The Savage Republican

Really focus on energy issues: Come out for massive investment in ethanol production, delivery and vehicles, and more: retrofitting all gas stations for ethanol and hydrogen; a new push for nuclear power; heavy investment in clean coal technology, burying the carbon dioxide. Truly lead the nation away from petroleum. We've done the "alternative fuels" thing for well over 30 years. And all have failed. Oil is efficient and effective. That's why we use it. Exploration and refining are the problems. No new refineries in over 30 years. And many small refineries have shut down. ANWR-if we were to make ANWR a football size plot, the area that's would be used for oil exploration would be the size of two postage stamps in the end zone.(The pictures of the frolicking caribou, clear running brooks and streams and endless carpets of Arctic wildflowers whenever the voice-over talks about ANWR? Lies and deceptions. The impact area is less than one-half of one percent. And the actual above ground structure would be the size of Reagan Airport). Explore the California coast. Synfuels from coal (the Germans ran a war machine on synfuels from dirty coal.) We have tar sands and oil shale that would keep us energy independent for decades, if not for a couple of centuries. Ethanol is a waste. Even the plants that produce ethanol don't use it as an energy source because it's too expensive and inefficient. Ethanol use is a bumper sticker moment only.

Admit that global warming is happening, and launch major new programs to curb it: Many are the same measures as can solve our energy dependence. But add in mandatory upgrading of power plants to cut emissions and major investment in solar and bio-mass energy.Global warming-well, perhaps, but not man made. The History Channel had a special on global warming and mentioned the mini-ice age that was a result of global warming in the first millennium. But never pursued what produced that period of "global warming". SUV dealerships in the first millennium didn't offer the rebates that they did in the latter part of the second millennium. A bad idea. And worse policy and politics.

Build a wall, but let guest workers in: Right-wingers want a wall on our southern border; they'd accept a guest-worker program if we could regulate our own borders. Latinos would accept a wall if there were a chance for immigrants to do legal work and a path to citizenship. Give both what they want, and lead the country into a grand compromise. And what do we get? "Guest worker programs" and a McCain/Kennedy bill that GWB wants to get behind. And the voters, especially results oriented voters. The open southern border problem has been a major concern for the country since 9-11. And it's taken nearly five years to finally get serious about it? And this is what we get? And we've accumulated over 2,500,000 additional illegals in that time. But, Morris is kind of right. Do I care that Latinos would accept something about guest workers? No. But,this one gets kind of a thumbs up from conservatives: Wall first, in country illegals second. And why not attempt to throw all the illegals out? As I read that because we can't catch and convict all rapists does that stop us from trying?

Put the drug fight front and center: Demand drug testing in schools with parental consent, and tax incentives for workplace drug testing. Link cocaine to terrorism, and build a national consensus for tough measures to cut demand. And why is there a connection? Because there is a profit. And the success of the War on Drugs? And how do we cut demand? Good luck! Dick, have you ever heard of the much heralded success of the Volstead Act? It appears that Dick Morris's concerns are legit. But, he should have asked for the input from one or more of the disenfranchised conservatives that really hold the key to the 2006/2008 elections.