I get it, the government leverages the oil companies into more idiotic ideas like ethanol, which it turns out isn't good for our lawn equipment or my car! Brilliant! And get into their pockets at the same time...ditto! What a scam... I mean scheme! If the 'alternatives' were viable, somebody would be producing them already. We're being sqeezed into using tecnology which will likey bankrupt the government and many private energy companies and we'll have to nationalize because nobody will be able to reasonably produce energy of any kind in the private sector. Or we'll be at the mercy of Chavez, Putin, the Arabs and the not to be trusted Chicoms. Nice. No really, just great! I hope the 2010 elections bring about an abrupt end to the Pelosi, Reid, Shumer reign of terror and the American consumers say, 'not so fast' to the Federal Government. Even if we develop the alternative sources like Hydrogen, propane,green fuels(whatever the Hell that means)we need oil for lubricants, manufacturing,machinery,plastics,uh..let's see...and on and on and on...Sorry, libs, can't trash oil just yet. Even Polar Bears get that one. But then, they are way up the food chain from you anyway. Smarter, too!

Tax carbon dioxide emissions? They're going to tax us to exhale.

and those evil corporations raise their prices and we get stuck with the bill. When those evil corporations' profits don't go down, just tax them more ...
and those evil corporations raise their prices and we get stuck with the bill.

How many times does this have to happen before we figure out what's causing our pockets to be empty?

I'm sure a lot of people are thinking this, especially anyone who has anything invested in the markets. It is clear to me that Obama can remove the greatest amount of personal wealth by doing everything in his power to bring the markets to zero. Instead if instilling confidence, he is expeditiously working to undermine and lower the markets in order to evaporate any and all personal wealth invested in the markets. Everytime he opens his mouth, and people have had enough time to really analyze just what the ramifications will be, the market plunges. When the markets try to recover, Obama comes out with another press release and the downward spiral gains more steam. If you were on a commercial airplane, would you want Obama as your pilot? Are you the kind of person who would fight for your life? How about your country? Or would you rather stay in your seat and trust the pilot, regardless of the view outside the window. I've noticed that even the news reporters who cover the markets have fear in their eyes. I'm not supprised since they are more in tune with their investments and pensions than the news anchors, but that will change too. The people who have invested in our markets are as diverse as this country is. That makes Obama an equal opprotunity destroyer. In his eyes, to be truly equal, we all must be as broke and despondent as the lowest common denominator. His isn't a new deal, or new "new" deal, it is the RAW deal.

I'm all for the government supporting alternative energy, as our economy will (down the line) depend on it in a "suddenly" kind of way, whenever some country we're importing from decides it doesn't like us. Energy is the sort of thing that is too important to just wait around for markets to adjust.

Any alternative energy policy, to be valid, must include:
- Nuclear power. Just heard a horror-story about six workers who died of exposure to nuclear materials. Six sounds like a very very low number, to me. This needs to be invested in.
- Alternative methods of acquiring "non-alternative" fuels. While ideally, we'd all live off something as durable as the sun, there's not much point in not using oil to get there. If we can find a way to get oil out of a rock, let's do it. If we can figure out a way to get coal out of a volcano, let's do it.

I'm an idealist, but I also believe in "pick your battles, one at a time."

You have got to be kidding. He is going to tax anything that does not come from the SUN! OOPS, oil companies pass the tax back to us, we pay more, those that can afford it can still heat their homes, the "newly defined" poor who can't afford heating oil will become yet another burden on the gov't teat and we "those who make a decent wage" will pay even more! Where does it end? Keep it up and I will be "POOR" as well and not be actually worse off than the family who makes $90K a year. Eventually if you don't make more than $250K a year you will have to turn to the gov't teat just to survive! SICK OF IT!!

As an Environmental Science major in college, we learned that it takes about fifty years to fully implement a new energy source. What do the
"higher thinkers" suppose we do until then? Maybe we can run our homes, vehicles, and evil corporations on unicorns and pipe dreams. What do you think the Obama tax is on a pipe dream?

The reality is that Obama has an ideological opposition to the oil industry. Ideology precludes any kind of reason. Ideology pleases his financiers. No more money for Bush and Halliburton.

The reality is that we will depend on oil in some form for decades no matter what alternative solution is created. The solution should be a all inclusive effort to attain all energy possible. This includes drilling, nuclear, solar, wind, tidal, methane from cow patties - whatever it is.

The fact is that Obama is ideologically opposed to drilling and will not do it. When the world gets cranked up again, demand starts to soar, and gas is at $8/gallon, Obama will look like a fool. Of course, that scenario will give him more fuel to throw on the clean energy fire.

We've gone from one president who does whatever he wants to another one who does the same thing, but with a lot more charm.

Copy you are not thinking (surprise). We would all like alternative energy but it'll take awhile and I think there is plenty of funding for R&D in this bill so shut up on that one. But meanwhile we have to quit being dependent on foreign oil. Think of the jobs (if you can think) that would be created instantly if we started drilling and building refineries. Instant stimulus. Even if it takes a few years for the oil to make it to market, there would be a jump in good paying jobs and revenues from those jobs. But now, thanks to your buddy (wipe your nose) we'll just be paying higher prices on gas and electricity and still waiting on alternative fuels.

Of the oil-and-gas (and auto) lobbyists is to claim, with a straight face, "We're in favor of alternative energy, really we are. But until it magically appears with no R&D support whatsoever, we'll need oil to keep things running. Now quit funding that R&D and let us drill more, dammit!"

Sorry, losers. That's not working with this administration. The LAST president was your oilman tool, not this one. We're interested in getting off the oil habit completely, not lining your pockets.

Suck on it.

Well, a new movie could be made call Obama's Billions, story line, spend billions of dollars, and in the end you need to be as broke as you started, then you will be given Trillions, more to burn through, what does it matter it is not your money, what fun. Then turn it in to a reality show, and you could sum it up every night on Katie Couric.