Hillary Clinton on the State of the Union Address

I found Hillary Clinton’s statement on the President’s State of the Union address interesting, especially her comments on what she evidently believes the President said or did not say in regard to energy.

President Bush's message tonight was loud and clear: you’re on your own...everyone is on their own to deal with rising energy costs in the absence of a real plan by the President to meet our long term energy needs...

So that is what Mrs. Clinton heard the President say, and this is what she says we need to do in regard to energy:

We need to make a real commitment to achieving energy independence and to invest in energy research and development that will help us finish the job.

Now let’s look at what the President actually said in regard to energy.

So tonight, I announce the Advanced Energy Initiative -- a 22-percent increase in clean-energy research -- at the Department of Energy, to push for breakthroughs in two vital areas. To change how we power our homes and offices, we will invest more in zero-emission coal-fired plants, revolutionary solar and wind technologies, and clean, safe nuclear energy.

We must also change how we power our automobiles. We will increase our research in better batteries for hybrid and electric cars, and in pollution-free cars that run on hydrogen. We'll also fund additional research in cutting-edge methods of producing ethanol, not just from corn, but from wood chips and stalks, or switch grass. Our goal is to make this new kind of ethanol practical and competitive within six years.

Breakthroughs on this and other new technologies will help us reach another great goal: to replace more than 75 percent of our oil imports from the Middle East by 2025. By applying the talent and technology of America, this country can dramatically improve our environment, move beyond a petroleum-based economy, and make our dependence on Middle Eastern oil a thing of the past.

So let’s recap what Bush said about energy: A 22-percent increase in clean-energy research for zero-emission coal plants, solar and wind technology, nuclear energy, hybrid and electric cars, and hydrogen powered cars; a specific goal of making ethanol competitive within six years; and a specific goal of reducing oil imports from the Middle East by 75 percent by 2025.

That sounds like a “real plan by the President to meet our long term energy needs.” That sounds like a “real commitment to achieving energy independence and to invest in energy research and development.”

Mrs. Clinton should have been thrilled with what the President said about energy. He couldn't have done a better job of outlining an energy plan that would reflect what Mrs. Clinton says needs to be done if she had written the speech for him.

What in the world was Hillary watching?