Sep 25 2008
Kissell Still Coming Up Empty on Energy
I received the following press release from the NRCC:
For Immediate Release: Contact: Press Office
September 25, 2008 (202) 479-7070*Kissell Still Coming Up Empty on Energy
No Drilling, No Solutions
Washington - Despite an ongoing energy crisis in North Carolina and across the country, Larry Kissell adamantly insists that all will be wall as long as the country comes together to agree on a mysterious program, the details of which he refuses to divulge. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee hit the North Carolina airwaves with an ad attacking Kissell’s opponent on energy, but no one not even Kissell himself can seem to figure out Kissell’s so-called energy plan.
Kissell likes to spin his non-plan as a solution to the country’s energy crisis, but every time he opens his mouth, it’s clear that he has little to offer the North Carolina voters who struggle with high gas prices every day.
When discussing the energy crisis at a campaign event, Kissell insisted upon giving a non-answer to a question about his non-plan:
Larry Kissell: We’ve got to have a program, not just bits and pieces.
Audience Member: Well what is your program?
Kissell: To pull everybody together and create a program that works.
Though Kissell refused to give any answer about what his “program” actually entails, his appearance
on WDYT Charlotte’s Mornings with Jon Robinson spells out a clear picture of just how big of a disaster Kissell’s energy non-agenda would be for North Carolina.Jon Robinson: You mentioned energy. How about, would you support offshore exploration for natural gas off the North Carolina coast.
Larry Kissell: (Interrupting) No.
Robinson: or oil refineries…
Kissell: (Interrupting) No.
Robinson: What’s that?
Kissell: No.
Robinson: No? But you want energy independence… This is the power of the United States. What about oil refineries in the United States?
Kissell: (Interrupting) We can get it without having to do that. We do not have to sacrifice everything.
Robinson: ANWR…
Kissell: We do not have to sacrifice everything for the future, things for our kids? We’ve done enough of that already…
Robinson: So, the taxpayers have to pay more money?
Unfortunately for Kissell, this do-nothing, drill-nothing approach doesn’t hold water with North Carolina voters who demand immediate action toward lower gas prices and energy independence.
I’m not a fan of Robin Hayes, but I am certainly not going to show Larry Kissell any support when he refuses to address this issue in a serious manner. North Carolina and the rest of the country is hurting over these high gas prices and this jackass refuses to support any common sense solutions and instead insists on speaking in platitudes about fantasy alternatives and a plan that doesn’t exist. Â Kissell has so far proven that he isn’t a quality candidate for Congress and will be just another twit mucking up the works in D.C.
No thanks! We have enough of those.
Larry Kissell is the anointed candidate of Daily Kos. In other words, he lives in a reality where it’s more important not to hurt the little bunny rabbits while we wait forever for a new alternative to oil to come along.
Larry Kissell may be lean on specifics but I’m fine with his no offshore drilling and no refineries stance. Let the prices rise and lets get real alternatives to internal combustion transportation. Without high priced gasoline, you will never see any motivation to develop the technologies required for this. Let the people of North Carolina try conservation for a change. All I see around me on the highway are ridiculous gas sucking SUV’s with one person driving and no passengers. If you are suffering because of high fuel prices and driving one of these vehicles then cry me a river. Take a haircut on your Suburban and get a Honda Civic. I don’t have a problem with natural gas drilling off the NC coast but oil is different. If you think the Alaska spill was a disaster then you need to envision something similar affecting the delicate barrier island ecosystems of NC. Also, spare me the tired arguments about no refineries in 20 years or whatever the rhetoric is. How have existing refineries been modernized and made more efficient over the same time period? Has refining capacity actually declined over the same time period. I doubt it.
The problem with your position on this Kelly is that the middle and upper middle class yuppies driving their SUVs can cope with higher prices. The ones who get screwed are the lower income people who can’t afford $5 a gallon gas, can’t afford a hybrid car because they’re expensive, and can’t wait around 20 years waiting for one of your alternative energies to become reality. These are the people that Kissell is supposed to be going to Washington to want to represent. Ironic, don’t you think?
Sam, Since there’s going to be no additional oil due to new offshore drilling any time soon either, maybe you can explain to me where the relief is coming from for our less fortunate underclass? CNBC (the drill baby drill, go republicans! network), just did a show about the “oil crisis”, where various experts stated that there are zero drilling rigs available for use. I don’t happen to be a Larry Kissell devotee. But there’s no way I’m voting for Robin Hayes. Mr Hayes and I agree on zilch. This is the American way, isn’t it? Two choices, neither one of them worth a sh–.
Kelly, currently there are oil rigs off the coast of California that were abandoned once the Federal ban was instituted by Bush 41. Those can be up and running in less than two years.
Furthermore, while some estimates for building new rigs and beginning drilling off our coast in the Carolinas are around 8 years roughly, that is far less time than it will take to develop alternative fuel sources to be a practical substitute for oil. We are talking decades for that kind of development. Don’t you wish Congress 10 years ago had pushed for more drilling rather than banning it? We wouldn’t be having this discussion right now because there would be a far more plentiful supply of oil.
I drove to 11 gas stations Saturday night to find one that had gas so I could fill up my car. We are experiencing a major fuel shortage in Charlotte because of Hurricane Ike and the damage it did to Houston refineries. One storm in one city should not be crippling millions of people like it is in Charlotte and Atlanta, but it is because we are dependent on that one area for our oil needs. If we were drilling off the Atlantic coast we wouldn’t be in this situation, but we have no backup and this should be a wake up call to the Feds.