I Just Don't Have The Energy

President Bush today offered his Energy Plan. Question. Does he talk like that because he is stupid or does he think we are that stupid? "You see we demand more than we produce and that means demand is greater than supply and that means we depend on the rest of the world for our oil. Because, you see, that means we have to buy fuel at the market prices. If supply were to increase then prices would go down, you see." Just because he was a Texas "Oil Man", because his daddy couldn't figure out what to do with him and he bankrupted all the companies he ever ran, doesn't qualify him as an energy expert. Of course, he did sleep at an Enron.

To his plan:
ANWR (Alaska National Wildlife Refuge) - looks like he will get that thanks to Republican legislative maneuvers. At best estimates 1 million barrels a day and about 10 years before the first drop ever reaches "the lower 48". Currently we use 25 million barrels a day, of which 58% is from export. You do the math, hardly does anything to reduce dependence on foreign oil, does it?
Use abandoned military bases for oil refineries - Hey, let's put a refinery at the old Greenville Air Force Base! First of all, no one wants refineries putting MBTE in their water supply and secondly, if it were a profitable proposition oil companies would already be building them. Totally unrealistic and only a dress for this pig.
Build LNG terminals - LNG means we are importing natural gas from other countries. I thought the objective was to not be dependent on foreign sources.
Build Nuclear Power Plants - Ok. Maybe an alternative, but he wants to give something called "federal risk insurance" to the first four builders of new nuclear (he has learned how to say "new-klee-er") plants. I'm not sure what that is or how much that will cost the taxpayers. Nuclear plants are cleaner than fossil, but there is just one small problem. What do you do with the waste? At least 10 years to build a nuclear plant and no one really wants them in their neighborhood.
Promote "clean energy technology" to industrialized nations in Britain in July - Right, he's pissed off everyone by taking the U.S. out of the Kyoto Treaty

What his plan didn't do:
Reduce Gasoline prices now. In his words: "I can't lower gas prices. If I could, I would". Well maybe if he release some reserves and stopped purchasing reserves when gasoline is going up, he could free up some supplies for the American consumer. Saudi Arabia is dragging its feet on increasing their production due to the U.S. meddling in their "kingdom" by promoting democratic elections.

In short, George's Energy policy lacks energy