John McCain is advocating nuclear power. Good for him. Meanwhile, Democrats, aware the opening up new areas to drilling is wildly popular, are making sure that such proposals do not come up for a vote. Instead, they are proposing nationalizing our refining capacity. To think that central planners can adequately respond to the vagaries of supply and demand for oil is akin to believing that the moon is made of cheese. It defies all experience. Nationalizing refineries will almost certainly mean greater inefficiency in our distribution of gas. That means gas shortages, causing a rise in price.
I haven't met or read the person who thinks that more drilling is the single solution to our energy woes. But only a fool or an ideologue would not tap domestic sources of fossil fuels as one part of a comprehensive energy policy. We are not going to eliminate the need for fossil fuels tomorrow. Since we need them, why not have a greater supply produced domestically? As I say, this is part of a comprehensive approach to energy, which also includes expansion of nuclear power and renewable power, such as solar and wind as well as promoting conservation. Look at the opinion polls and consumer activity. People believe and act in a way that shows a grasp of the obvious: we need to both drill more while becoming less dependent. So vast majorities favor more drilling while our buying habits show a rejection of gas guzzling cars. That's prudence.
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