On the energy front, in addition to confounding efforts aimed at making America less dependent on foreign oil by expanding our domestic oil activities, the media has been complicit in crippling nuclear power generation for decades. There is a concerted effort aimed at provoking popular emotion (wildlife issues, environmental fabrications - see any presidential candidates this election cycle who want to explore in ANWR?) and introducing to those in government a collection of interests in conflict with pro-America policies in order to distort the markets and prevent any movement toward reduced energy dependence.
Frankly, given this political and media environment, I think the best we can hope for on the issue is lip-service. They will say that we need to be more energy independent, but then block policies which advance that cause. They will say that we need to build more nuclear power plants, but then maintain or increase regulations and taxes, prevent the opening of waste storage sites (at least on this count, McCain has it right wrt Yucca mountain), etc. You can get a lot of leverage with trillions of dollars in holdings.