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Drill Here, Drill Now
humanevents.com ^ | 05/30/2008 | Jed Babbin

Posted on 05/30/2008 6:22:46 AM PDT by kellynla

Former Speaker Newt Gingrich’s petition to Congress demanding the removal of government obstacles to increasing our energy supplies is gathering momentum by the minute, while the Democrats’ do-nothing Congress wants to raise fuel prices.

Actually, labeling Congress a bunch of “do-nothings” is almost right, but not quite. They’re doing their best to create more obstacles to growing our energy supply. And while the price of energy is already unreasonably high, they’re working hard on a liberal agenda that will raise the prices consumers pay for gasoline, diesel fuel, natural gas and home heating oil.

With the summer upon us (and the November election fast approaching) the price of gasoline should be on the mind of every member who wants to keep his job after November. There is a conservative approach to the problem: relieve government burdens on the energy market. But Congress isn’t controlled by conservatives: the Democrats rule both houses of Congress and – even with gasoline prices reaching all-time highs almost daily -- the Dems are doing their best to raise the burden on the voters.

As Speaker Gingrich told me in a Wednesday interview, “Every time I turn around I see Congress and bureaucracy making it harder to produce energy, increasing the price you and I are paying, reducing the amount that’s available, and then trying to find someone else to blame.”

That’s right: while many Americans are paying more than $4/gallon for gasoline (add another 75¢ for a gallon of diesel fuel), Congress is coming back on Monday to try to pass legislation such as the Warner-Lieberman “cap and trade” anti-global warming bill which -- by itself, and without the costs added by other Democratic initiatives -- would boost the price of a gallon of gas to levels paid in Europe. (Yesterday, the price of a gallon of gas in England was about $6.23.)

Gingrich told me:

At a time when the Congress should be finding ways to lower the amount of cost to put gas in your wife’s car, they are actually proposing to increase the cost of gasoline, increase the cost of diesel fuel, increase the cost of aviation fuel, increase the cost natural gas, and increase the cost of coal. This is at a time when truckers are at a danger of being put out of business. Airlines are in danger of being put out of business. It’s just absolutely amazing.

It is amazing, because there are so many government obstacles to energy development that Congress could eliminate, if it chose to. Gingrich explained:

[I]t’s currently illegal to explore the Atlantic. It is illegal to explore the Pacific. It is illegal to explore the Eastern Gulf Of Mexico. It is illegal to explore Alaska and it is currently illegal to look for shale oil. Now, if you basically…and this is what makes the recent decision by the House to vote to sue OPEC an act of absolute childishness. If you’re not prepared to allow Americans in America to look for oil and gas in America, how can you have the arrogance to say to some foreign country they have to pump more of the stuff we’re not willing to pump?

The vote to sue OPEC only produced another “Kucinich moment” for Nancy Pelosi’s Democrats. The little fact that no court would have the power to penalize OPEC didn’t deter the Pelosicrats from this frivolity.

Gingrich’s petition starts with the commonsensical proposition that instead of creating more burdens on the energy market, Congress should go about taking down the old barriers. In Gingrich’s characteristically plain English the petition says:

We, therefore, the undersigned citizens of the United States, petition the U.S. Congress to act immediately to lower gasoline prices by authorizing the exploration of proven energy reserves to reduce our dependence on foreign energy sources from unstable countries.

As of about 8:30 pm Thursday, the petition had about 150,700 signatures. Gingrich aims to get 200,000 signatures by this coming Monday. Every conservative -- and every voter who wants to see energy prices go down and not up -- should sign the petition. (You can sign the petition by clicking on this link).

And after Monday?

Gingrich said:

“We’re going to print out the petition, take it up and give it to the US Senate. Then, we are going to continue to gather names. When we get to 500 thousand we’re going to take it up and give it to the US House, and then we’re going to try to gather an excess of a million signatures before the Democratic National Convention and the Republican National Convention.

He proposed that we have a “straight-up” argument in this country on energy and on the Dems’ elitist view that we’re not paying enough. The Dems apparently believe that the answer to economic pain is more pain. As conservatives, we should view this debate to be equal in importance to the illegal immigration debate we forced last year.

It is, like the illegal immigration debate, a question of our nation’s economic survival, our national security. Last year, conservatives prevented passage of the “comprehensive immigration reform” -- i.e., amnesty -- bill. This year, we can -- at least -- prevent passage of legislation that will make our energy supplies more expensive.

And next year?

HUMAN EVENTS is researching and will soon publish a conservative energy agenda, one designed to remove government barriers to exploration, development and distribution of energy in the United States. We believe this is exactly the kind of mess that Ronald Reagan had in mind when he said, “Government is not a solution to our problem, government is the problem."


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society; Editorial; Government
KEYWORDS: 110th; americansolutions; babbin; diesel; drilling; energy; fueloil; gasoline; gingrich; naturalgas; newt; newtgingrich; oil
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1 posted on 05/30/2008 6:22:48 AM PDT by kellynla
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To: thackney

ping


2 posted on 05/30/2008 6:23:15 AM PDT by kellynla (Freedom of speech makes it easier to spot the idiots! Semper Fi!)
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To: kellynla

HOW did the Eco-geeks get to be MORE POWERFUL tahn the PRESIDENT of the UNITED STATES????? HOW did we let that crap happen? One LAWSUIT STOPS CHEAPER OIL!


3 posted on 05/30/2008 6:28:12 AM PDT by Ann Archy (Abortion.....The Human Sacrifice to the god of Convenience.)
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To: kellynla

I tried to sign the petition last nite.
It said I already had. (???!!!???)
Then my daughter tried to add her name (and different email address) and it wouldn’t accept it, either.


4 posted on 05/30/2008 6:28:25 AM PDT by ozark hilljilly (I was gruntled before I was disgruntled.)
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To: kellynla

Here is a link to the petition

http://www.americansolutions.com/actioncenter/petitions/?Guid=54ec6e43-75a8-445b-aa7b-346a1e096659


5 posted on 05/30/2008 6:28:29 AM PDT by saganite
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To: kellynla

It is time to start a writing and calling campaign to Congress with this message: DRILL HERE & DRILL NOW! I like the sound of it.


6 posted on 05/30/2008 6:28:38 AM PDT by BubbaBobTX (Obama is all about hope and change: he hopes you don't find out what he wants to change.)
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To: kellynla

The Democrats in Congress will pursue this agenda and continue to blame “big oil” when gasoline prices soar, we have shortages and rationing like in the 1970s and the economy is in massive recession. Hillary stumping in South Dakota said we don’t need any more drilling, just more windmills, punishing of the oil companies and less gas usage. She obviously isn’t paying much attention as to how one has to get around out here on the prairie.


7 posted on 05/30/2008 6:31:52 AM PDT by The Great RJ ("Mir we bleiwen wat mir sin" or "We want to remain what we are." ..Luxembourg motto)
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To: saganite
Petition has been signed already.

Umm, not by me....

8 posted on 05/30/2008 6:32:21 AM PDT by Puppage (You may disagree with what I have to say, but I shall defend to your death my right to say it)
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To: BubbaBobTX; All
“It is time to start a writing and calling campaign to Congress with this message: DRILL HERE & DRILL NOW! I like the sound of it.”
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>...............
gotta laugh, Newt was in congress how long? Newt was House leader how long?? Now he wants to drill when he holds no office?
The chutzpah of these GOP leaders is amazing to behold..
Did I read that Newt is a big global warming supporter?
LOL more PR from the GOP elites.
9 posted on 05/30/2008 6:33:48 AM PDT by shadowgovernment (From the Ashes of a Republican rout will raise a Conservative Party)
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To: kellynla
I heard Gingrich asking the audience to make and put these bumper stickers on cars:

Drill more - pay less!

10 posted on 05/30/2008 6:33:48 AM PDT by CutePuppy (If you don't ask the right questions you may not get the right answers)
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To: saganite

Thanks for posting it.


11 posted on 05/30/2008 6:34:31 AM PDT by kellynla (Freedom of speech makes it easier to spot the idiots! Semper Fi!)
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To: kellynla
Come to anthracite country, we don't even need a pipeline, just bring us a big ole highway and some picks & shovels. We are the Saudi Arabia of coal! We are so bad we smoke our camels and buggy the dunes. Here, a 90-year-old guy who still has mineral rights to his backyard is known as a wildcatter. (If it is burning underground he is a polecatter.)

Drill Alaska Screw dat! Come to Pennsylvania.

12 posted on 05/30/2008 6:37:55 AM PDT by 668 - Neighbor of the Beast ( Uh...fight SCD. Schwa Collapse Disorder is spreading. Save the a word. Just say uh.)
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To: ozark hilljilly

Go to newt.org and sign the petition. Its that simple understand nrwt.org got it.


13 posted on 05/30/2008 6:43:32 AM PDT by straps (Off the coast of Florida is enough oil and natural gas to take care of us. Period)
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To: Puppage

“Petition has been signed already.”

“Umm, not by me....”

That’s what just happened to me also.


14 posted on 05/30/2008 6:43:54 AM PDT by Old Grumpy
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To: shadowgovernment

Hey Shadow go back to move on .org where you belong


15 posted on 05/30/2008 6:45:48 AM PDT by straps (Off the coast of Florida is enough oil and natural gas to take care of us. Period)
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To: The Great RJ
The Democrats in Congress will pursue this agenda and continue to blame “big oil”

That dog just won't hunt anymore...LOL


16 posted on 05/30/2008 6:50:47 AM PDT by kellynla (Freedom of speech makes it easier to spot the idiots! Semper Fi!)
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To: straps
“Hey Shadow go back to move on .org where you belong”
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>.................
your ability to judge character is lower than Bush's ability to pick a trustworthy spokesman.
my post was factual and to the point: that Newt did nothing for oil exploration while he HELD OFFICE-nothing.
I am a conservative and not a GOP hack, Did Newt not come out supporting Global warming?
17 posted on 05/30/2008 6:51:45 AM PDT by shadowgovernment (From the Ashes of a Republican rout will raise a Conservative Party)
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To: Ann Archy
"HOW did the Eco-geeks get to be MORE POWERFUL tahn the PRESIDENT of the UNITED STATES?????"

Dig up Nixon and ask him...most of this crap began with the left wing of the Republican party. Unintended consequences? Maybe, but post-Carter, that's hard to believe since those of us who are old enough to remember back that far have been predicting that this day would arrive. It was only a matter of time even without the introduction of the global hoaxes that the left has been spinning.

With each election, no matter who we elect, the bureaucrats continue in a straight line down the policy road we are traveling, leading to the inevitable.

18 posted on 05/30/2008 6:53:14 AM PDT by penowa
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To: CutePuppy
While he was doing tv commericals with the speaker telling us we need to do with less and not use oil?
19 posted on 05/30/2008 6:57:18 AM PDT by edcoil
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To: shadowgovernment

Excuse me, but could we stay positive and on point...
what has happened in the past is history...
what we need to do NOW is all that matters!

gezzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...you’ve been around here what a couple of months and all you can do is be negative?

go elsewhere if all you can do is post negative...PLEASE!


20 posted on 05/30/2008 6:59:36 AM PDT by kellynla (Freedom of speech makes it easier to spot the idiots! Semper Fi!)
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