Gary Johnson on Energy & Oil : Jul 21, 2011
Current policy prevents common-sense energy development

A: Change regulatory & enforcement policies that are preventing common-sense energy development. Millions of jobs would be created. Many other regulatory approaches can be changed as well to create certainty for the private sector. As Governor of NM I had the best jobs record of anyone candidate, but didn't claim to creating one job. Government does not create jobs.

Herman Cain on Government Reform : Jul 21, 2011
Cut through all bureaucracy; reduce regulatory authority

A: As President, I would reduce the regulatory authority of executive agencies in order to ease burdens on businesses. I would limit the EPA, Department of Energy and other executive agencies from getting in the way of businesses. A President Cain would lower the regulations that the government puts on businesses and cut through all possible bureaucracy.

Newt Gingrich on Jobs : Jul 21, 2011
Jobs & Prosperity Plan: cut business taxes & regulations

A: My Jobs and Prosperity Plan: No tax increase, 100% expensing, reduce business tax to 12.5%, eliminate cap gains & death tax; audit & reform the Federal Reserve; repeal Dodd-Frank, Sarbanes Oxley, Community Reinvestment Act; break up Freddie and Fannie; Repeal & replace Obamacare and fully develop American energy. These would all create jobs by REDUCING government.

Herman Cain on Principles & Values : Jun 13, 2011
Focus on the Three E's: economy, entitlements, and energy

Herman Cain on Energy & Oil : May 21, 2011
Loosen government's grip; expand domestic energy resources

Because they have perpetuated such a myth, liberals have forced excessive environmental regulations that have stifled our domestic energy production, and instead, forced American consumers to rely far too heavily upon foreign oil. In many cases, this oil comes from Middle Eastern countries, some of whom are not friendly to the US, who end up dictating the prices of our energy consumption. In return, Americans have seen no improvements in our environment or in the cleanliness of our air. We must expand our domestic energy resources by loosening government's grip responsibly.

Herman Cain on Environment : May 21, 2011
No ethanol subsidies; let markets decide forms of energy

Alternative energy sources, such as wind, solar, nuclear and hydroelectric are certainly part of the solution long term, but private industry must take the lead for true innovation to be a bigger part of our future energy needs. If alternative energy sources are found to be inexpensive, safe and plentiful, then American consumers will choose to purchase them. Let the markets decide which forms of energy fuel our cars, heat our homes and which ones will keep America working.

Herman Cain on Corporations : May 19, 2011
When was the last time a poor person gave you a job?

The federal stimulus funds did nothing to stimulate the economy, Cain said. As president, he would reduce the corporate tax rates from 35 to 25 percent, take the capital gains tax to zero and suspend taxes on repatriated foreign profits.

"Lower taxes do stimulate the economy," said Cain. "It's not rewarding the rich. When was the last time a poor person gave you a job?" He also would replace as a second phase the tax code with a national sales tax, describing it "as simple and fair."

Tim Pawlenty on Energy & Oil : May 5, 2011
I made a mistake in considering cap-and-trade in MN

A: We did consider in designing a law in Minnesota that would study cap and trade. We didn't impose it. We signed up to review it, study, join with other states to look at it and we did. What I concluded subsequently is it is really a bad idea. I sent a letter to Congress about two years ago. And other times have said, I was wrong, I was a mistake and I'm sorry. It is ham fisted, it is going to be harmful to the economy. If you've got an executive position and you have been in the battle, you are going to have battle scars in your record. And that's one of mine. I just admit. I made a mistake.

Herman Cain on Energy & Oil : May 5, 2011
Establish real energy independence, with existing resources

A: Contrary to what Pres. Obama said, when he stated there's wasn't anything we can do in the short term. He can establish a real energy independence plan. We have all of the resources we need in this country to establish energy independence if we had the leadership. The dynamics that impact the price of oil--and ultimately the price of gasoline: Getting it out of the ground; refining and distribution; and speculators. If the world market believed that we were serious about energy independence, and we were going to utilize all of our existing resources, the speculators would stop speculating up, and they would speculate down until we got our own oil out of the ground.

Buddy Roemer on Energy & Oil : Mar 3, 2011
Bring our Marines home from "oil" duty via domestic energy

Buddy Roemer on Energy & Oil : Mar 3, 2011
More energy exploration in the US

Newt Gingrich on Energy & Oil : Feb 11, 2011
2008 petition drive: Drill here, Drill now, Pay less

In 2008 when gasoline was at $4 a gallon, [my policy organization] American Solutions launched a petition drive: Drill here, Drill now, Pay less.

The Left couldn't survive in a world where we had the courage to say, "Why don't we find American oil and why don't we find American gas, and why don't we have the next building boom in the United States, not in Dubai. And why don't we make sure that the terrorists run out of money?" And that ought to be our approach to this, so let's do it now.

First of all: Reopen off of Louisiana. The people of Louisiana want it to happen. So let's reopen the areas off only those states that want to reopen them, but if a state wants to go and find oil and gas and wants to create more jobs in that state, let's let them do it now.

Barack Obama on Energy & Oil : Jan 26, 2011
Subsidize clean energy by canceling oil subsidies

With more research and incentives, we can break our dependence on oil with biofuels, and become the first country to have a million electric vehicles on the road by 2015.

We need to get behind this innovation. And to help pay for it, I'm asking Congress to eliminate the billions in taxpayer dollars we currently give to oil companies. I don't know if you've noticed, but they're doing just fine on their own. So instead of subsidizing yesterday's energy, let's invest in tomorrow's.

Clean energy breakthroughs will only translate into clean energy jobs if businesses know there will be a market. So tonight, I set a new goal: By 2035, 80% of America's electricity will come from clean energy sources.

Sarah Palin on Principles & Values : Jan 6, 2011
OpEd: Her energy is the fuel of grassroots politics

Sarah Palin on Families & Children : Nov 23, 2010
Founding Fathers took strong families for granted

What the founders focused their energy on, then, wasn't a government that sought to control or shape families, but a government that could capitalize on the virtues of trust and self-restraint that families create--a government that could respect and honor good citizens by allowing them to liver and prosper in freedom. The Constitution's relationship to the family, then, was meant to be reciprocal: to depend upon the virtues of family life to make its system of government work, while protecting the freedom of families to create self-governing citizens.

Bobby Jindal on Energy & Oil : Nov 15, 2010
Develop any & all methods of producing energy

Liberals need to accept that fossil fuels are critical to our national security and to our economy, and that they can be developed in an environmentally responsible way. Conservatives, for our part, need to do more than simply shout "Drill, baby, drill"--we need to aggressively pursue the next generation of renewable and clean energy production technologies.

Republicans seem instinctively to oppose cultivating energy sources favored by the environmental movement, such as solar and wind power. Likewise, Democrats often stridently oppose the expansion of traditional energy sources such as oil, coal, and nuclear power. Here's an idea: how about we do it all? That's not a Republican or Democrat solution. That's an American solution.

Bobby Jindal on Energy & Oil : Nov 15, 2010
Cap-and-trade is a jobs bill for other countries

Keep that in mind next time you hear the Democrats' proposals for a "cap and trade" scheme. In addition to increasing utility costs of homeowners, charging our own companies for releasing carbon will provoke a lot of them simply to relocate to countries that don't charge these fees. Still, at least the Democrats' rhetoric is honest on this issue. Cap and trade IS a jobs bill--for other countries. It is a win/win--for the rest of the world

Tim Pawlenty on Budget & Economy : May 10, 2010
Nationalizing banking, health, & autos is wrong direction

Tim Pawlenty on Energy & Oil : May 10, 2010
Building, Benchmarks, & Beyond: reduce 200,000 tons of CO2

Tim Pawlenty on Energy & Oil : May 10, 2010
25% renewable by 2025: Requirement, not a goal

"A requirement, not a goal, that 25% of our energy will come from renewable sources by 2025. It includes legislation signed into law to reduce carbon emissions by 80% by 2050. It includes reducing our fossil fuel consumption by 15% by 2015, which is coming up fast."

At a 2007 NGA conference, Pawlenty warned the US must curtail its carbon emissions, or it would "risk the nations' security posture, its prosperity and quality of life." He added that fossil fuels would still be an important part of the nation's energy supply, but they would have to pursue cleaner and more efficient ways of utilizing them.

Sarah Palin on Budget & Economy : Feb 6, 2010
First priority for GOP Congress: rein in spending

A: We've got to rein in the spending, obviously, and not raise it extremely high budgets and then say, OK, we are going to freeze a couple programs here. That doesn't do us any good really. We've got to start reining in the spending. We have got to jump start these energy projects that, again, we have heard so much about because it is ridiculous that we have just sitting warehoused under God's green earth here in the United States of America, rich resources, oil, and gas, and our coil and all of the conventional resources. We have got to actually walk that walk, to allow them to come to development. And then allow America's spirit to rise again by not being afraid--not being afraid to kind of go back to some of our roots as a God-fearing nation

Barack Obama on Energy & Oil : Jan 29, 2010
Big promoter of clean coal technology & nukes

Pres. OBAMA: I know that West Virginia struggles with unemployment. That's part of the reason why I've said that we need a comprehensive energy policy that sets us up for a long-term future. For example, nobody has been a bigger promoter of clean coal technology than I am. Testament to that, I ended up being in a whole bunch of advertisements that you guys saw all the time about investing in way for us to burn coal more cleanly. I've said that I'm a promoter of nuclear energy, something that I think over the last 3 decades has been subject to a lot of partisan wrangling & ideological wrangling. I think that that has to be part of our energy mix.

Barack Obama on Energy & Oil : Jan 27, 2010
More incentives for clean energy, including nuclear

Sarah Palin on Budget & Economy : Nov 17, 2009
Vetoed $25M stimulus earmark; Alaskans don't desire "help"

I highlighted universal energy building codes that we'd have to adopt if we accepted a $25 million earmark for energy conservation. Universal building codes, in ALASKA! A practical, libertarian haven full of independent Americans who did not desire "help" from government busybodies. A state full of hardy pioneers who did not like taking orders from the feds telling us to change our laws. A state so geographically diverse that one-size-fits-all codes simply wouldn't work.

I vetoed those building code funds.

The Democrat-controlled legislature overrode my veto.

Joe Biden on Energy & Oil : Nov 17, 2009
1970s: Voted against the Trans-Alaska Pipeline

Over the years, I had occasionally listened to Biden's discussions of energy and realized he had not changed. He still seemed opposed to sensible innovations, from clean coal to nuclear energy to responsible new directional drilling techniques in places like ANWR. On one issue after another, Obama's VP choice was loaded with government experience but still seemed to have no understanding of logical steps we could take to capitalize on American energy resources.

Sarah Palin on Energy & Oil : Nov 17, 2009
Open gasline process, but $500M inducement to oil company

This was a multi-billion-dollar project, the largest private-sector energy project in US history.

We asked companies to compete for the righ to build Alaska's gasline. Our approach would be open and transparent.

Some accused us of taking too hard a line with the oil companies. I knew we were acting appropriately to hold the companies' feet to the fire.

This project would cost the private sector a tremendous amount in government fees and prep work. Therefore, in crafting what would become the Alaska Gasline Inducement Act, or AGIA, we promised to reimburse up to $500 million in matching funds for the exclusive gasline license.

Sarah Palin on Energy & Oil : Nov 17, 2009
Natural gas mantra: good for Greenies, Grannies, and Gunnies

Internally, our natural gas mantra was "Greenies, Grannies, & Gunnies."
• Greenies: Natural gas is the cleanest nonrenewable fuel.
• Grannies: Production of a domestic supply would help those on fixed incomes, such as the elderly, by increasing supply and lowering costs.
• Gunnies: Alaska's energy supplies would help lead America toward energy independence and greater national security.

Sarah Palin on Energy & Oil : Nov 17, 2009
North Slope could supply 10 years' energy for entire country

Construction of a gas pipeline to transport this safe, clean energy supply to the Lower 48 was originally authorized in 1979. Cheap natural gas from othe countries had delayed the project for years. Our government's well-meaning policies had driven producers to other parts of the world where there were no restraints on their activities. That was no way to protect the environment or heat the economy.

Our state Constitution stipulates that the citizens actually own our natural resources. Our goal was to commercialize Alaska's treasure of oil & gas by opening up the North Slope to long-term exploration and production. , creating jobs and stable energy.

Sarah Palin on Energy & Oil : Nov 17, 2009
Renewable Energy Fund for hydropower, wind, biomass

Sarah Palin on Energy & Oil : Nov 17, 2009
Sued ExxonMobil to drill next to ANWR, or give up lease

"You in the industry make your living by providing the goods and services necessary to get Alaska's resources to market," I said. "Lessees must develop the public's resources or give back their leases." I also knew that unless we accessed our known reserves on state lands, it would be more difficult to argue for access to federal lands such as ANWR.

The oil giant's M.O. is to tie up issues through litigation. It threatened to sue. We said, okay, we know the way to the courthouse, too.

Sarah Palin on Government Reform : Nov 17, 2009
1996: Promised to cut her own pay as mayor; then did so

I won by a handy margin, so I knew the voters were mandating "no more politics-as-usual."

The City Councilor who had originally recruited me to serve on the council, confronted me personally to announce that he intended to make my life difficult. He launched a recall effort. Within days, he and his cronies began holding public meetings, drafting a petition that said I was too inexperienced to do the job. When I cut my own pay, as I'd promised to do, they accused me of trying to shoehorn myself into a lower tax bracket.

Sarah Palin on Principles & Values : Nov 17, 2009
2002: Lost unenergetic campaign for lieutenant governor

I realized the problem: My campaign theme was "New Energy," but, unfortunately, I did not run an energetic campaign. I was stretched so thin. My energies remained in my full-time job as mayor and i raising my family.

Looking back, I should have known that without that fire in my belly, it would be a futile effort. I wasn't living my own creed: Do it right, or don't do it at all. But even with my lackluster campaigning, I continued to win a few opinion polls that conventional wisdom said I shouldn't have won. It was an indicator that people were eager for change at the state level. I came in a close second, coming up short by only about 2% of the vote despite being outspent five to one.

Sarah Palin on Principles & Values : Nov 17, 2009
2006 ad campaign: Little House on the Tundra

My media campaign was the essence of simplicity--which would also be my communication strategy as governor. My two themes were "New Energy for Alaska" and "Take a Stand." I ran a few upbeat commercials that featured my family and Alaska's natural beauty, highlighting our Piper airplane, reading to our kids who attend public schools, and thanking law enforcement officers. It wasn't so much to portray a "Little House on the Tundra" scene as to let the visual imagery speak to my priorities. In those ads, I promised that I would fight to protect our state's future. I was as sick & tired of the corruption and politics-as-usual as the majority of Alaskans were, but I kept an optimistic message flowing to show how we'd turn things around for the people.

Jon Huntsman on Gun Control : May 21, 2009
Conservative line on gun control

Newt Gingrich on Tax Reform : Feb 27, 2009
Energy taxes are taxes on people earning under $250K

Bobby Jindal on Energy & Oil : Feb 24, 2009
More renewables; more nuclear power, more drilling

Barack Obama on Energy & Oil : Feb 24, 2009
$15B in clean energy; plus market-based cap on carbon

We will double this nation's supply of renewable energy in the next three years. We've also made the largest investment in basic research funding in American history--an investment that will spur not only new discoveries in energy, but breakthroughs in medicine and science and technology.

But to truly transform our economy, to protect our security, and save our planet from the ravages of climate change, we need to ultimately make clean, renewable energy the profitable kind of energy. So I ask this Congress to send me legislation that places a market-based cap on carbon pollution and drives the production of more renewable energy in America. And to support that innovation, we will invest $15 billion a year to develop technologies like wind power and solar power, advanced biofuels, clean coal, and more efficient cars and trucks built right here in America.

Barack Obama on Energy & Oil : Feb 24, 2009
FactCheck: US imports less oil today than in 2005

Not true. We're importing less than we were just a few years ago. Imports reached a high point of 15 million barrels per day on Nov. 4, 2005. Most recently, they totaled 11.5 million on Feb. 20, 2009. Monthly and annual imports show the same trend.

Barack Obama on Energy & Oil : Feb 24, 2009
FactCheck: Chevy Volt uses Korean battery, but Ford's don't

He's partly right. The Chevy Volt, if it comes to market as scheduled in 2010, would be the first American-made, plug-in hybrid car, and General Motors recently announced that the Volt will use battery systems from South Korea's LG Chem Ltd.

But the U.S. isn't a complete laggard in this department. Ford said earlier this month that batteries for its hybrid, due to be available in 2012, will be supplied by a joint venture between a U.S. company, Johnson Controls Inc., and France's Saft. At least initially, though, the battery cells will be made in France; they will be assembled into power packs in the U.S.

Rick Perry on Energy & Oil : Jan 27, 2009
$5,000 incentive for Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles

Rather than wait for more mandates and punishments for environmental non-attainment, let's continue encouraging innovation. I support giving Texans in the non-attainment areas of our state a $5,000 incentive towards a purchase of Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles, using the funds Texans have already paid to reduce emissions, while providing a unique way to store wind energy. This will keep Texas competitive in an emerging technology and take advantage of an energy portfolio that grows deeper and more diverse every day.

Jon Huntsman on Energy & Oil : Jan 27, 2009
Make Utah the premier destination for renewable energy

Just as Wall Street is known for finance and Silicon Valley for technology, by 2012, I believe Utah can become the premier destination in America for renewable energy!

And don't tell me it can't be done! In just this past year alone, we have witnessed in Utah the opening of a solar farm, a hydroelectric plant, a wind farm and a geothermal plant. To support this energy development, innovation at our higher education campuses is running at an all-time high, like technologies that will ensure the long-term viability of our abundant natural resources. The University of Utah is now second only to MIT in commercialization of cutting-edge research.

Rick Perry on Jobs : Jan 27, 2009
70% of all jobs created in the US last year were in Texas

Click for Jon Huntsman on other issues.   Source: 2009 State of the State Address

Sarah Palin on Energy & Oil : Jan 22, 2009
Goal of 50% of Alaska electric power from renewable sources

This includes meeting my goal of generating 50% of our electric power with renewable sources. That's an unprecedented policy across the US but we're the state that can do it with our abundant renewables, and with Alaskan ingenuity.

In our energy plan, for the first time, Alaskans will see cooperation among our utilities. We'll introduce legislation creating the joint utility corporation to finally accomplish this. We will have coordinated power generation that will finally make sense for consumers.

Barack Obama on Energy & Oil : Oct 7, 2008
Nuclear power ok, as one component of energy mix

McCAIN: I traveled all over the world looking at the effects of greenhouse gas emissions. Now, what’s the best way of fixing it? Nuclear power. Sen. Obama says that it has to be safe or disposable or something like that. Nuclear power is safe, and it’s clean. And I know that we can reprocess the spent nuclear fuel. The Japanese, the British, the French do it. And we can do it, too. Sen. Obama has opposed that.

OBAMA: I’ve called for investments in solar, wind, geothermal. Contrary to what Sen. McCain keeps on saying, I favor nuclear power as one component of our overall energy mix. But this is another example where I think it is important to look at the record. Sen. McCain said a while back that the big problem with energy is that for 30 years, politicians in Washington haven’t done anything. What Sen. McCain doesn’t mention is he’s been there 26 of them. And during that time, he voted 23 times against alternative fuels.

Barack Obama on Energy & Oil : Oct 7, 2008
FactCheck: Reluctant on nuclear power in past; now favors it

Previously Obama has been more hesitant. He said at a town hall meeting in Newton, Iowa, on Dec. 30, 2007, when asked if he was “truly comfortable” with the safety of nuclear power, “I start off with the premise that nuclear energy is not optimal. I am not a nuclear energy proponent.“ He then went on to say later in the same response that he has ”not ruled out nuclear ... but only so far as it is clean and safe.“

The energy plan Obama released in October 2007 only grudgingly conceded that more nuclear power is probably needed to reduce carbon emissions: ”It is unlikely that we can meet our aggressive climate goals if we eliminate nuclear power from the table.“

Barack Obama on Environment : Oct 7, 2008
Government should invest in clean energy & green jobs

OBAMA: It is critical that we understand this is not just a challenge, it’s an opportunity, because if we create a new energy economy, we can create five million new jobs, easily. It can be an engine that drives us into the future the same way the computer was the engine for economic growth over the last couple of decades. We can do it, but we’re going to have to make an investment. The same way the computer was originally invented by a bunch of government scientists who were trying to figure out, for defense purposes, how to communicate, we’ve got to understand that this is a national security issue, as well.

McCAIN: We can move forward, and clean up our climate, and develop green technologies, and alternative energies for battery-powered cars, so that we can clean up our environment and at the same time get our economy going by creating millions of jobs.

Joe Biden on Energy & Oil : Oct 2, 2008
Obama believes in investing in alternative energy

PALIN: I was the first governor to form a climate change sub-cabinet to start dealing with the impacts. We’ve got to reduce emissions. John McCain is right there with an “all of the above” approach to deal with climate change impacts. As we rely more on other countries that don’t care as much about the climate as we do, we’re allowing them to produce and to emit and even pollute more than America would ever stand for. It’s all the more reason that we have an “all of the above” approach, tapping into alternative sources of energy and conserving fuel, conserving our petroleum products and our hydrocarbons so that we can clean up this planet

Sarah Palin on Energy & Oil : Oct 2, 2008
Exxon & Conoco are not my biggest fan

PALIN: Sen. Biden, you would remember that, in that energy plan that Obama voted for, that’s what gave those oil companies those big tax breaks. Your running mate voted for that. You know what I had to do in the state of Alaska? I had to take on those oil companies and tell them, “No,” you know, any of the greed there that has been kind of instrumental, I guess, in their mode of operation, that wasn’t going to happen in my state. And that’s why Exxon and ConocoPhillips, they’re not my biggest fans, because what I had to do up there in Alaska was to break up a monopoly up there and say, you know, the people are going to come first and we’re going to make sure that we have value given to the people of Alaska with those resources.

Sarah Palin on Energy & Oil : Oct 2, 2008
Nonsensical to leave domestic supply untapped

PALIN: When we talk about energy, we have to consider the need to do all that we can to allow this nation to become energy independent. It’s a nonsensical position that we are in when we have domestic supplies of energy all over this great land. And East Coast politicians who don’t allow energy-producing states like Alaska to produce these, to tap into them, & instead we’re relying on foreign countries to produce for us. We’re circulating about $700 billion a year into foreign countries, some who do not like America--they certainly don’t have our best interests at heart--instead of those dollars circulating here, creating thousands of jobs and allowing domestic supplies of energy to be tapped into and start flowing into these very, very hungry markets. Energy independence is the key to this nation’s future, to our economic future, and to our national security.

Sarah Palin on Energy & Oil : Oct 2, 2008
Drill, baby, drill

PALIN: The chant is “drill, baby, drill.” That’s what we hear across this country in our rallies because people are hungry for those domestic sources of energy to be tapped into. They know that even in my own energy-producing state we have billions of barrels of oil and hundreds of trillions of cubic feet of clean, green natural gas. Barack Obama and Sen. Biden, you’ve said no to everything in trying to find a domestic solution to the energy crisis. You even called drilling -- safe, environmentally-friendly drilling offshore as raping the outer continental shelf.

Sarah Palin on Energy & Oil : Sep 17, 2008
First and foremost, we must become energy independent

A: I will focus on energy independence. First and foremost, an energy independent nation. We must get there. It is a matter of national security and of our future prosperity, being able to quit relying on foreign sources of energy to feed our hungry markets when we have the American supplies and we have the American ingenuity and we have the American workers to produce these supplies of energy.

Q: Americans have heard a lot of information on ANWR. I’ve heard you talk passionately about your love for your state of Alaska.

A: Yes.

Q: Why then would you support drilling in Alaska?

A: I support drilling in Alaska because it’s going to be good for our nation.

Q: Including ANWR?

A: Absolutely. ANWR is a 2,000 acre plot of land. It’s about the size of LAX, that platform of land that we would need to explore. But, no secret, John McCain and I agree to disagree on that one. And I’m going to keep working on him with ANWR.

Sarah Palin on Energy & Oil : Sep 17, 2008
McCain wants healthy deliberation on disagreements like ANWR

A: We have.

Q: Is he softening?

A: Well, I’m very, very encouraged, as we all understand that John McCain knows, more so than any other leader in our nation today, that for national security reasons we must be an energy independent nation. We must start taking the steps to get there. That’s why he has embraced offshore drilling. That’s why he has embraced the ideal of the alternative fuels also. And I’ll keep working on him with ANWR.

Q: There will be some spirited discussion, I assume, in the administration.

A: Sure. The nice thing about him, too, is he is not asking me or anybody else to check our opinions at the door. He wants that healthy deliberation and debate within.

Q: And you’ve talked about that too?

A: Yes, we sure have. Yes. It’s been refreshing.

Sarah Palin on Energy & Oil : Sep 17, 2008
Energy is inherently linked to security and prosperity

A: Both.

Q: And what is the impact for Americans down the road if we don’t do something to solve our energy dependence?

A: That imbalance of trade is something that we need to tackle also. Yes, those dollars should be circulating within our own economy. It’s a matter of national security. It is a matter of our future prosperity. Energy is inherently linked to security and prosperity. More and more Americans are recognizing this also. You can see the constituents putting pressure on Congress to come on, Congress, get rid of that gridlock that you are so engaged in now. We sort of have a “do nothing Senate” right now where nobody’s wanting to really pick up the ball and run with it and take the steps that we have to take to become more energy independent. And it’s going to take a whole a change in leadership in order to really crush that gridlock and get going on this.

Sarah Palin on Families & Children : Sep 17, 2008
V.P. role would include helping special-needs children

A: Sure have. I’m very excited about the role that I will play as his partner. And I will focus on energy independence and reform overall of Washington and tax cuts for Americans and reigning in spending.

Q: These are specific roles that you already talked about?

A: Yes, absolutely. Absolutely.

Q: That you will take on as vice president?

A: Right. So I’d like to talk about each one of them. And I wish we had hours to talk about this also.

Q: I have nothing to do.

A: OK, good. Because another thing that we’ll talk about also is the role that I will play that is very near and dear to my heart. And that’s helping families with special-needs children and being able to strengthen our National Institute of Health also and find cures for presently incurable diseases.

Sarah Palin on Government Reform : Sep 17, 2008
Only independent mavericks can reform Washington

A: Yes, it is gridlock and that’s ridiculous. That’s why we don’t have an energy policy. That’s why there hasn’t been the reform of the abuse of the earmark process. And real reform is tough and you do ruffle feathers along the way. But John McCain has that streak of independence in him that I think is very, very important in America today in our leadership. I have that within me also. And that’s why John McCain tapped me to be a team of mavericks, of independents coming in there without the allegiances to that cronyism, to that good ol’ boy system.

Sarah Palin on Homeland Security : Sep 11, 2008
Energy is a foundation of national security

A: Let me speak specifically about a credential that I do bring to this table, and that’s with the energy independence that I’ve been working on for these years as the governor of this state that produces nearly 20% of the US domestic supply of energy, that I worked on as chairman of the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, overseeing the oil and gas development in our state to produce more for the United States.

Q: I know. I’m just saying that national security is a whole lot more than energy.

A: It is, but I want you to not lose sight of the fact that energy is a foundation of national security. It’s that important. It’s that significant.

Sarah Palin on Energy & Oil : Sep 3, 2008
Produce more of our own oil & gas, for national security

With Russia wanting to control a vital pipeline in the Caucasus, and to divide and intimidate our European allies by using energy as a weapon, we cannot leave ourselves at the mercy of foreign suppliers.

To confront the threat that Iran might seek to cut off nearly a fifth of world energy supplies ... or that terrorists might strike again at the Abqaiq facility in Saudi Arabia ... or that Venezuela might shut off its oil deliveries ... we Americans need to produce more of our own oil and gas.

And take it from a gal who knows the North Slope of Alaska: We’ve got lots of both.

Sarah Palin on Energy & Oil : Sep 3, 2008
Gas pipeline:history’s largest private-sector infrastructure

Sarah Palin on Energy & Oil : Sep 3, 2008
More pipelines; more nukes; more coal; more alternatives

Starting in January, in a McCain-Palin administration, we’re going to lay more pipelines ... build more nuclear plants ... create jobs with clean coal ... and move forward on solar, wind, geothermal and other alternative sources.

Sarah Palin on Homeland Security : Sep 3, 2008
Focus on fighting Al-Qaeda terrorists, not on reading rights

Victory in Iraq is finally in sight ... he wants to forfeit.

Terrorist states are seeking nuclear weapons without delay ... he wants to meet them without preconditions.

Al-Qaida terrorists still plot to inflict catastrophic harm on America ... he’s worried that someone won’t read them their rights?

Government is too big ... he wants to grow it.

Congress spends too much ... he promises more.

Taxes are too high ... he wants to raise them. His tax increases are the fine print in his economic plan, and let me be specific.

Sarah Palin on Homeland Security : Aug 29, 2008
Strong military and sound energy

A: I would push for a strong military and a sound energy policy. I believe that Alaska can help set an example on energy policy.

Barack Obama on Energy & Oil : Aug 27, 2008
Drilling is a stop-gap measure, not a long-term solution

Joe Biden on Foreign Policy : Aug 27, 2008
The US is less secure and more isolated in recent history

Barack Obama on Principles & Values : Aug 27, 2008
Fulfilling America’s promise means individual participation

Joe Biden on Principles & Values : Aug 27, 2008
We need a wise leader like Obama, not just a good soldier

Barack Obama on Tax Reform : Aug 25, 2008
Trickle-down economics has failed

Obama's own proposals to date have sometimes mocked his bold rhetoric. On July 7 Obama delivered a

Sarah Palin on Energy & Oil : Aug 20, 2008
Resource rebate: suspend AK 8-cent fuel tax for one year

Our lawmakers also included an additional $60 million for the Home Energy Rebate Program operated by the Alaska Housing Finance Corporation and $50 million in grant funds to the Renewable Energy Fund, bringing the total available for renewable energy projects in FY 2009 to $100 million.

Sarah Palin on Energy & Oil : Aug 14, 2008
To win, GOP must push energy independence

A: What the GOP has got to do, on a real practical level, between now and the election, is to convince Americans that it is our energy policy that is best for our nation and the nation’s future, that if we are to become energy independent and if we are to become a more secure nation then we had better start supplying our very, very hungry markets across the nation with American supplies of energy. The GOP agenda to ramp up domestic supplies of energy is the only way that we are going to become energy independent, the only way that we are going to become a more secure nation.

And the GOP agenda is the right agenda in that respect, but the GOP is going to have to prove to Americans in following weeks that we can safely, responsibly and ethically develop these resources. That, of course, has been a problem for the GOP.

Sarah Palin on War & Peace : Aug 14, 2008
We don’t know what the plan is to ever end the war

Sarah Palin on Energy & Oil : Aug 4, 2008
Agrees with Obama on more Alaska oil & gas production

In a speech given in Lansing, Michigan, Senator Obama called for the completion of the Alaska natural gas pipeline, stating, “Over the next five years, we should also lease more of the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska for oil and gas production. And we should also tap more of our substantial natural gas reserves and work with the Canadian government to finally build the Alaska natural gas pipeline, delivering clean natural gas and creating good jobs in the process.“

Gov. Palin said, ”This is a tool that must be on the table to buy us time until our long-term energy plans can be put into place, and it is gratifying to see Senator Obama get on board.“

Sarah Palin on Energy & Oil : Aug 4, 2008
Windfall oil profits tax prevents investment

“Windfall profits taxes alone prevent additional investment in domestic production. Without new supplies from American reserves, our dependency and addiction to foreign sources of oil will continue,” Palin said.

Barack Obama on Energy & Oil : Aug 4, 2008
More Alaska oil & gas leases, plus new gas pipeline

In a speech given in Lansing, Michigan, Senator Obama called for the completion of the Alaska natural gas pipeline, stating, “Over the next five years, we should also lease more of the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska for oil and gas production. And we should also tap more of our substantial natural gas reserves and work with the Canadian government to finally build the Alaska natural gas pipeline, delivering clean natural gas and creating good jobs in the process.“

Gov. Palin said, ”This is a tool that must be on the table to buy us time until our long-term energy plans can be put into place, and it is gratifying to see Senator Obama get on board.“

Sarah Palin on Energy & Oil : Jul 31, 2008
Convinced McCain to drill offshore; not yet on drilling ANWR

A: I have not talked him in to ANWR yet. But yeah, he has evolved into being open enough to say yes to that offshore. Obama certainly hasn’t gone there. We certainly need this. We need it for American security, & for energy independence.

Sarah Palin on Government Reform : Jul 31, 2008
VECO scandal & Stevens indictment shows need for GOP cleanup

A: Sen. Stevens’ indictment was very dismaying. Hopefully the Ted Stevens issues won’t be a distraction. But yeah, lots and lots of damage has been done by this oil industry service company, VECO. Not good for Alaska.

Q: What about the Republican Party in general? It seems to me the GOP has just got to cleanse itself of all the pork barrel, corruption, lobbying, cash-for-favors that cost them the Congress back in November 2006.

A: You’re absolutely right on the cleaning that’s needed in our party, in the Republican Party. And you know, I think Senator McCain is on the right track with the earmark reform that he’s so adamant about. I’m right there with him.

Barack Obama on Energy & Oil : Jul 1, 2008
Political climate at fault for failing energy independence

"We have heard promises to curb our use of fossil fuels in nearly every State of the Union address since the oil embargo of 1973.

"Our energy problem has become an energy crisis because no matter how well-intentioned the promise, they all fall victim to the same Washington politics that has only become more divided and dishonest; more beholden to the powerful interests that have the biggest stake in the status quo."

1. Obama's long-term goal is to reduce all carbon emissions by 80% by the year 2050. Obama will:
2. Introduce a market-based cap and trade system to limit carbon emissions;
3. Encourage renewable and alternative energy use;
4. Emphasize conservation and improve energy efficiency; and
5. Reestablish America as the global leader in global warming negotiations.

Barack Obama on Energy & Oil : Jul 1, 2008
Include clean coal in clean energy future

• Invest $150 billion over ten years in clean energy: Obama will advance the next generation of biofuels & fuel infrastructure, accelerate the commercialization of plug-in hybrids, promote development of commercial-scale renewable energy, invest in low-emission coal plants, and begin the transition to a new digital electricity grid.
• Invest in a skilled clean technologies workforce: Obama will use proceeds from the cap and trade auction program to invest in job training and transition programs to help workers and industries adapt to clean technology development and production.
• Develop and deploy clean coal: Commercialize and deploy low-carbon coal technologies.
• Deploy cellulosic ethanol: Obama will invest federal resources, including tax incentives, cash prizes, & government contracts into developing the first 2 billion gallons of cellulosic ethanol into the system by 2013.

Barack Obama on Free Trade : Jul 1, 2008
Assist workers who lose globalization's race to the bottom

Obama adds, "But this is about more than displaced workers. Our failure to respond to globalization is causing a race to the bottom that means lower wages and stingier health and retiree benefits for all Americans. It's causing a squeeze on middle-class families who are working in this new economy. As one downstate (Illinois) worker told me during a recent visit, 'It doesn't do me much good if I'm saving a dollar on a T-shirt in Wal-Mart, but don't have a job.'"

Barack Obama on Technology : Jul 1, 2008
Invest in a digital smart grid for electricity utilities

• Increase fuel economy standards: Obama will double fuel economy standards within eighteen years. Obama will also invest in advanced vehicle technology such as advanced lightweights materials and new engines.
• Set national building efficiency goals: Barack Obama will establish a goal of making all new buildings carbon neutral, or produce zero emissions, by 2030. He'll also establish a national goal of improving new building efficiency by 50% and existing building efficiency by 25% over the next decade to help us meet the 2030 goal.
• Invest in a digital smart grid: Obama will pursue a major investment in our utility grid to enable a tremendous increase in renewable generation and accommodate modern energy requirements, such as reliability, smart metering, and distributed storage.

Sarah Palin on Energy & Oil : Jun 27, 2008
Unlock ANWR; we’re ready, willing and able to contribute

A: I’ll correct you there with all due respect--the people of Alaska understand that Alaska has so much to contribute in terms of energy sources to the rest of the US. Folks up here want ANWR to be unlocked by the federal government so that we can drill. We’ve got a tremendous amount of resource up here, and we’re ready, willing and able to contribute. I think Washington doesn’t understand that we’re at a real critical crossroads: We are either going to become more and more dependent on foreign sources of energy, or we’re going to be able to secure our nation and drill domestically for safe, stable, clean supplies of energy that we have here. We have them in Alaska.

Barack Obama on Energy & Oil : Jun 26, 2008
GovWatch: Supports nuclear power if it’s clean & safe

McCain bases his claim on a partial quote from Obama on Dec. 30, 2007. Obama said, “I start off with the premise that nuclear energy is not optimal. I am not a nuclear energy proponent.” If that was all Obama said it would not make him an opponent of nuclear power, of course. But Obama went on to say, “There is no perfect energy source. Everything has some problems right now. We haven’t found it yet. Now I trust in our ingenuity. I have not ruled out nuclear as part of that [$150 billion proposed energy research] package, but only so far as it is clean and safe.”

Furthermore, the energy plan Obama released in October 2007 said: “It is unlikely that we can meet our aggressive climate goals if we eliminate nuclear power from the table.”

Barack Obama on Energy & Oil : Jun 26, 2008
GovWatch: Opposes Yucca Mountain for nuclear waste storage

Obama’s 2007 plan promised that he “will also lead federal efforts to look for a safe, long-term disposal solution based on objective, scientific analysis.” It’s inaccurate to cast Obama as an opponent, and McCain goes too far when he portrays Obama as saying “no” to nuclear.

Tim Pawlenty on Energy & Oil : Jun 22, 2008
Increase supply; diversify sources; drill ANWR

A: Well, it’s relatively good news. We have a supply and demand problem, so the more supply we can get into the market, the better. But we also need to realize we can’t just continue to rely on that approach for our future.

Q: But what about the addiction to imported oil?

A: Well, we have to diversify and Americanize our energy supply. Pres. Bush made the case for going ahead and drilling in ANWR. Listen to the president.

Tim Pawlenty on Energy & Oil : Jun 22, 2008
The more oil supply, the better

A: Well, it’s relatively good news. We have a supply and demand problem, so the more supply we can get into the market, the better. But we also need to realize we can’t just continue to rely on that approach for our future.

Q: But what do you do about the addiction to imported oil?

A: Well, we have to diversify and Americanize our energy supply. But we need to do it in a way that’s environmentally sensitive and friendly

Barack Obama on Energy & Oil : Jun 15, 2008
$150B over 10 years to establish a green energy sector

It’s time to make energy security a leading priority. My energy plan will invest $150 billion over the next ten years to establish a green energy sector that will create up to 5 million jobs over the next two decades. We’ll help manufacturers--particularly in the auto industry--convert to green technology, and help workers learn the skills they need. And unlike George Bush, I won’t wait until the sixth year of my presidency to sit down with the automakers.

Tim Pawlenty on Energy & Oil : May 21, 2008
Extend tax incentives for energy efficiency and energy R&D

On behalf of the nation’s governors, we urge Congress to extend expiring tax provisions for renewable energy efficiency, research and development. Continued and consistent support for renewable energy and efficiency through tax incentives is critical to the development and deployment of alternative energy technologies and energy efficiency.

To stimulate innovation, we encourage Congress to exten the research and development tax credit that expired last year. Providing business with an incentive to invest in research is critical for driving innovation and generating high wage job opportunities that will propel the U.S. economy throughout the 21st century.

Securing our energy future and promoting innovation are priorities at both the state and federal level. We strongly urge you to partner with governors by passing legislation on a bipartisan basis to extend these tax provisions this year.

Hillary Clinton on Energy & Oil : May 18, 2008
Get tough with energy speculators and with OPEC cartel

A: Well, I actually have a four-part program that I would put into effect were I president today to deal with these rising gas prices. I would go after the energy traders and speculators. I would close the “Enron loophole.” I voted to quit filling up the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. I have advocated a gas tax holiday that is paid for, out of the record profits of the oil companies. And it’s an enormous burden on people who drive any considerable distance.

Q: But what kind of leverage do you have on OPEC?

A: Nine countries that are members of OPEC are members of the WTO, where they have agreed to certain rules that I believe OPEC by definition violates. Also, we have never used antitrust laws in our country to really go at the heart of what is a monopoly cartel.

Sarah Palin on Energy & Oil : May 15, 2008
Energy relief plan: $100 per person monthly, for oil & gas

In addition, there will be conservation incentives for the utilities. For every 1% reduction in 2008 kilowatt hour sales from 2007 sales, the state will make a year-end contribution for capital energy projects to the utility.

The Energy Debit Card will go out to every qualifying [Alaska resident]. The benefit will be $100 per month per recipient. The temporary Energy Debit Card can be used for purchases from Alaska energy vendors, such as heating oil distributors, natural gas utilities, electric utilities, gas stations & other retail fueling stations.

The value of this plan is approximately $1.2 billion. The grant to electric utilities is expected to be $475 million, while the Energy Debit Card totals are forecast to be $729 million. The Governor has proposed this energy relief plan for one year.

Barack Obama on Energy & Oil : May 4, 2008
Figure out how to sequester carbon and burn clean coal

A: I think we do have to look at nuclear, and what we’ve got to figure out is can we store the material properly? Can we make sure that they’re secure? Can we deal with the expense? My attitude when it comes to energy is there’s no silver bullet. We’ve got to look at every possible option. You know, I’ve said the same thing about coal. I have a aggressive goal of reducing carbon emissions, and coal is a dirty fuel right now. But if we can figure out how to sequester carbon and burn clean coal, we’re the Saudi Arabia of coal, and I don’t think that we can dismiss out of hand the use of coal as part of our energy mix. What we are going to have to understand, though, is that global warming is real, it is serious and that whatever options we come up with, if they are not addressing the fact that the planet is getting warmer, then we are failing not just this generation, but future generations.

Sarah Palin on Energy & Oil : Apr 29, 2008
Bush is right: drill ANWR & develop our own supplies

Hillary Clinton on Energy & Oil : Apr 16, 2008
Investigate gas price manipulation; add windfall profits tax

A: #1, we are going to investigate these gas prices. The federal government has tools that this administration will not use, in the Federal Trade Commission, because I believe there is market manipulation going on, particularly among energy traders. We’ve seen this movie before, in Enron, and we’ve got to get to the bottom to make sure we’re not being taken advantage of. #2, I would quit putting oil into the Strategi Petroleum Reserve and I would release some to help drive the price down globally. And #3, if there is any kind of gas tax moratorium, as some people are now proposing--

Q: Like John McCain.

A:--like John McCain, and some Democrats, frankly. What I would like to see us do is, if we have $4 gas, then we should have a windfall profits tax on these outrageous oil company profits, and put that money back into the highway trust fund, so that we don’t lose out on repair & construction & rebuilding.

Hillary Clinton on Energy & Oil : Apr 16, 2008
FactCheck: Yes, FTC is investigating gas price manipulation

In an article we posted when John Edwards raised this issue, we noted that the FTC has repeatedly looked into allegations of market manipulation and fixing of gasoline prices. So far, it has found nothing to prosecute, not even in the post-Hurricane Katrina gas price spikes.

The FTC isn’t sitting on its hands as prices shoot skyward, at least according to information on its Web site. It monitors retail gas prices in 360 U.S. cities, to look for suspicious pricing. But the FTC does not disclose its ongoing investigations.

Barack Obama on Energy & Oil : Apr 16, 2008
Raise fuel efficiency standards to reduce long-term demand

A: Well, you’re right. And that’s why people are cynical, because decade after decade, we talk about energy policy or we talk about health care policy, and through Democratic and Republican administrations, nothing gets done. [I agree with Sen. Clinton on] investigating potential price gouging & a windfall profits tax. I think that long term, we’re going to have to raise fuel efficiency standards on cars, because the only way that we’re going to be able to reduce gas prices is if we reduce demand. You’ve still got a billion people in China & India who want cars. So we have to get serious about increasing our fuel efficiency standards and investing in new technologies.

Hillary Clinton on Principles & Values : Feb 11, 2008
FactCheck: Ranked 16th most liberal in Senate

Obama’s answer could mislead voters Obama cited just one of 99 Senate votes selected by National Journal’s reporters and editors for the study. Most of the votes chosen had to do with the minimum wage, renewable energy, immigration, embryonic stem cell research, and other issues that divide liberals and conservatives.

Clinton ranked 16th most liberal in the Senate, although she actually differed from Obama on just 2 of the 99 selected votes--the creation of an outside ethics office, and allowing certain immigrants to stay in the country while their visas were being renewed. A comparison of Obama & Clinton over the last three years (since Obama has been in the Senate) shows that Obama had an average composite “liberal” score of 88, which is higher than Clinton’s average of 77.6.

Barack Obama on Government Reform : Feb 2, 2008
Ended corporate jet travel subsidized by lobbyists

• Lobbyists Write National Policies: For example, Vice President Dick Cheney’s Energy Task Force of oil and gas lobbyists met secretly to develop national energy policy.

• Support Campaign Finance Reform: Obama supports public financing of campaigns combined with free television and radio time as a way to reduce the influence of moneyed special interests.

• Federal Ethics Reform: Obama and Senator Feingold (D-WI) took on both parties and proposed ethics legislation that was described as the “gold standard” for reform. It was because of their leadership that ending subsidized corporate jet travel, mandating disclosure of lobbyists’ bundling of contributions, and enacting strong new restrictions of lobbyist-sponsored trips became part of the final ethics bill that was signed into law.

Barack Obama on Social Security : Feb 2, 2008
Stop any efforts to privatize Social Security

• Insecure Retirement Savings: 75 million working Americans lack employer-based retirement plans. Too many companies have dumped their pension obligations, leaving workers in the cold.
• Income Security: With skyrocketing health care, energy and housing costs, too many seniors do not have the resources to live comfortably.

• Commitment:As someone who was largely raised by his grandparents, Obama has first-hand knowledge of how hard America’s seniors have worked. He will honor their lifetime of work.
• Protect Social Security: Obama will preserve Social Security by stopping any efforts to privatize it and working in a bipartisan way to preserve it for future generations.
• Secure Hard-Earned Pensions: Obama will fight to ensure that companies don’t dump their pension obligations.
• Help Americans Save More: Obama will make retirement savings automatic.

Mitt Romney on Energy & Oil : Jan 30, 2008
They don’t call it “America warming” but “global warming”

Mitt Romney on Energy & Oil : Jan 27, 2008
Opposes McCain-Lieberman bill due to $0.50/gal. gas tax

And it basically would slow down our economy without helping the environment at all, because major users of energy would take their production to countries like China that wouldn’t sign the deal.

It is basically saying the cost of global warming would all be borne by American rate-payers and consumers. He just doesn’t understand how the economy works.

Rudy Giuliani on Energy & Oil : Jan 24, 2008
Support the technologies that improve alternative energy use

Hillary Clinton on Energy & Oil : Jan 21, 2008
$650 for help with energy bills to those who can’t afford it

A: We have to stimulate the economy. I began calling for some kind of economic action plan back at the beginning of December. I have a package of $110 billion; $70 billion of that would go towards dealing with the mortgage crisis. I would have a moratorium on home foreclosures for 90 days to try to help families work it out so that they don’t lose their homes. I want to have an interest rate freeze for 5 years. Then, I think we need to give people about $650, if they qualify--which will be millions of people--to help pay their energy bills this winter. There are so many people on fixed incomes and working people who are not going to be able to afford the spike in energy costs. And then we will have money for rebates, but let’s make them the right rebates. A lot of our seniors on fixed incomes don’t pay income taxes. But that doesn’t mean they’re immune from the energy costs.

Haley Barbour on Homeland Security : Jan 21, 2008
Defense industry is economic bright spot for MS

Mitt Romney on Energy & Oil : Jan 20, 2008
$20 billion package for energy research & new car technology

A: We spend about $4 billion a year right now on energy research to try and help us become less energy dependent on foreign sources. And I think over the coming years we need to increase our investment to become energy independent from about $4 billion a year to about $20 billion a year. Obviously, that has got to grow gradually because there are not a lot of places now that do the kind o research we need to do to get ourselves energy independent. But that’s not just to bail out the automobile industry. That’s not what I have in mind. I’m not looking for a bailout at all. Instead, it’s saying that where we invest, we tend to do very well.

Hillary Clinton on Energy & Oil : Jan 16, 2008
FactCheck: Oil & gas giveaways stripped from final 2005 Bill

While it’s true that Republican lawmakers had once considered large tax breaks for oil and gas companies in the bill, the biggest of them had been stripped out of the bill by the time it passed.

It’s true that the Energy Policy Act contained $14.3 billion in tax breaks, but most went to electric utilities for such things as incentives for new transmission lines & “clean coal” facilities, and also for incentives for alternative fuels research and subsidies for energy efficient cars and homes.

The bill did give $2.6 billion in tax breaks for oil companies, but those were offset by $2.9 billion in tax increases.

Sarah Palin on Education : Jan 15, 2008
Committed to providing strong education, including morals

Sarah Palin on Energy & Oil : Jan 15, 2008
$250M for proven alternative energy, including wind & hydro

Barack Obama on Energy & Oil : Jan 15, 2008
Reduce the consumption of energy and be more efficient

Hillary Clinton on Environment : Jan 15, 2008
A comprehensive energy plan as our Apollo moon shot

Mitt Romney on Energy & Oil : Jan 13, 2008
Need worldwide global warming solutions; not CAFE or US tax

A: Look at Washington. They gave it CAFE standards, which hurt. Some Senators are talking about a new form of tax on energy in this country, which would make it even harder on the domestic companies.

Q: Well, their point is that you have got to do something about global warming. Isn’t that your understanding?

A: Oh, sure. And there’s nothing wrong with dealing with global warming. But there is a big difference between talking about global warming, which requires global solutions, and the idea of America warming. No one talks about America warming. If we’re going to have solutions that deal, for instance, with a cap in trade program or a BTU tax or anything of that nature, it has to be global in its sweep. But Sen. McCain’s proposition is that we do this as America only. A unilateral effort would only cause higher costs here, and give the advantage to nations that already have a substantial cost advantage.

Mitt Romney on Budget & Economy : Jan 10, 2008
To avoid recession, deal with housing crisis & gas prices

1. We’re going to have to make sure that we stop the housing crisis.
2. We’re going to have to reduce taxes on middle-income Americans immediately.
3. We’re going to have to deal with gas prices. We’re going to have to finally become energy independent and make the investments in new technology that will allow us to get there.
4. And, finally, R&D, investments in science and technology. That’s an area where America can continue to lead the world.

Mike Huckabee on Budget & Economy : Jan 10, 2008
Fuel prices & subprime mortgages possibly cause recession

1. Fuel prices: Everything costs more because it took more money to transport it. With our dependency upon foreign oil, if we don’t begin to revers that and become energy independent, we well could continue this enslavement to foreign oil, and ultimately wreck our economy.
2. Subprime mortgages: Two million people today in America risk losing their homes. Now, there’s culpability on both lender, as well as a lot of borrowers who bought more home than they could.
3. Health care costs
4. Education costs. All those factors together.

Mike Huckabee on Energy & Oil : Jan 1, 2008
Comprehensive plan for energy independence within ten years

Newt Gingrich on Energy & Oil : Dec 18, 2007
2008 book: Drill Here, Drill Now, Pay Less

I wrote a book in fall 2008 called "Drill Here, Drill Now, Pay Less," describing America's vast energy potential and explain how misguided government policies have prevented us from becoming an energy powerhouse.

Newt Gingrich on Energy & Oil : Dec 18, 2007
Billion-dollar prize for first mass-produced hydrogen car

There should be a substantial tax break for investing in both ethanol and hydrogen supply stations and hydrogen pipelines so the fuel can be delivered when the automobiles are available at a reasonable cost.

Joe Biden on Energy & Oil : Dec 13, 2007
The energy challenge take sacrifice and is a moral crusade

Hillary Clinton on Environment : Dec 13, 2007
Advocate a cap and trade system

Ron Paul on Education : Dec 12, 2007
Encourage homeschooling & private school via tax writeoff

Mike Huckabee on Energy & Oil : Dec 12, 2007
Biofuel mandates are not necessary

Mike Huckabee on Free Trade : Dec 12, 2007
A free country must feed, fuel, & fight for itself

A: It’s most certainly a national security threat because a country can only be free if it can do three things.

1. It has to be able to feed itself. It has to be able to put food on the table for its own citizens.
2. It’s got to be able to fuel itself. If it looks to somebody else for its energy needs, it’s only as free as those are willing for it to be.
3. And it also has to be able to fight for itself. It’s got to be able to manufacture its own weapons of defense--tanks, airplanes, bullets and bombs.

Mitt Romney on Government Reform : Dec 12, 2007
Focus on global Jihad, immigration, tax cut, and healthcare

Rudy Giuliani on Government Reform : Dec 12, 2007
Focus on terrorism, immigration, tax cut, & small government

Rudy Giuliani on Energy & Oil : Dec 9, 2007
Opposes mandated 35mpg by 2020; develop alternatives instead

A: That isn’t the way I think it should be done. I think what we should be doing is developing the alternatives so it’s possible to accomplish that as opposed to just setting mandates and not having the support there for expansion of hybrid vehicles, expansion of biofuels, including ethanol.

Q: But you’re against increasing miles per gallon.

A: I would not do it that way, yes. I would do it with heavy expansion of hybrid vehicles, which move some of the sources over to electricity, then deal with clean coal, nuclear power, hybrid vehicles, expansion of hydroelectric power, more oil refineries, more domestic oil. Those are the things that we should be supporting. And we should be selling that to the rest of the world. So the real emphasis here should be on developing energy independence and creating these alternative industries.

Mike Huckabee on Foreign Policy : Dec 9, 2007
Hugo Chavez was not elected as dictator; no friend of US

A: Well, Hugo Chavez is hardly the friend of the US. And even though we get 60% of their oil, I think it’s one of the major reasons we need to become increasingly oil-free & energy-independent so that we don’t have to worry about Chavez. But there’s a greater issue here, and it’s the fact that the people of Venezuela aren’t Hugo Chavez and Hugo Chavez is not necessarily the spirit of the people of Venezuela. Even though he was elected, he was not elected to be a dictator as he has become, suspending constitutional law. My mother used to have a statement: If you give somebody enough rope, they’ll hang themselves. I have a feeling that Mr. Chavez, continuing to take power from the people as he has done, will find himself unfortunately out of power, and a democratically elected government there that will give those people back the freedom that he has robbed from them.

Ron Paul on Foreign Policy : Nov 28, 2007
Stronger national defense by changing our foreign policy

A: I would like to change Washington, and we could by cutting three programs, such as the Department of Education-- Ronald Reagan used to talk about that--Department of Energy, Department of Homeland Security is the biggest bureaucracy we ever had. And besides, what we can do is we can have a stronger national defense by changing our foreign policy.

Mike Huckabee on Energy & Oil : Nov 25, 2007
Energy independence: let Saudis keep their oil & their sand

A: I would make the United States energy independent within 10 years and tell the Saudis they can keep their oil just like they can keep their sand, that we won’t need either one of them. America has allowed itself to become enslaved to Saudi oil. It’s absurd. It’s embarrassing. Since 1973, we keep talking about project independence. We never have the political will to do it. It is high time that we stop this sense of almost being subordinated by the Saudis as well as the rest of the Middle East, particularly countries who do not like us, who do not have our best interests at heart. We need a self-sustaining, environmentally friendly energy source or energy sources. And that’s no longer a matter of just environmental concern and our economic interest, it is now really a matter of utmost national security.

Sarah Palin on Energy & Oil : Nov 10, 2007
National energy policy not an either/or proposition

The legislation, sponsored by Sen. Joe Leiberman (I-CT), aims to designate ANWR as wilderness. Palin criticized the bill as it would effectively ban oil and gas exploration in the most promising unexplored regions in North America--the coastal plain of ANWR. In the letter, Gov. Palin states that national energ policy must include a variety of resources:

“I don’t see national energy policy as an either/or proposition,” said Gov. Palin. “Rather, we need to develop secure domestic sources of conventional energy, such as oil & natural gas, while also researching and developing alternative and renewable energy.”

Gov. Palin reminded senators that opening ANWR to oil and gas exploration would reduce US dependence on foreign sources of oil, increase federal revenues and create hundreds of thousands of jobs.

Hillary Clinton on Energy & Oil : Oct 30, 2007
Investigate & move toward energy efficiency and conservation

Sarah Palin on Energy & Oil : Oct 30, 2007
Fund cellulosic biofuel research in Farm Bill

Local production of renewable biomass energy benefits the national economy, promotes national and regional energy security and stimulates the rural economy through the creation of high quality jobs. Encouraging such production will require increased federal investment in programs that support cellulosic biofuels research, increased biodiesel production and use, increases in wind and solar energy and energy from animal wastes, improvements in energy efficiency, bio-based product development, effective carbon storage, and other renewable technologies.

Hillary Clinton on Principles & Values : Oct 23, 2007
Key to Bill & Hillary’s marriage is shared love of politics

Politics may seem an odd foundation for a marriage, but for the Clintons, it has served as the defining factor not only of their careers, but also of their friendships, their dinner-table conversations, their intellectual interests, and to outsiders at least, their emotional lives.

Rudy Giuliani on Energy & Oil : Oct 9, 2007
Don’t draw the line anywhere--advance all technologies

A: I think Iran would be a lot more of a paper tiger if we were more energy independent. You could go on into a lot of examples like that. This is a matter of national security. You’ve got to support all the alternatives. There’s no magic bullet here--biofuels, nuclear power. We haven’t licensed a nuclear power plant in 30 years. We haven’t had a new refinery in 30 years. We’re on hold. Hydroelectric power, solar power, wind power, conservation-- we have to support all of these things. The president has to treat this like putting a man on the moon.

Q: But where do you draw the line? Do you support drilling off the coast of Florida, California?

A: You don’t draw the line anywhere. What you do is you work with people to try to advance all of these technologies. Long-term damage to our environment would be a mistake, that would be an overreaction. You have to make sound judgments, and you have to advance these new technologies.

Mitt Romney on Energy & Oil : Oct 9, 2007
Develop energy technology like nuclear or liquefied coal

Mike Huckabee on Energy & Oil : Oct 9, 2007
Ethanol & biofuels are part of future energy

A: I think ethanol and all biofuels are going to be an important part of the future energy needs of the country, but the accelerated pace at which we get there is critical for national security as well as for our own economic interest. We’ve got to come to the place where everything is on the table--nuclear, biofuels, ethanol, wind, solar--any and everything this country can produce. We once had a president who said, “Let’s go to the moon in 10 years,” and we were there in eight. And we did that when we started with a technology of bottle rockets when we got the thing launched. And we all saw that we can do it.

Rudy Giuliani on Free Trade : Oct 9, 2007
Balance foreign debt by selling more things overseas

A: Actually, the way to balance that is to sell more things overseas. That’s the usual Democratic pessimistic approach. How about we try an optimistic approach? The way to balance the books is sell more overseas. Sell energy independence. Sell health care. Let’s do it in a positive way.

Mitt Romney on Jobs : Oct 9, 2007
I believe in domestic supports for our agriculture industry

A: I believe in domestic supports for our agriculture industry. I don’t want to see our food supply be in the same kind of a jeopardy situation that our energy supply is in. And clearly there’s a responsibility of government to make sure that our farmers are treated on the same basis as farmers in Europe & other markets that we compete with. The WTO talks [may] find a way to bring down subsidies around the world, & that’ll be good news.

Barack Obama on Technology : Sep 13, 2007
JFK inspired with space program; now same with energy R&D

A: [One thing is] emphasizing math and science instruction, finding innovative ways to make it interesting for students. This is an area where the president has the power to use the bully pulpit and to make math and science interesting and vibrant again. One of the things that I’m always struck by when I talk to engineers and scientists who are in their 50s and 60s is how many say they were inspired by JFK and the space program for going into science and math. And one area where I think we could actually do that is to really make a huge effort around energy independence. And if a president is talking about the importance of us engaging in research and development, doubling the amount of research dollars that are being put into basic science and basic research, all that can help lift up the importance of these areas of study for young people who basically take their cues from the larger culture.

Barack Obama on Energy & Oil : Sep 6, 2007
Nuclear power ok if we safeguard against waste & terrorism

A: I don’t think that we can take nuclear power off the table. What we have to make sure of is that we have the capacity to store waste properly and safely, and that we reduce whatever threats might come from terrorism. And if we can do that in a technologically sound way, then we should pursue it. If we can’t, we should not. But there is no magic bullet on energy. We’re going to have to look at all the various options.

Rudy Giuliani on Principles & Values : Sep 1, 2007
12 Commitments to the American People

12 Commitments to the American People
1. I will keep America on offense in the Terrorists’ War on us
2. I will end illegal immigration, secure our borders, & identify every non-citizen in our nation
3. I will restore fiscal discipline & cut wasteful Washington spending
4. I will cut taxes & reform the tax code
5. I will impose accountability on Washington
6. I will lead America towards energy independence
7. I will give Americans more control over & access to health care with affordable & portable free-market solutions
8. I will increase adoptions, decrease abortions, & protect the quality of life for our children
9. I will reform the legal system & appoint strict constructionist judges
10. I will ensure that every community in America is prepared for terrorist attacks & natural disasters
11. I will provide access to a quality education to every child by giving real school choice to parents
12. I will expand American involvement in the global economy & strengthen our reputation around the world.

Newt Gingrich on Technology : Sep 1, 2007
Invest in scientific revolutions: energy, space, environment

1. A new system of civil justice to reduce the burden of lawsuits and to incentivize young people to go into professions other than the law.
2. A dramatically simplified tax code that favors savings, entrepreneurship, investment, & constant modernization of equipment & technology.
3. Math & science education [that encourages] young Americans to both discover the science of the future and to compete successfully with other well-educated societies.
4. Investing in the scientific revolutions that are going to transform our world--particularly in energy, space, & environment.
5. Transforming health care into a 21st Century Intelligent Health System that improves our health while lowering costs dramatically. In the process, American health care will become our highest value export and foreign exchange earning sector.

Mitt Romney on Energy & Oil : Aug 31, 2007
The time for true energy independence has come

“I will initiate a bold and far-reaching research initiative--an Energy Revolution. It will be our generation’s equivalent of the Manhattan Project or of the mission to reach the Moon.“

”While scientists are still debating how much human activity impacts the environment, we can all agree that alternative energy sources will be good for the planet. For any and all for these reasons, the time for true energy independence has come.“

Hillary Clinton on Environment : Aug 8, 2007
Support green-collar job training

A: I have supported a green building fund and green-collar job training with the AFL-CIO that will put a lot of people too work. And it’s important that we do this, because we can create millions of new jobs.

Hillary Clinton on Principles & Values : Aug 8, 2007
Bring your brooms & vacuum cleaners; we got to clean up DC

There’s going to be a lot of repair work to do, and I’m going to ask people to come to Washington. Bring your brooms. Bring your vacuum cleaners. We’ve got to clean the place out and get to work together.

Hillary Clinton on Energy & Oil : Aug 7, 2007
Invest in alternative energy; jobs that won’t be outsourced

Barack Obama on Energy & Oil : Jul 23, 2007
Explore nuclear power as part of alternative energy mix

A: I actually think that we should explore nuclear power as part of the energy mix. There are no silver bullets to this issue. We have to develop solar. I have proposed drastically increasing fuel efficiency standards on cars, an aggressive cap on the amount of greenhouse gases that can be emitted. But we’re going to have to try a series of different approaches.

Hillary Clinton on Energy & Oil : Jul 23, 2007
End Big Oil tax break; $50 billion for strategic energy fund

Hillary Clinton on Energy & Oil : Jul 23, 2007
Agnostic about nuclear power until waste & cost issue solved

A: I’m agnostic about nuclear power. Until we figure out what we’re going to do with the waste and the cost, it’s very hard to see nuclear as a part of our future. But that’s where American technology comes in. Let’s figure out what we’re going to do about the waste and the cost if we think nuclear should be a part of the solution.

Hillary Clinton on Energy & Oil : Jul 23, 2007
FactCheck: There was no Big Oil tax break under Bush-Cheney

CLINTON: First of all, I have proposed a strategic energy fund that I would fund by taking away the tax break for the oil companies, which have gotten much greater under Bush and Cheney.

It’s true that many generous subsidies were proposed and debated, but those were stripped out before the bill was passed. The final bill contained $14.3 billion in tax breaks, but the bulk of the cuts went to electric utilities, and nuclear, and also to alternative fuels research and subsidies for energy-efficiency--not to the oil industry.

Barack Obama on Energy & Oil : Jun 19, 2007
Cap-and-trade carbon emissions; raise CAFE standard

As president, I will place a cap on carbon emissions and require companies who can’t meet the cap to buy credits from those who can, which will generate billions of dollars to invest in renewable sources of energy and create new jobs and even a new industry in the process. I’ll put in place a low carbon fuel standard that will take 50 million cars worth of pollution off the road. I’ll raise the fuel efficiency standards for our cars and trucks because we know we have the technology to do it and it’s the time to do it.

Hillary Clinton on Energy & Oil : Jun 8, 2007
Energy Independence 2020: $50B for Strategic Energy Fund

[In a speech introducing the plan,] after praising solar power and wind technology, Hillary turned her attention to her villains--the oil companies--and discussed the legislation she hoped to pass that would force them to change their ways. Unless they diversified away from fossil fuels and into preferred, renewable technologies, her bill would require that they be assessed heavy windfall-profits taxes. This new revenue source, estimated at $50 billion, would finance a government energy fund that invested in innovative energy research.

Hillary introduced her promised legislation to create a federal “Strategic Energy Fund” financed by oil company taxes. But her energy bill, while music to the ears of the Left, overreached her colleagues. Hillary could not find another senator to cosponsor her bill.

Hillary Clinton on Energy & Oil : Jun 8, 2007
Extensive funding into alternative energy

The next day there was a plenary session on global warming. The marquee attraction was Al Gore. Hillary and Gore had vied for Bill’s attention during his presidency, and that rivalry had only intensified after the Clintons left the White House. Bill privately told confidants that he believed that if Hillary emerged as the likely Democratic presidential nominee, Gore would enter as a left-of-Hillary alternative.

One month later, Hillary unveiled a comprehensive clean-energy plan, tailed along the lines she had mentioned at the conference. She suffered the same fat as Gore: Nobody paid attention.

Hillary Clinton on Principles & Values : Jun 8, 2007
Pre-Wellesley, confident her conservatism wouldn’t change

Hillary’s high school government teachers warned her that college would likely change her conservative politics. “You’re going to Wellesley, and you’re going to become a liberal and a Democrat.” Hillary blanched and replied, “I’m smart, I know where I stand on the issues. And that’s not going to change.”

In the mid-1960s, student activism, spurred by growing disenchantment with the war in Vietnam and racism at home, was beginning its ascent. Wellesley was beginning to change too, though more tentatively than other campuses. Hillary’s class would accelerate the transformation of Wellesley from a genteel island to a campus with much more in common with the “beatnik” Harvard Square vibe.

Ron Paul on Energy & Oil : Jun 3, 2007
Big Oil profits ok; Big Oil subsidies are not

A: I don’t think the profits is the issue. The profits are okay if they’re legitimately earned in a free market. What I object to are subsidies to big corporations when we subsidize them and give them R&D money. I don’t think that should be that way. They should take it out of the funds that they earn.

Rudy Giuliani on Energy & Oil : Jun 3, 2007
Accept global warming & work toward energy independence

GIULIANI: I think we have to accept the view that scientists have that there is global warming and that humans contribute to that. And the fact is that there is a way to deal with it and to address it in a way that we can also accomplish energy independence, which we need as a matter of national security. It’s frustrating and really dangerous for us to see money going to our enemies because we have to buy oil from certain countries. We should be supporting all the alternatives. We need a project similar to putting a man on the moon.

ROMNEY: Rudy Giuliani is right in terms of an Apollo project to get us energy independent, and the effects of that on global warming are positive. It’s a no-regrets policy. It’s a great idea. [We need,] as a strategic imperative, energy independence for America. And it takes that Apollo project.

Ron Paul on Foreign Policy : Jun 3, 2007
Our foreign policy is designed to protect our oil interests

Hillary Clinton on War & Peace : Jun 3, 2007
It was a mistake to trust Bush on his judgment to wage war

Ron Paul on Government Reform : May 15, 2007
Close departments of Energy, Education & Homeland Security

THOMPSON: There are several programs that need to be cut in Washington, several of those in my former department. I would first make every agency come in with a budget at 95% of last year’s budget and one at 100%. And you will be able to use that exercise in order to reduce budgets all across the line.

Q: I didn’t hear three programs. Can you tell me one?

THOMPSON: The first one I would eliminate is a program in the Department of Health and Human Services in CDC that deals with the stockpile. The stockpile does a great job, but there are some inefficiencies there.

Q: [To Paul] Can you do better than that?

PAUL: I’d start with the departments--the Department of Education, the Department of Energy, Department of Homeland Security. There’s a lot of things that we can cut, but we can’t cut anything until we change our philosophy about what government should do.

Joe Biden on Budget & Economy : Apr 29, 2007
Invest in new programs by ending war & eliminating tax cuts

• A: First of all, we’re going to end this war. It’s $100 billion a year we’re spending.
• Eliminate the tax cuts for people making over a million bucks --that’s $85 billion a year.
• Eliminate the tax break for investment on dividends--$195 billion.

Q: But, senator, we have a deficit. We have Social Security and Medicare looming.

A: The answer is you have to put it all on the table. We put Social Security on the right path for 60 years. Social Security’s not the hard one to solve. Medicare, that is the gorilla in the room, and you’ve got to put all of it on the table.

Joe Biden on Energy & Oil : Apr 26, 2007
Make every automobile sold be a flex-fuel automobile

We also have legislation in requiring we invest $100 million a year for the next couple of years in order to be able to find lithium battery technology to be able to power our cars.

We also have legislation talking about capping emissions. Cap them now; not wait. Cap them where they are now. Time’s running out.

But you have to be willing to make multi-billion dollar investments over the next 10 years and set hard goals in order to be able to get to the point where we are no longer dependent.

Rudy Giuliani on Energy & Oil : Mar 26, 2007
No new energy tax; focus on alternatives instead

A: I don’t like taxes. I don’t know how to make that any clearer. I don’t like taxes. Inventing new ones is a very big mistake. Find other ways to do it. If you want to deal with global warming, the way to deal with global warming is to develop these alternative technologies. Get serious about energy independence, so we wouldn’t have to send money to our enemies. Let’s put the resources in to catch up on ethanol.

Rudy Giuliani on Energy & Oil : Mar 26, 2007
Develop energy-independent technology, but not wind power

Barack Obama on Principles & Values : Feb 15, 2007
Replace partisan bickering with politics of hope

Hillary Clinton on Energy & Oil : Feb 2, 2007
Will make big oil fund alternative energy research

Mike Huckabee on Energy & Oil : Jan 4, 2007
Explore ways to harness nuclear power

While many Americans still fear nuclear power, we would be wise to explore ways to harness it for purposes more peaceful and productive than the building of bombs. The growing anxiety over the impact of suddenly spiking gasoline, nature gas, and electricity costs have created near panic in the homes of many Americans. Many small business owners are threatened out of existence because of the escalating costs from uncontrollable energy expenses. People who are impoverished and on the brink of financial disaster can be pushed over the edge when they simply do not have the money to pay their electric bill and cannot afford to pay for transportation to work.

Mitt Romney on Energy & Oil : Dec 1, 2006
Develop alternative energy but also drill in ANWR

Newt Gingrich on Energy & Oil : Dec 1, 2006
Focus on incentives for conservation & renewable resources

Hydrogen has the potential to provide energy that has no environmental downside. Conservation is the second great opportunity in energy. A tax credit to subsidize energy efficient cars (including a tax credit for turning in old and heavily polluting cars) is another idea we should support. Renewable resources are gradually evolving to meet their potential: from wind generator farms to solar power to biomass conversion. Continued tax credits and other advantages for renewable resources are a must.

Mitt Romney on Principles & Values : Dec 1, 2006
Address issues so America can remain a superpower

Ten Issues America Must Address to Remain The Economic and Military Superpower
1. Defeating the Jihadists
2. Competing with Asia
3. Stopping Runaway Spending
4. Getting Immigration Right
5. Achieving Energy Independence
6. Affirming America’s Culture and Values
7. Simplifying the Tax System
8. Investing in Technology
9. Extending Health Insurance to All Americans
10. Raising the Bar on Education

Tim Pawlenty on Energy & Oil : Nov 7, 2006
Encourage development of locally owned wind energy sources

• Achieved the nation’s largest tracks of certified sustainable forests, totaling over 4 million acres
• Increased the state’s commitment to renewable energy for the future through Prairie Island legislation.
• Advanced the Community Based Energy Development Tariff to encourage the development and use of locally owned wind and clean energy sources and established a goal of obtaining 800 megawatts of community based wind to be added to our electric system by 2010.

Sarah Palin on Civil Rights : Nov 3, 2006
Value our cultural diversity

Sarah Palin on Education : Nov 3, 2006
Forward-fund K-12 schools to allow better planning

Sarah Palin on Energy & Oil : Nov 3, 2006
Chaired the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission

The Natural Gas Pipeline
• Sarah is the one with experience and energy to move Alaska forward!
• Sarah Palin will use her experience as Chairman of the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission to negotiate a fair gas pipeline agreement that puts Alaska first and creates jobs for all Alaskans.

Sarah Palin on Principles & Values : Oct 30, 2006
Endorsed by Sen. Ted Stevens

We have a state that needs new management. [Palin & Parnell] represent a new generation. And they represent a new vision, new energy. They represent the kind of people that ought to come along and take our places.

And it needs a new agenda for all of use to get behind. Think of this -- when you go to vote, don’t go to vote alone, and you’ll help Sarah become the next governor of Alaska, which we all want to see.

Sarah Palin on Welfare & Poverty : Oct 22, 2006
Funding for faith-based initiatives is adequate today

A: We see an adequate level of funding for faith-based initiatives today.

Q: What, specifically, would you do to help make rural Alaska sustain itself economically?

A: I support a municipal revenue sharing so local areas can prioritize their own needs. The state needs to establish a rural energy plan. Commercial fishing is a mainstay for many villages, and I oppose actions that cut off Alaskans from our fisheries.

Hillary Clinton on Energy & Oil : Oct 11, 2006
$50B strategic energy fund from taxing oil companies

In May 2006, Clinton unveiled a proposal for a “virtual revolution” in energy, to decrease the use of foreign oil by 8 million barrels a day by 2025. The plan called for the creation of a $50 billion “strategic energy fund” by increasing taxes on oil companies. Clinton also suggested the government force oil firms to invest in unproven, renewable fuels like ethanol.

Clinton, in short, sought to reallocate money from fuel that consumers do buy (oil) to fuel that they don’t buy (renewables). Clinton’s plan was consistent with her tenacious opposition to any measure allowing oil companies to increase domestic drilling [both in ANWR and off the US coast].

Barack Obama on Energy & Oil : Oct 1, 2006
We cannot drill our way out of our addiction to oil

A large portion of the $800 million we spend on foreign oil every day goes to some of the world’s most volatile regimes. And there are the environmental consequences. Just about every scientist outside the White House believes climate change is real.

We cannot drill our way out of the problem. Instead of subsidizing the oil industry, we should end every single tax break the industry currently receives and demand that 1% of the revenues from oil companies with over $1 billion in quarterly profits go toward financing alternative energy research and infrastructure.

Over the last 30 years, countries like Brazil have used a mix of regulation and direct government investment to develop a biofuel industry; 70% of its new vehicles run on sugar-based ethanol.

Ron Paul on War & Peace : Jun 20, 2006
Iran not in violation of NPT--so talk without preconditions

By demanding that Iran give up its uranium enrichment program, the US is unilaterally changing the terms of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation treaty. UN inspectors have been in Iran for years, and International Atomic Energy Agency Director El Baradei has repeatedly reported that he can find no indication of diversion of nuclear materials to a military purpose.

As a signatory of the Non-Proliferation Treaty, Iran has the “inalienable right” to the “development, research, production and use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes without discrimination.” Yet the US is demanding that Iran give up that right en though, after years of monitoring, Iran has never been found to have diverted nuclear material from peaceful to military use.

Hillary Clinton on Civil Rights : Jun 16, 2006
Pushing for privacy bill of rights

Clinton said any president should have the latest technology to track terrorists, but within laws that provide for oversight by judges. “The administration’s refrain has been, ‘Trust us,’” Clinton said. “That’s unacceptable. Their track record doesn’t warrant our trust. Unchecked mass surveillance without judicial review may sometimes be legal but it is dangerous. Every president should save those powers for limited critical situations.”

Barack Obama on Energy & Oil : Jun 14, 2006
3-way win: economy, environment, & stop funding terror

Hillary Clinton on Energy & Oil : Jun 14, 2006
Remove energy dependence on countries who would harm us

Hillary Clinton on Energy & Oil : Jan 6, 2006
Need to move toward energy efficiency and conservation

Mitt Romney on Energy & Oil : Jan 5, 2006
Can’t become energy independent in a decade, but be on track

Rudy Giuliani on Energy & Oil : Jan 5, 2006
Got to expand nuclear and do clean coal

Barack Obama on Energy & Oil : Sep 28, 2004
20% nation’s power supply from renewable sources by 2020

Mitt Romney on Environment : Aug 25, 2004
Lit mountain with Olympic rings while placating enviro’s

They charged the installation would damage ground cover. I described our precautions: the whole program had been environmentally engineered to protect the land. We agreed to re-grade the dirt road. We also agreed to plant seed when we were through. We agreed to pay $25,000 to the Nature Conservancy endowment. The environmental groups still said no. If it were not for the courage of the Mayor standing up to some constituents, we might not have prevailed. That and the generosity of Utah Power. They bought 1000s of bulbs and their own workers installed it.

The rings were a signature of the overall look of the Games. We even had requests from the community that we illuminate the rings in the morning so commuters could enjoy the Olympic spirit.

Barack Obama on Energy & Oil : Jul 12, 2004
Free America from its dependence on foreign oil

Barack Obama on Energy & Oil : Jun 25, 2004
Invest in alternative energy sources

Barack Obama on Energy & Oil : Jun 25, 2004
Tradable credits for renewable energy

Jon Huntsman on Energy & Oil : Nov 17, 2003
Lead US in alternative sources for energy and efficiency

We need to lead the nation in finding alternative sources for energy and efficiency.
• Regulation stance that will consider Utah ‘s natural advantages in both renewable and non- renew able technologies.
• I will promote an energy conservation plan that encourages smarter use among providers and consumers.
• I will focus the legislature-dedicated monies for energy research with a future oriented view to insure that there use is in accordance with a healthy Utah . <.ul> Click for Mitt Romney on other issues.   Source: Press release, “Opposes Nuclear Waste”

  Mike Huckabee on Energy & Oil : Nov 1, 2002
  Promote alternative fuel technology

  Indicate which principles you support regarding the environment and energy.
  • Promote increased use of alternative fuel technology.
  • Use state funds to clean up former industrial and commercial sites that are contaminated, unused, or abandoned.
  • State environmental regulations should not be stricter than federal law.
  Click for Mitt Romney on other issues.   Source: 2002 AR Gubernatorial National Political Awareness Test

  Hillary Clinton on Energy & Oil : Oct 8, 2000
  Supports oil reserve release & fund conservation

  Q: Do you support conserving energy?

  A: I’ve spoken about an energy policy that would include conservation tax credits that the Republicans have blocked. The administration has put forth an energy policy that we couldn’t get through that Republican leadership that my opponent is part of. We need a new Congress. I was pleased when the president did release some oil from the reserve. So we have work to do and it needs to be led by Democrats who understand that we shouldn’t be beholden to big oil.

  Click for Mitt Romney on other issues.   Source: Senate debate in Manhattan

  Hillary Clinton on Civil Rights : Sep 25, 1996
  Affirmative living: involve entire village against racism

  There is probably no more important task parents--and the rest of the village--face than raising children not only to tolerate but to respect the differences among people and to recognize the rewards that come from serving others. I call this affirmative living--the positive energy we derive from taking pride in who we are and from having the confidence and moral grounding to reach out to those who are different.

  Some of the most effective approaches to promoting affirmative living are those that involve the entire village. An annual event in Boston called Team Harmony brings middle and high school students together with local sports figures and business leaders to take a stand against prejudice and bigotry. After the Team Harmony event in 1994, many students wrote about the positive messages they received. “Since the event, I want to do all that I can to stop racism,” one of them wrote. “I want everyone to live in peace & harmony, where there is no hatred & no violence.”

  Click for Hillary Clinton on other issues.   Source: It Takes A Village, by Hillary Clinton, p.172-179

  Additional quotations related to Energy issues can be found under Environment. Click here for definitions & background information on Environment.
  Candidates on Environment:
  Incumbents: Pres.Barack Obama V.P.Joe Biden Secy.Hillary Clinton	GOP Candidates: Rep.Michele Bachmann(MN) Herman Cain(GA) Rep.Newt Gingrich(GA) Gov.Jon Huntsman(UT) Gov.Gary Johnson(NM) Rep.Thaddeus McCotter(MI) Rep.Ron Paul(TX) Gov.Rick Perry(TX) Gov.Tim Pawlenty(MN) Gov.Buddy Roemer(LA) Gov.Mitt Romney(MA) Sen.Rick Santorum(PA)	GOP Withdrawals: Gov.Haley Barbour(MS) Gov.Chris Cristie(NJ) Mayor Rudy Giuliani(NYC) Gov.Mike Huckabee(AR) Gov.Bobby Jindal(LA) Gov.Sarah Palin(AK) Donald Trump(NY)
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