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Chaffetz says Demos to blame for energy crisis

The problem is with those people who think that gas prices being this high is a good thing. There are many happy people, who are now using these high prices to ask for money from the government to fund them.

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.

Although Mr. Chaffetz is largely correct in his thinking on this, the better answer is for Congress and the federal government to GET OUT OF THE WAY so that entrepreneurial companies can find better and cheaper ways to provide energy, whether from oil, solar, or some other source.

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?

I am an independent voter - but I generally make it my rule to vote democratic in local elections (to try to bring some balance to our lopsided state legislature/gov mansion), and I always vote republican in national elections (because national democrats have catered to extreme left-wing interests whom I believe have led to the amoralization of the United States). However, I did vote for Orton, and I would vote for Matheson if I were in his district. I am so grateful to have been a part of finally ridding us of Cannon, and now I'm glad to see articles like this that help to convince me that I should vote for anybody who is running against Chaffetz, as long as I feel sure that they will not go along with their party on what I believe are litmus test issues - gay rights and abortions for all. It is starting to look like Bennion Spencer would be an appropriate representative for Utah in Congress. Besides, nobody cares if a radical right-wing Republican votes against the Democratic leadership on those litmus test issues - but when a democrat does - that says something - and something I want said.

I don't live in the 3rd District, but I'd vote for Chaffetz if I did. Even so, I don't think he's quite correct. There is plenty of blame to go around, but the energy gridlock since the Democrats took over is impossible to ignore. We can also thank ourselves for driving up demand. Every time one of us buys a vehicle that gets less than about 25 mpg in city driving, we are part of the problem. Every time you drive as a single occupant you are part of the problem. Every time you fire up your gas lawn mower to manicure your yard, you are part of the problem. Conservation of fuel should be part of our conservative lifestyle. It is fiscally efficient, which a lot of us believe is important.

Now wait a second, I thought the gas prices were Chris Cannon's fault?

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!

Wow - what a delightful change from Chris Cannon.

Chaffetz is right on. ANWR is a barren wasteland. The caribou heards that were supposed to have died out once the pipeline was built have actually increased. All the doomsday prophecies turned out to be false. There's no reason not to drill in ANWR.

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.

The "opinion" of an irrelevant congressman from the irrelevant state of Utah, is irrelevant.

Jason Chaffetz flies off to Alaska with a bunch of Republican neophytes, spends a couple of days, dines with the oil magnates, and then comes back and tells us he has it all worked out. Just blame someone else? Ha Ha Ha.

Ridiculous

I thought Chaffetz said that Chris Cannon was partly responsible for fuel prices. Why the change from Chris to the democrats?

This guy is up in the night. Demonize the Dems and win big in Utah. He says he's going to explore alternatives while already getting in bed with oil lobbiests. We have everything to lose and nothing to gain by drilling in ANWR. Repubs are using it as a wedge issue because of energy prices, but in reality it's a couple of big businesses hoping to cash in by drilling in an untapped area. It will do little to nothing to aleviate gas prices -- but will damage one of the few remaining pristine wild areas we have.

IS he prepping himself for a job at Fox News? This guy is not what he seams. CHAFFETZ = Conservative con man.

Yah democrats have had control of congress a little over a year and it is all their fault don't forget that we have a president that vetoes every thing that they try to do unless it was his idea

DesNews sure censors the comments on their site.

demos, repubs, independents, anyone who uses fossils fuels is partly responsible for the high cost of energy.

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??

Inaction on energy issues is killing our economy. We heard arguments that it would take ten years to see any effect from new developments ten years ago, and we did nothing. Smart move.

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.

I agree to a degree with Kev L about where the blame lies.

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.

Are you serious? This guy never stops talking and taking convenient political positions. I agree with the fact that the Dems have stopped much of what we need to do to develop our energy here at home BUT CHaffetz was blaming energy on Cannon.

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!

Well we need to vote aall the Dems out of congress before they bankrupt all of us. There only intrestest is in haveing us send 700 billion a year to other countries untill were broke, and have them control our lives.

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.

There are over 140 actual leased tracks right now that these oil companies have that they cannot drill in. They have the leases. They can drill in some of them but they can't produce. In others they can look but they can't drill. So when people come out and say, these oil companies already have these giant tracts of land, ask yourself and ask them, do they have the right to drill and produce on those lands.