Horn Busted on Oil Drilling

The Associated Press has busted Jennifer Horn's claim that she has pushed for expanded oil drilling since the start of her campaign.

The candidates also have sparred on the issues, with Bosse criticizing Clegg's "big government health care mandates" and Horn's "lack of details and commitment" on energy policy and other issues. In a televised debate Thursday involving all but L'Eplattenier, Bosse claimed to have set out his plan calling for more U.S. oil drilling, refineries and nuclear plants ahead of his rivals and accused Horn of arriving late to the same conclusions.

"Now she's in favor of drilling and I applaud that, but we need real leadership from people who don't wait for gas to hit $3.50 or $5 a gallon before they decide we need to put American resources in American gas tanks," said Bosse, 36, of Hillsboro.

Horn, 44, of Nashua, insisted she has been clear about supporting drilling as a part of achieving energy independence and referred to her first press release, which says only that she would "work with Democrats and Republicans to develop a long-term energy solution that makes sense and actually helps working families." In June, she issued another release saying she supported lifting the ban on new offshore drilling.

Horn says it herself at the Concord City Republican Committee meeting in February...

Are you a shill for Big Oil?

If you support using American resources to produce energy, Nancy Pelosi thinks you are. This morning, the Union Leader Editorial Page picks up on Pelosi's insulting comments in Denver, which we mentioned yesterday:

Pelosi's detached arrogance is shared by our own Rep. Carol Shea-Porter. In an interview with the Portsmouth Herald last week, Shea-Porter laughed when asked about Republicans protesting Congress for leaving town without voting on energy legislation. She thinks it's funny that people are angry that Congress chose to go on vacation instead of act to lower high gas prices.

This is the arrogant, dismissive attitude personified by the current Democrat-controlled House. The people demand solutions; the Democrats mock them. Have you had enough yet?

In the news: Farm Bureau and Timberland Owners Picnic

Grant addressed the New Hampshire Farm Bureau and New Hampshire Timberland Owners Association Picnic in Belmont this week.

From the Concord Monitor:

Grant Bosse, a former legislative aid who is seeking the Republican nomination in the 2nd District, blasted federal farm policy, which he said gave big incentives to only a few select crops. The message, the Hillsboro Republican said, is simple: "If you don't grow corn, you don't count."

From the Laconia Citizen:

Bosse said the Farm Bill was "an abomination" because it said to the many farmers in New Hampshire that "if you don't grow corn, you don't count."

By subsidizing some prices, "we are paying to make food more expensive," said Bosse.

Tapping Tired Wells

This morning, the Washington Post points out the obvious holes in Barack Obama's Energy Plan, a plan which doesn't produce any energy, and a plan endorsed by Paul Hodes:

Mr. Obama's proposal to take some of this money from Big Oil and distribute it, like Robin Hood, to hard-pressed American families doesn't make economic sense. To be sure, Mr. Obama would not copy the tax enacted under President Jimmy Carter in 1980, which netted $40 billion before its repeal in 1988 while imposing huge administrative burdens -- and retarding domestic oil production. Mr. Carter's tax was levied per-barrel, so it directly increased the marginal cost of producing crude -- and made figuring out which barrels to tax ridiculously complicated. Mr. Obama wants a surtax on net oil company profits above a "reasonable" level. The tax would be set high enough to raise $65 billion over the next five years, and the revenue would fund a one-shot tax rebate that Mr. Obama would like to give to families and individuals this year.

Making Exxon surrender money that is now falling into its lap would not necessarily affect its longer-term plans or incentives. Indeed, some of Big Oil's "windfall" already will go to the government: The more profit the companies earn, the more corporate income tax they pay. But to add a five-year tax increase on top of that to pay for a one-year gift to voters would, indeed, increase the cost of doing business. That cost would be passed along in forgone investment in new production, lower dividends for pension funds and other shareholders, and higher prices at the pump -- thus socking it to the consumers whom the plan is supposed to help. If oil prices fall, there might be no windfall profits to tax. Then the Obama rebate would have to be paid for through spending cuts, taxes on something else or borrowing.

And let's remember the other key components of the Obama-Hodes No Energy Plan:

-Force companies to drill on land without any recoverable oil
-Inflate your tires
-Pay your boss to have you carpool

I hope Paul Hodes is enjoying his vacation. We have the opportunity to extend it permanently in November.

The Hodes No-Energy Plan

Hodes Get Green Light to Back Drilling

Now that Nancy Pelosi has given him the okay, how long until Paul Hodes reverses himself and comes out in favor of drilling, in areas that actually have some oil:

But what looks like intraparty tension on the surface is part of an intentional strategy in which Pelosi takes the heat on energy policy, while behind the scenes she’s encouraging vulnerable Democrats to express their independence if it helps them politically, according to Democratic aides on and off Capitol Hill.

Apparantly, Hodes didn't get the memo in time, as he outlines an energy plan in the Union Leader this morning that won't produce any new energy. There's plenty of hand-wringing about the evils of oil companies, though he doesn't explain how higher taxes will lead to lower prices. There's the usual canards about price gouging and speculation, which just serve to highlight his economic illiteracy. And there's the dry well of forcing drilling on leased land not currently in production, which Drew Cline of the Union Leader blew apart earlier this week. Otherwise, Hodes wants to pay you carpool and wants the government to help you conserve energy. But no new energy to be found.

Drilling in Alaska? No.
Drilling off our coasts? No.
Using oil sands? No.
Building new refineries? No.
More nuclear power plants? No.

Paul Hodes offers not a drop of new oil, and not a watt of new electricity. He would continue a failed energy and farm policy that has driven up gas prices. Of course, that was before Nancy Pelosi said is was okay to support more drilling, now that she can guarantee that such a radical idea will never actually come to a vote while she is Speaker. Let's see how long Paul Hodes sticks to his No-Energy Plan.

Learn more about Grant Bosse's Comprehensive Energy Plan.

Starting to Stand Up

The House Republicans are starting to stand up. After Nancy Pelosi turned off the lights and sent her colleagues home for a month, Republicans stayed on the House floor and continued the debate over expanding use of domestic energy resources:

Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and the Democrats adjourned the House and turned off the lights and killed the microphones, but Republicans are still on the floor talking gas prices.

Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) and other GOP leaders opposed the motion to adjourn the House, arguing that Pelosi's refusal to schedule a vote allowing offshore drilling is hurting the American economy. They have refused to leave the floor after the adjournment motion passed at 11:23 a.m. and are busy bashing Pelosi and her fellow Democrats for leaving town for the August recess.

At one point, the lights went off in the House and the microphones were turned off in the chamber, meaning Republicans were talking in the dark. But as Rep. John Shadegg (R-Ariz..) was speaking, the lights went back on, and the microphones were turned on shortly afterward.

This is a debate that Nancy Pelosi and Paul Hodes are not willing to have. Meanwhile in the Senate, Mitch McConnell tried to determine how gas prices would need to rise before Harry Reid would allow an open debate on offshore drilling:


The Republican Party is starting to find its voice, and offering a clear, conservative direction for this country. With 39 days until the Republican Primary in New Hampshire, and 95 days until the General Election, I hope it is not too late. I'll keep pushing to make that voice heard.

Hattip: Instapundit and the Corner.

A nice start

Let's see what this does to oil futures over the next few days:

The Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Land Management today published proposed regulations to establish a commercial oil shale program that could result in the addition of up to 800 billion barrels of recoverable oil from lands in the western United States.

New sources of energy increase supply and bring down prices. Amazing how some people can't acknowledge that. Using domestic reserves in Alaska, off our coasts, and in oil shale is a big part of my Comprehensive Energy Plan.

Hattip: Instapundit

Hodes Energy Policy

This pretty much sums up Paul Hodes Energy Plan:

Hattip: Powerline

Winning the battle of ideas

Republican Congressional Candidate Grant Bosse statement on John McCain's Energy Incentive Plan:

"I'm pleased that John McCain is proposing an incentive-based approach to create new energy breakthroughs, much as I proposed last month. Rather than wasting tax dollars through Congressional earmarks, we should reward those who can produce results. The X-Prize got results in the private space flight, and similar incentives could lead to remarkable breakthroughs for efficient and renewable energy. John McCain should be applauded for embracing this innovative, market-based approach to energy research."

Bosse called for an X-Prize Program for new energy breakthroughs as part of his comprehensive Energy Plan on May 22nd.

More bad ideas

Paul Hodes proved today that he doesn't know what he's talking about on energy policy. Now, another Obama adviser is showing economic ignorance, calling for nationalization of oil refineries:



We can not afford to have Congress take over a major sector of the American economy. Their failed policies have driven prices through the roof, and giving them more power will only make the problem worse. That's why we need candidates who back small government and market-based solution, not candidates who insist that they can fix the energy markets, if only they had the chance to wield power for a few years.

Hattip: FreedomTalks

From PolitickerNH.com

Will Bredderman from PolitickerNH.com writes about Grant's attack on Congressman Paul Hodes' defense of an energy initiative labeled the "dumbest of them all".

The campaign of New Hampshire Republican congressional candidate Grant Bosse today issued a press release attacking Democratic incumbent Paul Hodes for supporting a proposal from Congresswoman and fellow Democrat Carol Shea-Porter that would mandate oil companies to drill on any federally-leased land in their possession. Bosse is running against Hodes for New Hampshire's 2nd District seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.

The press release labeled Shea-Porter--who represents New Hampshire's 1st Congressional District--as a "radical" and cited an editorial from the Union-Leader that referred to the Democrats' proposal as possibly "the dumbest idea of them all." The document also quoted Bosse accusing Hodes of not being "serious about bringing down gas prices" and of trying to "distract voters with gimmicks."

Hodes' Gas Tax Increase Fails

Statement of Republican Congressional Candidate Grant Bosse following the failure of Paul Hodes' gas tax increase today in the Senate:

"With gas prices topping $4 a gallon, Paul Hodes and Nancy Pelosi tried to make gas even more expensive. Fortunately, their bad idea has stalled in the Senate. With this vote to protect taxpayers and free market ideas, the Republican Party is starting to restore the trust of voters. I'm pleased that New Hampshire drivers will not have to pay for Paul Hodes latest tax increase at the pump. Now we can look for ways to lower energy prices, such as the comprehensive Energy Plan I've proposed."

From the Eagle-Tribune

Sunday's Eagle-Tribune discusses Congressman Paul Hodes' attempt to pander to voters about gas prices by using tax dollars to promote carpooling, as well as Grant Bosse's stance for a real energy program to lower gas prices:

Hodes' carpooling proposal draws fire

Hodes held a press conference in Concord last week to announce that he plans to introduce legislation to help New Hampshire commuters struggling with the high gas prices...

Bosse said if Hodes is serious about addressing gas prices, he should start by undoing the damage some of his votes have caused.

By blocking access to domestic reserves, blocking the construction of new refineries, and voting to expand the use of ethanol, Bosse said, Hodes has contributed to the high price of gasoline.

"We are paying a price for Paul Hodes' failed policies every time we fill up," he said.

Hodes Failed Policies Pushing Up Gas Prices

Bosse calls for Congress to stop interfering in energy markets

(Concord) As Congressman Paul Hodes proposes yet more federal interference in the nation’s energy markets, Republican rival Grant Bosse today pointed out that the failed policies Hodes has supported are driving up gas and energy prices. Hodes’ latest proposal is to provide tax credits to carpooling programs, which would do nothing to lower the price of gas.

“Paul Hodes wants to tell people how to drive to lower their gas bills, but he refuses to acknowledge the failed policies that are pushing gas prices to record highs,” said Bosse. “If he’s serious about addressing gas prices, he can start by undoing the damage his votes have caused.”

Bosse has proposed a ten-point Energy Plan that would lower gas and energy prices by reducing Congressional interference in energy markets, opening domestic reserves to exploration, and allowing alternative energy technology to flourish in a competitive marketplace. Hodes has opposed expanded use of domestic oil reserves, voted to increase taxes on gasoline by $18 billion, and supported wasteful ethanol mandates and subsidies.

“By blocking access to domestic reserves, blocking the construction of new refineries, and voting to expand the ethanol boondoggle, Paul Hodes is keeping gas prices artificially high,” Bosse added. “We are paying the price for Paul Hodes failed policies every time we fill up.”

Bosse’s campaign is centered on freeing the market from taxes, mandates and over regulation, winning the war against Islamic Fascism, and securing our borders. For more information on Bosse’s campaign, go to www.Bosse2008.com.

On the air: Energy Plan

Grant discusses his comprehensive Energy Plan with WCNL's Steve Smith:

Supply and Demand


Letting energy markets work