miles off our shores in South Florida)

Refinery Increased Capacity
House Republicans: 97% Supported
House Democrats: 96% Opposed

SUMMARY
91% of House Republicans have historically voted to increase the production of American-made oil and gas.
86% of House Democrats have historically voted against increasing the production of American-made oil and gas.

Over the past 30 years: Democrats have blocked the development of new sources of petroleum.
Democrats have blocked drilling in ANWR.
Democrats have blocked drilling off the coast of Florida.
Democrats have blocked drilling off of the east coast.
Democrats have blocked drilling off of the west coast.
Democrats have blocked drilling off the Alaskan coast.
Democrats have blocked building oil refineries.
Democrats have blocked clean nuclear energy production.
Democrats have blocked clean coal production.
Democrats believe taxing and suing oil companies will somehow bring down gas prices.

The Democrats have sold out to radical environmentalists, and in doing so have set in place the conditions that can bring ruin to this nation.

While we all want to go to renewable green energy--no one disagrees that we will always have need for our own oil & natural gas. 74% of Americans, including democrats & republicans want to drill in our own country. It appears that democrats in congress really do not want to become energy independant, as they preach.

Wonder why your groceries cost more? Why you are paying $4 and soon $5 a gallon for gasoline? Wonder why your power bill is going up, while they're telling you they want to get of off foreign sources of energy? Put the blame where it belongs: the Democrats.

by the way: OBAMA--against off-shore drilling--OBAMA against clean coal technology--OBAMA against nuclear power plants.

Aha, I finally found something that I agree with Mr. Obama on ... I too am anti-nuclear power plants. The best of humans make errors ... the best of computers 'crash' - and not only do we kill people when an 'accident' happens, we no nothing kind to Mother Earth either - not for us or for our children that follow behind us.

Out of curiosity ... did the Democrats offer any reason to their opposition to the above noted Bills?

Maybe since you seem to agree with them, you can explain why they voted against energy independance at every opportunity, including clean coal technology?
By the way, the country of France is 80% powered by nuclear power plants.

Congress---and this includes both parties--- has utterly failed to meet either the energy or the environment crises, though they can hold hearings about violence in video games. One wonders how long thegutless politicos current sitting in either House can keep their jobs when they continue to bury their heads in the sand.
Every month they delay doing anything is one month of doing next to nothing, and there is a DEAD-line fast approaching.
Z

Well, the Democrat controlled Congress has recently been polled to have a 9% approval rating, even lower than the President's.


I'd say there is enough blame to go around, that's for sure, although Oreo appears to be correct in his information that the Democrats have not been approving a variety of energy bills.

When you have politicians in office that get there because they had the money to run for office and promise what the people want to hear to get there and then do nothing what can we expect.They don't have to worry about the price of gas, where their next meal is coming from and how to keep their utilities on like most of the population. It's hard to understand when you haven't been there or are in a currently privledged postion and forget how you got there. The ability to speak well in public,be charming and well liked and offering mutitudes of inane promises doesn't necessarily indicate intellegence or the drive to bring about the needed changes for the lives of today's society let alone the survival of future generations. Long live the "good old boy" generation, yeah right!!

I agree 100% with your statement: This is both parties fault. Just a few days ago, President Bush lifted the ban on off-shore drilling. Two days later another bill was brought up before congress, (that did not include off-shore drilling). Of course the dems. voted for this one & claimed Bush was a failure for threatening to veto the bill so it didn't pass. This wasn't his bill. It was more about the leased property oil companies have leased that they are not drilling on now. So the bill democrats put forward was just another "dog & pony" show.

Democrats & Republicans in both houses cannot compromise on anything. It's all political manuevering at the American population expense. Their only coveted goal is to win a majority in both houses, plus the white house, & be dammed to the American public & what's good for them.

Yup, at the rate we're going our lives will be completely different before another decade (if that long) has gone by. And since there is little hope for lower gas/fuel prices, the only ones who won't suffer are those, as already said, who won't even miss the extra money going out.

I too don't have much faith in any of the politicians - of any party - since so many of the things (such as cars that didn't run on gas being developed long, long ago) have got little encouragement and little, if any, financial support from the governments. While I try not to be 'jaded', can't help but wonder if all the talk we're hearing once again is just that - talk.

Re: "Maybe since you seem to agree with them, you can explain why they voted against energy independence at every opportunity, including clean coal technology? By the way, the country of France is 80% powered by nuclear power plants".

In reality, I don't agree with any 'party' ... rather, I try to judge each on their actions (I haven't been applauding a lot lately - gentle smile).

Yes, I know about all the nuclear power plants in France ... but for myself, I don't want to live beside one anymore than most government officials do ... don't even want to live directly under heavy duty power lines So, so many times we hear they are safe and safety back-ups are in position ... and yet we humans seem capable of making gross errors. Make an error with a lot of things and oops - make one with a nuclear power plant and catastrophe.

Nuclear power has come along way since decades past. I think what scares most Americans is the memory of 3-mile island & Chernekle (sorry about the spelling).--We do have safeguards, our technology is much better. And I think people will react the same to wind generation. IE: Ted Kennedy voted against wind generation in the Chesopeek bay a few years ago, because it would detract from his view.

I think the mind-set is on the right track. Yes we do need to move to renewable green energy. Autos are going hybrid with the inexpensive 2009 model Prius expected to get 90 miles to the gallon.

That's all wonderful news--but our own government keeps getting in the way. My thought is to let each state decide how they want to confront energy. After all the citizens of each state will know if they have a spot to drill, build a power plant or where they want wind generation. Yet, our federal government continually gets in the way. History shows, that Americans are very capable of doing anything, & overnight. What stops our ingenuity is our own federal government, that thinks that they know better how to handle our local resources than we do.

This post has been edited by Orea: Jul 18 2008, 08:35 PM

WE have all allowed things to fall apart, and we are now facing the consequences of our actions and lack of actions until the obstacles and problems seem so overwhelming and omnipresent that we attempt to avoid every serious issue. This ennui will change as our society becomes dislocated. I just hope it is not too late, and we can solve the problems without resulting to extreme measures.
Z

There is something that we can all do. Vote the bastards out of office.

Well, apparently the majority of Americans support off shore drilling: Gallop poll - h e r e.

Apparently, Nancy Pelosi is not part of the majority of Americans - Pelosi vows to block offshore drilling.

Pelosi is an absolute disgrace. She is one of the most uninformed and incompetent people to have ever been in Congress. Much less Speaker.

The solution, and here Gore seems right on, is not producing more and more oil (for what do we do when it runs out?), but to find alternative and renewable sources for energy. Certainly, in ten year's time we can produce additional oil and continue to rely on it; or in ten year's time, we can make major strides in finding other energy sources. The latter makes far more long-term sense, I think, that the stop-gap of increased production which will only leave us with the same choice when the oil runs out, but with money and time squandered in the work-around.
Z

Yes, when you separate Al Gore's concepts toward alternative energy from Al Gore the Climate Alarmist, I tend to agree with most of them.

Unfortunately, many can not.

Neither can Al Gore.