With all due respect...in your first post, you mention conservative fiscal policy that balances the budget...I think Clinton was the first in may years that actually accomplished that goal, and left George M (for Moron...he got his degree from Harvard because his daddy contributed large sums of money to the institution...I work in a large Urban Univ. so know a little bit about the politics of such things) a surplus to squaller, which he wasted no time in doing with 600 dollar "rebates" to people who went out and blew the money. Also, I don't know if it's "we don't want in our backyard" or if some people realize that enough is enough with regards to present or future damage to what is left. You see deer grazing by the oil pumps because MAN has eliminated all their natural predators, not because they LIKE the oil pumps!!
I pose this question to all who propose "utilizing our natural resources to their fullest extent": Where do you draw the line for present and future generations...when the whole f'ing country looks like Mars?
Since Mars has nowhere near the H2O content of Earth, the comparison is not possible, unless we export most of our water to Mars & nobody is seriously proposing that in DC - yet. John Edwards would promise this if there was an angle in it to get elected, & then Hillary & Obama would promise to do it quicker.
When I read about the trade imbalance or hear some politician or media wonk lament about the terrible situation of American labor yadda yadda China, India yadda yadda & they IGNORE the HUGE energy imbalance - our dollars chasing energy from foreign sources - I do not take them seriously since they are just mouthing platitudes. In other words, our monetary resources go to building indoor ski resorts & copious largesse in the Middle East instead of staying here at home, where our politicians can waste them almost that effectively, but not quite.
Proud to be born & raised in Texas - an energy state. George W. Bush's political enemies early on failed to understand his intellect. Through many years of observation, I have learned that is a reflection of their own abilities much more so than President Bush's.

In other words, underestimating one's political opponent in a key area leads to political defeat. Democrats demonstrated that lack of intellect in spades in his wins as guv as well as his wins as prez & in that there is more than a certain satisfaction. Now its sour grapes & the Dems do not have a lock on this election as they feel is their birthright instead of the vote totals, and there is frustration aplenty in that.
Also, the fed budget was NEVER balanced since Social Security surpluses were utilized. national debt increased each year of Clinton's terms - never dropped. So called conservatives simply spend their money on different boondoggles than liberals. Not sure there are any conservatives in DC - I've never been one but thought I had seen a few once upon a time but they were not exactly conservative (1980's). Other than that, we agree.
