AMERICAN FREEDOM by BARBARA

                                                           HIGHER AND HIGHER....

WHILE OBAMA’S ENERGY POLICY WILL ONLY PUSH GAS PRICES HIGHER
Gasoline Prices Have Doubled Since Obama Took Office. “Feeling pain at the pump? Gas prices have doubled since Mr. Obama took office.” (James S. Robbins, “Gasoline Up 100% Under Obama,” The Washington Times’ “Water Cooler” Blog, 3/30/11)
AS FAR BACK AS 2008 OBAMA DIDN'T FORSEE A PROBLEM WITH RISING PRICES..

·       Sen. Obama In 2008: “[O]bama Suggested That The Main Problem With High Gasoline Prices Is Their Rapid Rise, Not Their Total Of About $4 A Gallon.” (Charles Babington and Jim Kuhnhenn, “One Down, More To Go For Republicans Aiding McCain,” The Associated Press, 6/12/08)

·       Obama Thought That Americans Could “Adapt” To Higher Gas Prices. “But if the government gives middle-class families tax cuts and encourages the market ‘to adapt to these new circumstances more quickly, particularly U.S. automakers, then I think ultimately, we can come out of this stronger and have a more efficient energy policy than we do right now.’”(Charles Babington and Jim Kuhnhenn, “One Down, More To Go For Republicans Aiding McCain,” The Associated Press, 6/12/08)

• And Obama Wasn’t Concerned That Cap-And-Trade Would Have Boosted Consumer Energy Prices, He Boasted That: “[U]nder My Plan Of A Cap And Trade System, Electricity Rates Would Necessarily Skyrocket.”(Sen. Barack Obama, Interview With San Francisco Chronicle Editorial Board, 1/17/08)

Obama’s Anti-Drilling Policies Will Result In A Loss Of 375,000 Barrels Of Oil Per Day This Year. “[T]he Obama administration stopped awarding permits for deep-water drilling until late February. The drilling suspension, along with a new, slower permitting process, will result in the loss this year of about 375,000 barrels of oil a day, according to energy consultancy Wood Mackenzie. That is roughly equivalent to one-third of the production in Libya that remains shut down because of political turmoil there.” (Angel Gonzalez, “Spill's Toll On Oil Output Grows Clearer,” The Wall Street Journal, 4/20/11)

Obama’s Dragged Out Policies On Approving New Drilling Permits Essentially Created A “Permatorium.” “In the months after lifting the ban, the administration slowed drilling permits to a crawl, effectively creating what some have called a ‘permatorium.’ Dismayed by the delays, in February U.S. District Court Judge Martin Feldman tried to force the administration to act on seven pending permits, calling the inaction on permits ‘increasingly inexcusable.’ Permitting has picked up recently, thanks in part to increasing political pressure, but remains far below pre-spill levels.” (Joseph Mason, Op-Ed, “Time For A Cease-Fire In The War On Oil,” The Wall Street Journal, 4/25/11)

In December 2010, The Obama Administration Moved Beyond The Gulf And Banned Offshore Oil Drilling Along Most Of The U.S. Coastline. “Interior Secretary Ken Salazar announced Wednesday afternoon that the Obama administration will not allow offshore oil drilling in the eastern Gulf of Mexico or off the Atlantic and Pacific coasts as part of the next five-year drilling plan, reversing two key policy changes President Obama announced in late March.” (Juliet Epstein, “Obama Administration Reimposes Offshore Oil Drilling Ban,” The Washington Post, 12/1/10)

Obama Wants To Get Rid Of Domestic Energy Production Incentives. OBAMA: “I’m asking Congress to eliminate the billions in taxpayer dollars we currently give to oil companies.” (President Barack Obama, State Of The Union Address, Washington, D.C., 1/25/11)

·        Rep. Dan Boren (D-OK) Warned President Obama That Repealing Domestic Energy Incentives Will Kill Jobs And Reduce Energy Production. BOREN: “We lose thousands of jobs not only in Oklahoma, Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, and places like Pennsylvania, New York, West Virginia. These aren’t just traditional oil and gas producing states. And these tax breaks do not go to the big, major oil companies. They go to small independent companies, like we have in Oklahoma.” (Fox News’, “Your World With Cavuto,” 4/27/11)

·        Eliminating Domestic Energy Incentives Will Hurt Independent Producers, Who Drill 95 Percent Of The Nation’s Natural Gas And Oil Wells And Account For 67 Percent Of Total U.S. Gas And Oil Production. “Barry Russell, president and CEO of the Independent Petroleum Association of America (IPAA), said that Obama's tax proposals ‘do not target 'Big Oil,' but instead go after 18,000 American independent oil and natural gas producers, who on average employ only 12 workers. ‘American production activities are dominated by these independent producers who drill 95 percent of the nation's natural gas and oil wells, accounting for 67 percent of total U.S. natural gas and oil production.’ A tax increase will cut investments, Russell said.” (Charles J. Lewis, “Obama: Curb Tax Deal For Big Oil,” Times Union [Albany,NY], 4/27/11)

Source: Republican National Committee Research, www.gop.com