Fact-checking Obama's State of the Union energy lies



There’s a gulf of facts between what Barack Obama said last night, and what the truth really is.  And like any gulf of resources, Obama doesn’t want you exploring it.

American Tradition Partnership drills down to the truth for you.  Obama’s claims on energy are in bold, and they are all false.  The truth follows his statements.

“Over the last three years, we’ve opened millions of new acres for oil and gas exploration, and tonight, I’m directing my Administration to open more than 75 percent of our potential offshore oil and gas resources.”

Classic Obama sleight of hand.  Like his radical Gang Green campaign bankrollers, Obama opposes energy development.  But he knows that position will kill his campaign.  His solution?  Open land to permission to develop so he looks pro-jobs, but refuse to grant the permits so he shuts down jobs.

“…last year, we relied less on foreign oil than in any of the past sixteen years.”


As even the reliably liberal Washington Post notes, “The Energy Department cited a host of reasons why foreign oil imports have declined, noting the main reason was “a significant contraction in consumption” because of the poor economy and changes in efficiency that began “two years before the 2008 crisis” — i.e., before Obama took office.”

“But with only 2 percent of the world’s oil reserves, oil isn’t enough.”

A lie.  Many experts say the U.S. has around 10 percent of the world’s reserves, and American oil is often of a higher quality and easier to develop than other countries.  The U.S. has enough oil to last over a century.

“This country needs an all-out, all-of-the-above strategy that develops every available source of American energy – a strategy that’s cleaner, cheaper, and full of new jobs.”

Through shutting down granting of permits on land, a moratorium on deep-sea development followed by a virtual moratorium by not approving permits and now attempting to kill the Keystone energy pipeline, Obama has consistently opposed oil and gas development, our most efficient source of energy and a key driver of new jobs and prosperity.

“We have a supply of natural gas that can last America nearly one hundred years, and my Administration will take every possible action to safely develop this energy.”

Obama has worked to stop the permitting of gas wells, and his EPA cronies are working to outlaw the 60-year-old safe practice of “clean water extraction,” known as “fracking.”

“And by the way, it was public research dollars, over the course of thirty years, that helped develop the technologies to extract all this natural gas out of shale rock…”

Clean water extraction, or “fracking” is a 60-year-old technology.  It is not a product of Jimmy Carter-era government spending.

“Because of federal investments, renewable energy use has nearly doubled. And thousands of Americans have jobs because of it.”

So-called “renewable” energy relies almost solely on “federal investments” (spending of taxpayer money) because it is too inefficient and expensive to be a practical source of power.  Being forced to double wasteful spending to keep it alive and enrich his campaign donors is noting to brag about.

And research has shown so-called “green power,” backed only by government mandates and spending, destroys more jobs than it creates.

“We have subsidized oil companies for a century. That’s long enough. It’s time to end the taxpayer giveaways to an industry that’s rarely been more profitable, and double-down on a clean energy industry that’s never been more promising. Pass clean energy tax credits and create these jobs.”

The so-called “oil subsidy” he refers to is the business equipment depreciation deduction that ALL businesses get.  What he proposes is to monkey with federal tax law to target just oil companies for a tax hike, then redistribute their money to his campaign bankrollers in the “green” energy racket.

“Of course, the easiest way to save money is to waste less energy. So here’s another proposal: Help manufacturers eliminate energy waste in their factories and give businesses incentives to upgrade their buildings.”

Like many of Obama’s failed proposals, he assumes private businesses do not know how to create profits, but his government planners do.  In reality, this is just a scheme to transfer taxpayers’ money to his campaign supporters who have invested heavily in failed green businesses.

That's the truth.  Help me hold Obama accountable for his job-killing campaign of lies.

Sincerely,

Donald Ferguson
Executive Director
American Tradition Partnership

P.S.  Help me hold Obama accountable to voters.  Go here to chip in $10 to stop Obama’s campaign of job-killing radicalism.