Non partisan opinion on a very critical issues: First off, let me just say, I don’t agree with the “Super Left” Daily Kos Blog about some sort of conspiracy between Republicans and the Oil industry “To at once embarrass Barack Obama, take down the Congressional Democrats, increase corporate profit and further drive up the price of energy.” This time I’m on “Super Right” Michelle Malkin’s side (partially) which is essentially that Bush should stop playing games and tear the executive prohibition on offshore drilling: “Mr. Bush, Tear Up That Offshore Drilling Ban.” It pains me to agree with Michelle Malkin.

When it comes to energy independence, I think we should use and “everything but the kitchen sink” approach. We should not only approve off shore drilling yesterday, but also enforce higher standards and work aggressively toward alternative energies.

When President Bush announced his bid to push for allowing oil companies to begin drilling offshore, I was relieved at the prospect of his administration doing something that actually made sense for a change.

“Congress must face a hard reality,” Bush said. “Unless members are willing to accept gas prices at today’s painful prices or even higher, our nation must produce more oil, and we must start now.”

According to a 31 May 2008 Article by the Economist, RecOIL, the current vice grip like strain on the growing emerging market is due to the stagnant oil output has been going on for five years, but ignored until now.

If the bans were lifted tomorrow, it would be at least seven years — and likely as long as a decade — before the first oil began to flow off the coasts of Florida, California and the eastern seaboard.

“Is it going to happen overnight? No,” said Dan Naatz, vice president of the Independent Petroleum Association of America. “Is it going to solve all of our nation’s energy problems? No.”

- WallStreet Journal

While it may not fix any immediate demand for oil and lower the price of gas, it would help big US oil companies compete with the Sultans of Saudi Arabia. I am not entirely opposed to that. It would allow the U.S. to have more control over its supply (who we buy from and how much), give more jobs, and maybe even give the US another giant export market to asia. What I am entirely opposed to is anything resembling a monopoly. And if we put all our future eggs in one basket, we’d get super oil barons with even more power over our pockets.

So what if we allowed more off-shore drilling AND apply a “man to the moon” type approach to developing new energy solutions so that in 5-7 years there would be a real energy competitor for big oil, gas and maybe even coal. We should use all resources available to solve this problem. We should make energy independence our NUMBER #1 priority.