Thou Shalt Not Be Dependent on Oil

A lot of people find them boring. A lot of people find them interesting. I find my self on the "interesting" side of the fence. There were a lot of interesting things about President Bush's State of the Union speech.

Of course, we had the obligatory "we are winning the war on terror" message that needs to get out, and isn't with the MSM. The wife and parents of the Marine Staff Sergeant Dan Clay, who was killed in action a month ago, were in attendance. President Bush read an excerpt of Sergeant Clay's last letter to his family. An extremely moving moment.

Our men and women in uniform are making sacrifices - and showing a sense of duty stronger than all fear. They know what it is like to fight house to house in a maze of streets ... to wear heavy gear in the desert heat ... to see a comrade killed by a roadside bomb. And those who know the costs also know the stakes. Marine Staff Sergeant Dan Clay was killed last month fighting the enemy in Fallujah. He left behind a letter to his family, but his words could just as well be addressed to every American. Here is what Dan wrote: "I know what honor is. It has been an honor to protect and serve all of you. I faced death with the secure knowledge that you would not have to.... Never falter! Don't hesitate to honor and support those of us who have the honor of protecting that which is worth protecting."

But, as we move from these kind of moments, which far surpass the "boring" domestic agenda, the speech still had some interesting points.

As Glen reported at Christian Libertarian, there was one moment where the Democrats really stood out.

... that was when the Democrats gave themselves an ovation for defeating social security reform. I think that really says a lot about their party.

They don't celebrate their ideas. They celebrate the defeat of someone else's ideas. They have become the party of obstruction, and that is it. Think about it. Here we have a program that is doomed for failure in the future, unless something is done, and they celebrate maintaining the status quo.

By celebrating the defeat of VOLUNTARY private accounts, they essentially celebrated the defeat of economic freedom. And that is reason to celebrate?

Excellent commentary, Glen.

I also found the desire to move away from oil compelling.

Keeping America competitive requires affordable energy. Here we have a serious problem: America is addicted to oil, which is often imported from unstable parts of the world.

The best way to break this addiction is through technology. Since 2001, we have spent nearly 10 billion dollars to develop cleaner, cheaper, more reliable alternative energy sources - and we are on the threshold of incredible advances. So tonight, I announce the Advanced Energy Initiative - a 22-percent increase in clean-energy research at the Department of Energy, to push for breakthroughs in two vital areas. To change how we power our homes and offices, we will invest more in zero-emission coal-fired plants; revolutionary solar and wind technologies; and clean, safe nuclear energy.

We must also change how we power our automobiles. We will increase our research in better batteries for hybrid and electric cars, and in pollution-free cars that run on hydrogen. We will also fund additional research in cutting-edge methods of producing ethanol, not just from corn but from wood chips, stalks, or switch grass. Our goal is to make this new kind of ethanol practical and competitive within six years. Breakthroughs on this and other new technologies will help us reach another great goal: to replace more than 75 percent of our oil imports from the Middle East by 2025. By applying the talent and technology of America, this country can dramatically improve our environment ... move beyond a petroleum-based economy ... and make our dependence on Middle Eastern oil a thing of the past.

This type of charge-full-speed-ahead makes me wonder, what does the President know that we don't? I imagine the left-wing blogosphere will be filled by this morning with accusations that President Bush is playing games; he is trying to change the "oil-baron" both he and Vice President Cheney are lampooned with constantly, a la Michael Moore.

One thing I have observed about President Bush is that he doesn't play games. We must be close to some kind of big breakthrough, and he knows it. What a great achievement that would be.

Tags: State of the Union , Oil Dependence , President Bush