Schwarzenegger Smackdown over Offshore Drilling
Arnie, I take back everything I said about you hijacking the governor’s office. At least for today, because you did an awesome smackdown of the McCain/Bush/Crist sudden and passionate love affair with offshore drilling.
“Politicians have been throwing around all kinds of ideas in response to the skyrocketing energy prices, from the rethinking of nuclear power to pushing biofuels and more renewables and ending the ban on offshore drilling, it goes on and on the list. But, anyone who tells you this will lower our gas prices anytime soon is blowing smoke.
* “Today we have visions of Congress patting itself on the back after mandating 35 miles a gallon by 2020 and thinking it has finished the job. That’s the same fuel efficiency Italy gets now. America can, and must, do better. For both our long-term economic security, and our national security.”
He also had some words of praise, and some advice:
“If everyone in the country took the simple step of making sure they had correct air pressure in their tires, their gasoline costs would go down 4 percent. America’s oil consumption would drop by 800,000 barrels a day. That is twice the amount some experts have said we would get if we pumped all of our known offshore reserves.”
* “As you research, create, support, and invest in renewable energy technologies think about the payoff. Not just the next year, but also the next decade. Your idea might not look reasonable or affordable now, but energy prices are not going back to the good old days. So consider long-term profitability, long-term return, and long-term benefit.”
Like I said, Republicans and Democrats oppose offshore drilling. Bush and McCain are just reaching for something — anything — to justify the absolute mess Bush has made of our national security and energy policy. Of course, his first mistake was handing the energy policy to Cheney.