[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2008/images/07/17/art.five.dollar.gas.gi.jpg caption="Regular unleaded gasoline remains at its record high price of $4.12 a gallon, according to AAA."]
FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:
This country's energy crisis is "more important and threatening to America's future than terrorism"
So says Republican Congressman John Peterson. He's one of the lawmakers heading up the bipartisan "energy working group" in the House, which is trying to bring back stalled energy legislation.
Peterson insists that energy legislation should be the top priority for Congress, even though there's no sense of urgency in Washington about energy prices. He says that leaders will have a hard time refusing to address this issue adding "This is the issue of the year. This is the issue of the decade."
The Pennsylvania Congressman says the energy crisis is destroying the middle class that made this country strong, and even calls for a "war on energy” – much like our war on terror.
He says that expanding offshore drilling is the most important thing Congress can do to boost domestic supply, something many Democrats have opposed. But Peterson also calls for conservation, tax breaks and tax credits for people to get rid of their old cars, and more funding for renewable energy sources.
There's also a bipartisan group working in the Senate on an energy bill. It's believed eventual compromises would include new domestic drilling to satisfy Republicans, while promoting conservation and alternative energy sources to make Democrats happy.
Here’s my question to you: Is the energy crisis a bigger threat to the U.S. than terrorism?
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
B. from Truckee, Calif. writes:
This "war on terror" has always been a sham. Bush and the oil thugs hijacked 9-11 and went after the oil. They have bungled their war, the real enemy is still loose in Afghanistan, and the energy situation is worse than ever - for the taxpayer, not the oil thugs.
Dan from Maryland writes:
Jack, You know better, the two are related. If we didn't need the oil, we wouldn't have such a strong presence in the Middle East which would mean people wouldn't be upset that we're in their backyard all the time and resort to terrorism. It's a cycle, Jack, everything's connected.
Jose writes:
Obviously it’s energy. Just ask the millions of middle class families, in a struggle to survive, how much have they are being affected by terrorism.
Tom from Tennessee writes:
The energy crisis is a self-created, self-imposed form of terrorism that is far greater, and potentially much more damaging, than any threat created by the Islamic extremists. If America doesn't get a grasp on its energy needs, the harm will be greater than anything done by any radical group, including bin Laden.
A. from Naples, Florida writes:
Energy crisis definitely. It is a subtle form of terrorism; big business and corporate interests are killing us. Remember this when you vote and vote out all incumbents. Our do-nothing Congress and pathetic president have really run this country into the ground.
Dave from Oskaloosa, Kansas writes:
I believe the terrorist threat is extremely important in the long run, but right now I'm staring at a gas pump, credit card in hand, wondering how in the hell I'm going to pay it off at the end of the month.