Reader comments
Chaffetz says Demos to blame for energy crisis
47 comments | Read story
The U.S. Department of Energy doesn't produce one watt of energy. Why do we insist on looking to them (or anyone in Washington) for a solution?
Hmm, so if Chaffetz ran for state school board would it be the state school boards fault?
Chaffetz is a world class con man.
Allow me to define con man. It is short for confidence man. He gains your confidence then takes advantage of you.
I am still shaking my head over his many positioned approach to illegal immigration. First he is going to put all 20 million in tents in the desert. That was for the right wing zealots of the convention. Then for the primary voter he decided what the heck, let's give'em all visas instead.
He gained your confidence and now he is taking advantage of it.
This is the same guy who blasted Cannon over and over again for taking money from Washington DC special interests, then the FIRST thing he does once he wins the primary is go to Washington DC special interests and beg for their money.
He first blaims Cannon for gas prices, now it's the Democrats fault.
Integrity matters. He has none.
I'm a life long Republican who will do everything I can to elect Spencer.
Chaffetz, must go!
If people see the potential for additional supply on the market, the futures market won't look quite so appealing and the speculators won't be as successful at driving up the price of oil.
If Bennion Spencer is willing to let environmentalists push us around, he'll never get my vote. I believe in conservation and I live it. But I reject the notion that extracting energy resources will destroy life as we know it.
I couldn't agree more with Chaffetz that global warming is a farce. Climate change is no farce. But I reject the idea that man can control the planet's climate cycles. I don't care how many billions of dollars we spend, we can't control Mother Nature. I DO NOT want to elect someone who wants to flush our economy down the toilet in a futile attempt to control the planet's climate.
Ridiculous
Gore is an idiot; there is no jet engine anywhere that can propel a 747 on solar generated electricity. Or wind generated, etc etc etc. How many trillions of dollars will it take to replace all our cars with electric cars (do you want to go out right now and bury your cars and shell out $60,000 for 2 new electric cars? What about the cost of replacing all the gas stations with quick-charge electric refilling stations? That would be even more trillions of dollars, borne by the consumers, you and me.
We sit and do nothing with ANWAR while the Canadians pump it dry from their side then sell it to us. And haven't we noticed, the Alaska pipeline put in decades ago killed off all the caribou in Alaska; it was an environmental disaster. (sarcasm in the second sentence, in case you can't tell).
I'm not a geologist, but I would suspect one reason why oil companies don't develop all of the leases they hold may be because they are not economically feasible with current technology??
Al Gore is high on something if he thinks this country can divorce itself from fossile fuels in 10 more years. It just ain't gonna happen. But we do need to be agressively pursuing all fronts, including more local oil production to help our economy along until newer and cleaner alternatives can be developed to the point of being economically feasible.
To put all blame on the Democrats is not being genuine. Gas prices have been a train wreck in waiting that has developed over many years of failed, actually no policies.
To blame the Democrats is half right but half wrong. Considering inflation a big part of this problem lies squarely at the feet of Republicans and their thirst for money from the Fed.
This is like Republicans beating up on Democrats in Utah for big government, though the failure of that argument is clearer here: Democrats haven't run Utah since the 1970's.
I also agree that Chaffetz is a con man. When it is good to bash Cannon he does. The article last week was titled something about bashing both Republicans and Democrats. Now that he wants Republican money I guess he is dropping the 'bash Republican' act and is just going after Democrats.
Do you get the sense this guy will say anything to pick up votes?
I'm leaning towards Spencer or Noorlander. If Spencer has a chance at winning I'll vote for him to defeat Chaffetz. Otherwise Noorlander for a clean conscience.
So is it the fault of the Dems or Cannon?
Chaffetz sticks his finger in the wind and goes with what's selling. You may have disagreed with Cannon on certain issues but at least he said what he thought (a problem sometimes when running for office).
WAKE UP 3RD DISTRICT! CHAFFETZ IS A HACK!
Some of you think it,s all Bushes fault.
Who promised us all they would lower the price of gas if we would elect them two years ago.
We did and what did they do ? The Dems have caused the price of gas to double.
Who said he was glad the price of gas is four dollars a gallon ? Obama the dems new savior.
The do nothing dems wasted another day telling there lemmings we must make the oil companies use there 68 million acres of oil lease or loose them. It took a day for the Rep. to explain to the dems this was allready the law.
Why do 75% of americans want the oil companies to drill off shore and in anwar? Duh Because thats where the oil is. Some Lib once asked the bank robber Willey Sutton why he robed banks, and he had to explain to him that was where the money was.
Why is a third world country like Brazil energy independent? Conservacrits laugh at Gore when he says we can do the same thing in a decade? We can put a man on the moon with ancient computer technology in the same time, but it's just too hard to exploit the abundant solar/biomass/wind/biofuel/geothermal resources in our own backyard? Instead we're being held back by a patch of land in Alaska that promises to drop the price of gasoline by $0.04 in a decade? Excellent math Jason.
Let me see, the Democrats see through Chaffetz. About half of the Republicans see through Chaffetz. Now to see how many independents will see through this con man.
If Spencer is similar to Jim Matheson or Bill Orton I predict he wins. Chaffetz really had to take lobbyist money, fly to Alaska to see with his own eyes?! Seriously?!
He is nothing but a PR guy with a microphone. I predict that if Chaffetz gets a flat tire he will run a press release. If he won a raffle ticket he will hold a press conference.
The only people drinking this up are the zealot, anti-immigrant crowd of the right wing. And I understand they are even getting leary of the guy. Apparently they are feeling ripped off over immigration. He was great during the convention, promising tent camps for all illegals, then he shifts to giving visas to 20 million with a pathetic title even a 5 year old could see through. Then he plans to fly "wing man" to Mr Amnesty Jeff Flake of Arizona.
Chaffetz is con man of the decade!
A few more personalities he has, which did not surface in the election were; Dukakis staffer chaffetz, and my personal favorite, Australia with Nuskin money Chaffetz.
I don't buy the liberal enviro's argument that drilling in ANWR won't reduce gas prices. Opening up ANWR and offshore areas will cause a drop in oil futures prices which will eventually translate to lower prices at the pump.
The more democrats we can kick out of congress in the next election, the better off we will be!
I think he is going to be sadly mistaken.
I was contacted today by a member of the Republican State Central Committee who is prepared to resign that position to defeat Chaffetz at any cost. As much passion as there was to defeate Cannon remains to get Chaffetz. His distortions and pandering to the crowd is really catching up to him.
Should make for an interesting race.
Utahns need to think before they vote. Let's not just do the sheep thing and vote for someone because they are a Republican.
Let's elect a good solid Democrat in District 3. Let's clean up this state's image!!!
Lets's get the facts straight:
Prices on gas have been going up every year,
They didn't dramaticially increase until 2 years ago.
So what changed 2 years ago?
Did the presidency change two years ago? NO.
Did the congress change two years ago? YES.
the math is very simple math.
The democratic controlled congress caused the dramatic increase in gas and oil prices.
Chaffetz is correct.
Whether you like him or not, or whether you agree with him or not, whether hate him or not, whethter you call him names or not.
I never heard Chaffetz use derogatory labels or personally attack his opponents. He was and is about the issues.
I think voter turnout would improve if we could stick to issues discussions instead of always resorting to personal attacks when we don't agree. Look how many respondents to this story have stooped to personal attacks. That's what makes people think they don't like politics.
I wish people could simply argue the merits of an issue like adults - instead of engaging in childish personal attacks and labels.
Mitt Romney who was probably the best candidate to run for President since Reagan and Truman was defeated because he was a Mormon. The bible thumping fascists have taken over your party and they hate you Mormons.
You need to come over and support a conservative swing in the Democratic Party. Democrats don't care if your a Mormon and they believe in helping the poor etc. I don't know how you can be a Mormon and a Republican. So, COME ON OVER!!!
Well, he won't get my vote. Sorry. Thought he might be different.
Are there any problem solvers out there?? Step forward, please.
And it all happened in two years??? Whoa . . .where was he the first six years of the Bush administration?
I mistakenly thought we might have a chance that Chaffetz would be a problem-solver. Sorry, I was wrong. Just another poliltician passing the blame around.
As for the article, I wouldn't believe it lock-stock and barrel. There's more to the story than what they're reporting.
I applaud Jason Chaffetz for trying to learn as much as he can about ONE avenue to explore to help solve our energy crisis. As this article points out, he knows it's got to be a multi-pronged approach.
If Bennion Spencer wants (wanted) to be taken seriously as a candidate, perhaps he could do more than parrot the environmentalists propaganda lines.
And if you want to blame someone (identify the cause of our systemic problems), then name the real culprits: the FED (that creates "money" out of thin air and thereby STEALS some of the value of laborers), together with a complicit Executive (that has bankrupted the country in wars in foreign lands) and Congress (that fails to hold the other two branches of government accountable for their extra-constitutional activities).
Add your comment
Comments are monitored. Any comments found to be abusive, offensive, off-topic, misrepresentative, more than 200 words or containing URLs will not be posted.
E-mail address: For internal use only. We may want to contact you to publish your comment (not your e-mail address) in the newspaper or for a separate story idea.
- Powell skips police interview 11:48 a.m.
- Texas rests in polygamy trial 11:46 a.m.
- Man dies when car goes into river 11:41 a.m.
- China royal visit riles Japan 11:27 a.m.
- Oil rebounds after 9-day drop 11:26 a.m.
- Stocks mixed after inflation data 11:23 a.m.
- Warming up to tights 11:13 a.m.
- Replacing disposable sandwich bag 11:11 a.m.
- Energy Dept. requires accurate info 11:09 a.m.
- SL Co. to approve anti-bias laws 11:08 a.m.
- Sources: Josh Powell hires attorney
- Cougar seniors see a new Bronco
- Wet spot found in Powell's home
- Cougs brace for coaching changes
- Storms dumped lots of snow in Utah
- Cougars O-line a strength
- Bleak holiday for Powell's boys
- High school football: All-region teams
- Fun games to enliven holiday parties
- Y. opponent nearly smelled roses
- LDS to emphasize helping needy
127 - Unga might enter NFL draft
107 - BYU to wear royal blue uniforms
104 - TV mom gives birth to 19th child
100 - Disappearance called 'suspicious'
97 - Sources: Josh Powell hires attorney
96 - Jazz stunned by Timberwolves
94 - Stay the course with our president
87 - Choir, guests unwrap musical magic
84 - Barkley says Boozer is big problem
81
David Rankin, one of Utah's youngest and ablest astrophotographers has...
There was a time when free shipping was rare. This holiday season, you...
First of all, to "20/20," how can you read newspapers and not understand...
So is ABBA going to reunite and perform at the induction ceremony? That...
I would agree that coach Whit gets his players ready for bowlgames better...
To "Red | 9:51 a.m." it is hard to get absolute numbers for deaths since the...
I WILL GLADLY PAY MORE TAXES IF IT GOES TO EDUCATION!
This is needed. Would you like to know why? Well, on a local...
The fact that no programs have hired away any of BYU's assistant coaches...
I'm just glad that Bronco only thinks I'm "uneducated" and doesn't "hate" me:)
Mary | 10:58 a.m. I think it was the Democrats who brought Marilyn Monroe...
The Jazz are such an embarrassment. Another year and no title for the Jazz....
This jazz team is not the same as the one of old, if thats what you mean by...




Al Gore today says we can be off oil entirely in 10 years. It is far more likely Mr. Gore invented the internet than the US eliminating all Fossil Fuel energy from this nation. It's not practical, the cost benefit is terrible, and there are many better options that can help humanity overall.