Our country is reeling from eight long years of a poor excuse for an energy policy that was designed solely for oil and energy companies. Now that the families of our nation are suffering each day because the price of a gallon of gas has tripled over the past few years, the Republican Party, my opponent included, want to give the oil companies yet another pass by allowing them to drill as much as they want, wherever they want for however long they want. This is not a true energy plan.

A true energy plan is comprehensive and includes wind power, hydroelectricity, clean coal, solar and oil. We must expand funding for alternative energy funding and research - a concept that my opponent voted against. We cannot and must not attempt to "drill our way out" of the mess the Bush administration has created. It has not worked in the past and will not work any better for the future.