The politicians frantically accusing each other of flip-flopping on energy policy should heed Ralph Waldo Emerson’s observation: “A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of small minds.”
The fact is, politicians in both parties are junking one-sided energy policies and rushing to embrace comprehensive solutions.
It’s about time.
It may be the ultimate demonstration of just how timid our “gotcha” politics have become that Paris Hilton actually became something of a national policy pacesetter by advancing the kind of balanced energy policy The Post has long advocated.
“Barack wants to focus on new technology to cut our foreign oil dependency and McCain wants offshore drilling,” she said in an Internet video made in response to a John McCain ad depicting her as vacuous.
“Why don’t we do a hybrid of both candidate’s ideas? We can do limited offshore drilling with strict environmental oversight and create tax incentives to get hybrid and electric cars,” Paris purred.
Apparently, there is nothing so powerful as a starlet stating the obvious. Now, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi has abandoned her past opposition to expanded offshore drilling and says she will allow a vote on such a proposal if it is part of a broader energy package that includes such things as a renewal of federal incentives for alternative energy and a requirement that utilities generate more electricity from cleaner energy sources.
Likewise, Colorado Rep. Mark Udall, the Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate, also has now embraced a bipartisan energy package crafted in part by Colorado Sen. Ken Salazar. The so-called “gang of 10” plan allows offshore drilling but creates a $20 billion program to shift 85 percent of cars from petrol-based fuels within two decades.
Republican candidate Bob Schaffer quickly accused Udall of doing a “U-turn” on the offshore drilling issue. Of course, he did. Just like Schaffer, who worked for an oil company, burned a U when his campaign featured an ad with wind turbines and a Prius-looking vehicle.
Democrats have long advocated conservation and alternative energy. Republicans have long advocated new production. Most Americans recognize we need both, the sooner the better.
There’s no shame in abandoning a half-policy to join in a comprehensive solution to American energy problems — even if Paris Hilton did beat the politicians to the punch.
