FORMER SENATOR George Allen may be out, but he's not down. Speaking recently to young conservatives in Washington, he decried "counterproductive taxes, impediments, and dictates" as a response to America's energy problems and global warming.
"Instead of trusting free people and the free markets," he said, "[liberals] believe the nation's energy policy is something best managed by political science. We need to reasonably conserve now, but we need more energy exploration, more energy innovation, more energy development, and more energy infrastructure."
By limiting our own oil production we are shooting ourselves in the foot, Mr. Allen thinks. He pointed out that "Castro with Hugo Chavez and the Peoples Republic of China are exploring 45 miles off the coast of Florida, but we prohibit our own oil producers from exploring 50 miles off the coasts of Virginia, South Carolina, and Georgia."
Mr. Allen also encouraged use of nuclear energy, clean coal technology, and natural gas--as well as reasonable conservation methods.
His "we can do this" attitude is positively refreshing in an era when "America is the problem" has become a popular mantra and "woe is us" the common refrain. Mr. Allen has formed a political action committee, the Good Government Action Fund, and plans this fall to campaign for Virginia Republicans. His voice remains a consequential one.