Posted by Frank James at 9:16 am CST
I caught Sen. Barack Obama's (D.-Ill.) appearance at the Governors' Ethanol Coalition yesterday afternoon at a local hotel banquet hall, part of the National Governors Association meeting. He spoke of approaches the U.S. could take to wean itself from foreign oil.
Why was Obama, still a relatively new senator, invited to speak about energy independence, an issue many people don't usually associate him with, I wondered?
Former Democratic Senate minority leader Sen. Tom Daschle (remember him?) of South Dakota who introduced Obama to an audience that appeared to be composed more of governors aides than governors, anticipated that question.
"I think without exception," Daschle said in his opening remarks, "he has taken a more of an active and more successful interest and role in the development of alternative fuels than anybody else who has arrived in the Senate in the course of the last two or three elections. On almost every single alternative-energy issue, especially involving ethanol, but on all issues you see the name Barack Obama."
It's true that if you type Obama's name in the search box of the Congress's Thomas website, you get several energy-related hits. He introduced something called "Healthcare for Hybrids" to allow the federal government to pick up some of the costs for U.S. auto companies' retiree health-care costs in exchange for producing more hybrid vehicles. He also was a co-sponsor on the Vehicle and Fuel Choices for American Security Act, for instance, which was introduced by fellow Democrat Sen. Evan Bayh of Indiana.
Obama framed energy independence as key to the war on terror, citing recent threats to world oil supplies like last week’s thwarted attack on a major Saudi Arabia oil facility and al Qaeda statements about harming the “crusader” west by disrupting oil supples,
"Our enemies are fully aware that they can use our dependence on oil as a weapon against us," Obama said. "If we don't take this threat as seriously as the bombs they build or as guns they buy then we'll be fighting the war on terror with one hand tied behind our back."
Obama credited President Bush with focusing attention in the State of the Union on America's "addiction" to oil as Bush put it which at least makes a bipartisan response more possible, Obama said.
But he faulted the administration's actions, like cutting funding for a federal alternative-fuels research effort. And he said the entire nation needed to "get serious" about using renewable fuels. Even Brazil was nearing energy independence from its major investments in biofuels, he said.
"So why can't we do this? Why can't we make energy security one of the great American projects of the 21st century? The answer is that we can," Obama said.
The president's policies would reduce foreign oil imports by 4.5 million barrels-a-day by 2025 but Obama said with technology available today and fuels that can be domestically grown, the U.S. could achieve cut imports by 7.5 million barrels-a-day.
Besides subsidizing auto maker retiree health-care Obama called for a Defense Department energy-research program leading to more efficient ways to produce biofuels from cornstalks and switchgrass, leading to greater energy independence for the U.S. military with consumer spin offs.
And he called for every new car the government purchase to be flexible-fuel vehicle “starting today,” like the car he drives in Illinois..
Asked how the federal government could be made to move more quickly on such efforts, he said: "I think we need to raise some heck. I think we need to embarrass the federal government on this issue. And that's what I intend to do."
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Comments
I hear he has a cure for cancer as well.
All hail Obama. All hail the LEADER.
Posted by: JD | March 1, 2006 11:28 AM
I truely admire and respect Senatos Obama for, not only, not being afraid to make all efforts to improve the US energy situation, but speaking out. I am the owner of a small Oil Co. Donlyn Distribution INC. In 2002, I joined the Mississippi Biomass Council Inc. and attended the Biomass Council Meeting in Ms. December 17, 2002.I addressed the Council on the possibility of building and operating an Ethanol facility in the state of Ms.(Ms. for a number of reasons is a good state for ethanol distribution facilities based upon research,including Ms. being one off, if not the poorest state)
After meeting with the Council members, I wrote letters to:Thad Cochran,United States Senator, Roger F. Wicker,House of Representatives, Gene Taylor, House of Representative, Charles W. Pickering, House of Representatives,Trent Lott, United States Senator and Bennie G. Thompson , United States Representative, (All are, or were Representatives from Ms. at the time) Not a single one of them ever responsed to my correspondence. So its clearly not how long one occupies a political office that counts, Its their hindsight, insight and farsight that, not only, dictates what needs to be done, but motivates and pushes them to do all within their power to get it done.
I am hoping that all the respect that Senator Obama is getting as a "Young Senator" for his efforts made toward meeting the needs of America an all Americans will inspire the "Old Senators", who most people have never heard off, unless they were involved in a country wide scandal, to either, work harder to meet the needs of America, or voluntarily give up their seats to others with a true passion and understanding of the overall needs of America an all Americans. And moreover,work with the urgency to get the identified needs completed in this life... Barbara Mitchell, Donlyn Distribution INC.
Posted by: Barbara Mitchell | March 1, 2006 1:12 PM
What is the cure for the "Swamp's" Obama addiction?
As of today, Obama's name has appeared in the headings of 13 "Swamp" articles--more than all the other Midwest Congressmen and Senators combined. And that doesn't even count the other articles where he's the subject of the article but not mentioned in the article's heading.
Readers of "the Swamp" would get the impression that the junior senator of the minority party (Democrats), who hasn't actually passed ANY piece of important legislation, was 2nd in importance in D.C. only to the President, and more newsworthy than all his 434 colleagues put together.
Posted by: Bruce | March 1, 2006 5:44 PM
Only in America would citizens criticize a senator for trying to push through an energy independence policy for the next 100 years.
We are obsessed with late term abortion, teen sex, prayer in school, and scopes monkey trials but don't seem concerned about real problems.
I guess the Republicans think that making americans pay 2-3 times as much for gasoline will help the poor's social status.
One can only wonder if we had spent that $250 billion on energy research rather than war, where we would be now.
Posted by: Steve Savage | March 2, 2006 8:54 AM
(Thank you for displaying my article for March 1,2006. I made a couple of typos(smile). So I decided to retype the same article correcting the typos and spacing to make it easier to read. Please replace the above March 1st article with this one for April 1st. I learned my lesson, when I response, I will make sure that I properly proof read the item, because it might be displayed (smile). Thanks again, Barbara Mitchell
I truly admire and respect Senator Obama for, not only, not being afraid to make assertive efforts to improve the US energy situation, but speaking out.
I am the owner of a small oil Co, Donlyn Distribution,Inc. In 2002, I joined the Mississippi Biomass Council,Inc. Attending the Biomass Council meeting in MS December 17,2002,
I addressed the council on the possibility of building and operating an Ethanol Facility in the state of MS.
Based upon my research, MS for a number of reasons is a good state for ethanol distribution facilities, including MS being one of, if not the poorest state.
After meeting with the council members, I wrote letters to:Thad Cochran,United States Senator, Roger F. Wicker, House of Representatives, Charles W.Pickering, House of Representatives, Trent Lott, United States Senator and Bennie G.
Thompson, United States Representative, All are, or were representatives from MS at the time. Not a single one of them, ever, responded to my correspondence, or phone calls.
So its clearly not how long one occupies a political office that counts, its their hindsight, insight and foresight that, not only, dictates what needs to be done, but motivates and pushes them to find, or create a way to get it done, if at all possible.
I am hoping that all the respect that Senator Obama is getting as a "Young Senator" for his efforts made toward meeting the needs of America and all Americans will inspire the "Old Senators", who most people have never heard of, unless they were involved in a country-wide scandal to either, work harder to meet the needs of America, or voluntarily give up their seats to others with a true passion and understanding of the overall needs of America an all Americans; and who can work with the urgency to get the identified needs completed in this life...
Barbara Mitchell, Donlyn Distribution ,Inc.
Posted by: Barbara Mitchell | April 1, 2006 9:15 PM