Democrats have been clamoring for President Bush to open the Strategic Petroleum Reserves and divert 10 percent of its total to the world gasoline market, which they say will bring down gasoline prices at the pump.

But Joseph Visconti, GOP candidate for Connecticut's First Congressional District, who is facing John Larson, one of Nancy Pelosi's most loyal lieutenants, has a far better idea, and far better reasons than a momentary bump in the political polls. (I guess the Dems are OK with a 9 percent approval rating but they don't want to sink any lower.)

Visconti, who unlike Larson and most of his cohorts, actually runs a business and knows the impact of energy prices on productivity first hand, has been studying the issue and proposed utilizing some of the country's Strategic Petroleum Reserve to provide Americans with emergency heating fuel this winter.

Visconti's proposal differs significantly from calls by his Democratic opponent to open up the Strategic Reserve to the marketplace to increase gasoline supplies in an effort to reduce gas prices. The Democrats' suggestion, Visconti said, would "simply provide more profits for the international oil cartel by placing the oil on the open market."

"The Strategic Reserve contains American oil, already bought and paid for by the American taxpayer," Visconti said. "It was created to provide petroleum for our military in the event of a national emergency, and temporary relief from economic and natural disasters."

"Americans freezing in their homes this winter would certainly be a disaster, brought on by economic conditions that are directly traceable to inaction by Congress. But that is our oil and it should be made available to the states, so it could go directly to Americans who would use it to heat their homes."

Visconti cautioned, however, that using the strategic reserves would be a viable solution only when coupled with a decision by Congress to lift its restrictions on drilling offshore, for shale oil in the Rocky Mountains, and in a barren and desolate tract of the Arctic National Wildlife Reserve.

"We need to drill our way out of this for the near future as we combine clean and safe drilling with clean and safe nuclear, and a concerted effort to replace fossil fuels with alternative energy sources.”

Visconti said that releasing the oil directly to the states for emergency heating oil supplies would "keep American oil in America where it would directly benefit Americans.

"This is the emergency we planned for when American taxpayers bought that oil," Visconti said. "Why should it go on the market, where international speculators can manipulate the price for their profits?"

Contributed by Ron Winter on July 21, 2008 at 12:37 AM in Dem Dumbness, Ron Winter | Permalink

Comments

Posted by: Marc Boyd

Joseph Visconti needs to have a goob discussion with a Petroleum Chem E. And a HVAC Engineer

You can not use straight crude oil in a house heating system. They are not designed for it. It must first be refined to remove all of the lighter and heavier fractions. The burner orifices are sized for a specific viscosity, that of #2 heating oil.

Good try, but no prize.

Marc

Posted by: Marc Boyd | Jul 21, 2008 5:48:37 PM